Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-08-11

have two outstanding author
lean. These are Evelyn w,
satirist. and Wright Morris.
Award for last year. Mr..
Waugh's new novel Is:
THE ORDEAL OF GIL
BERT PINFOLD little,
Brown: $3.75).
Perhaps most novels are
based on fact. Of one sort
or another, however careful
the disguise. But Mr.. Waugh's
book. we are told fiatly, in q
note that precedes the story,
IL q direct translation Of
something that happened to
the author.
Three years ago." the note
states. "Mr. Waugh suffered
. brief bout Of hallucination
closely resembling what is
here described. It was an in
teresting experience for q
man whose business is story
telling. Hallucination is far
removed from loss Of reason.
The reason works with en-
HANGED power, while the ma
terials for 1t to work on, pre-
scented by the senses. are
decisions. A storyteller natu-
rally tries to ind q plot
into which his observations
can be fitted"
The Mr.. Flnfold Of this
novel is, to q large extent,
Mr.. Waugh, we are informed,
but the other characters are
fictitious.
Well, Mr.. Pinfold-natu-
rally he's q writer and one
like Mr.. Waugh-cracked up
from what might be called
decentralization. He had in
somnia. was intensely nervous
and had pains in the joints.
His doctor prescribed a
powerful painkiller, but Mr..
Pinfold neglected to tell him
that on his own hook he was
taking q strong sleeping
draught" and obtained
further relief with large guam
titles Of alcohol.
Mr.. Pinfold told his wife he
thought he'd 60 on a sea
voyage, alone. It would re-
store his health and he could
finish his new book, he was
sure. She consented. He
sailed for Ceylon on q small
ship.
Tormenting Voices
No sooner had the vessel
put to sea than he began to
hear voices in his cabin. He
figured that the ship had
been fitted up with q loud
speaker system for her war
service and they had forgot
ten to disconnect his state
room. He heard the captain
talking on the bridge. abusing
q Lascar seaman. Later the
voices Of a set Of characters
invaded Mr.. Pinfold's cabin,
including q man named
Angel, who recently had made
a recorded interview with the
writer at his country home
for BIC.
The voices began to ac-
cuse Mr.. Pinfold Of all sorts
Of crimes and evil practices
and to threaten him with q
beating, with exposure and
other dire things. Meanwhile
the captain disclosed that the
Spaniards, who suddenly had
claimed Gibraltar from Brit
ain. were about to seize the
ship unless she would re-
lease hostages. The captain
agreed to produce Mr.. Pin
fold, but nothing happened.
The writer's hallucinations
were all auditory. Sometimes
passengers he met in the
dining saloon would talk
about him, over his private
transmission. When he got to
Colombo he wrote his wife
about his troubles. She cabled
him to return at once. He
new back and as soon as she
met the plane, the voices be-
gan to fade. finally to vanish.
He had run out Of the Sleep
ing remedy and the pain
killer and cut down on liquor.
The story is, like all Mr..
Waugh'S books, highly divert
ing, sometimes quite ANUS
ing. as when some Of the
voices discuss Mr.. Pinfold's
shortcomings as q writer.
However. few psychiatrists
will agree with the assump-
ton that "hallucination Is
far removed from loss of
reason" 1t frequently is q
symptom Of grave mental dis
order. II Mr.. Waugh went
through the sort of expert
ences he attributes to Mr..
Pinfold, he is extremely lucky
TO have come out of them
20 promptly and completely.
Wright Morris new novel