Discovering the Written World of Paul Bailey

Esteemed author Paul Bailey, whose life ended last autumn at 87, was acclaimed for a witty genius, intense sympathy even for his most flawed characters, and a cleverness that avoided being sterile. His fiction frequently delved into the power of memory on human existence, propelled by witty, staccato exchanges. In addition to storytelling, he was also a memoirist, poet, and more—here is a guide to the volumes he authored.

Works That Offer Solace

Paul Bailey proved a social being, a skilled communicator who adored lighthearted gossip, as one character notes. Alongside pal Beryl Bainbridge would watch the serial drama Coronation Street and analyze it telephonically. This pleasure in chatty conversations shines through in his novels the novel Trespasses (from 1970) along with the title Peter Smart’s Confessions (dating to 1977). The two present a main male protagonist encircled by humorous, irritating, exaggerated personalities, usually kin whose influence is inescapable. “What’s so great about being normal?” Ralph’s mum questions within Trespasses after he discloses his homosexuality. Comparable to hanging out with your smartest, cheekiest pal.

Works That Evoke Laughter and Tears

Bailey wrote superbly on old age, early and late in his career. His first book At the Jerusalem (1967) traces the life of Faith Gadny during her transition to a care facility, in which other inhabitants offer warmth absent in employees, whose engagement through questions “Why not view the TV, ladies?”. In the novel before his final Chapman’s Odyssey (released in 2011), an aged patient switches between clashing with physicians (“My wine selection is exclusive”, he insists following criticism of his liver) and being flooded by memories of his mother, lovers, literary figures including Pip by Dickens and Emma by Austen. The two works are filled with funny exchanges but marked by the inevitable conclusion. In Bailey’s fiction, smiles are deceptive. In At the Jerusalem, “the matron smiled, shut the smile off quickly”; The character giggles with unease upon challenge to her conduct. Within Chapman’s Odyssey, Harry cautions that “my laughter is not genuine”. The audience’s grins, though, are real.

If You Want the Facts Behind the Fiction

In addition to fiction, Paul Bailey served as a skilled autobiographer, releasing two self-written volumes. An Immaculate Mistake (from 1990) is a masterwork of reminiscence, its title derived from his parent’s remark labeling him an “accident” and questioning his presence. (“She was old now, and letting go of her secrets,” he adds. “This secret, she realized, would intrigue me.”) Within these pages appear the roots of misguided, loving, frustrating parents in his novels. It likewise portrays a moving picture of a homosexual young man in the 1940s–50s, when same-sex acts were criminal, and his kin viewed it as suspicious for a boy to buy his mother flowers; and of a would-be thespian (The writer was on stage before writing) who memorized Hamlet at 15. His subsequent life story the book A Dog’s Life (published in 2004) focuses on life with his mongrel puppy Circe, his former partner David, his love for Romania—which inspired future works including Kitty and Virgil, Uncle Rudolf, as well as The Prince’s Boy—and loads of chatter, including a tale regarding Iris Murdoch calling an audience member a “foolish person”.

For Those Short on Time

Bailey’s novels are mostly concise—the notable Old Soldiers (published in 1980) is under 100 pages—but for something shorter, explore his poems from his later career. The pair of volumes the poetry collection Inheritance (2019) and Joie de Vivre (from 2022) exhibit Bailey’s wit, empathy, precision in small packages. These verses are full of endings and beginnings. Two affectionate topics reappear: for his mother (“Now I’m closer—/ I have to say—/ than in life”) and for his civil partner Jeremy Trevathan. In that piece, he depicts the pleasure in “watching an idiotic TV entertainment” together, concluding with: “It’s amazing, somehow, to eat cheese and sip wine while the world darkens.”

If You Only Read One

Most agree that the author’s most expansive book was the novel Gabriel’s Lament, shortlisted for the Booker prize in 1986. (He was a Booker judge in 1982, an experience he despised.) This novel Paul Bailey valued most, even though “it drained me. It took everything out of me”. It tells the narrative of Gabriel Harvey, whose mother vanishes and a father who becomes an unbearable snob upon receiving money, with possible connections. It serves as a portrait of London in the 1900s, an account of psychological collapse, and as funny and sad similar to his entire output. To continue, it led to a follow-up, Sugar Cane (published in 1993), which Bailey researched by visiting brothels as an observer.