This interesting new collection (sort of) from Sarob Press is subtitled 'An Appreciation of Charles Williams'. An obscure figure, I think, for most modern readers, Williams was much admired by T..S Eliot and W.H. Auden, among others. A biographical note is provided on the flyleaf.
Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886-1945) wrote seven mystical/supernatural novels between 1930 (War in Heaven) and 1945 (All Hallows’ Eve). He was also a poet and theological writer, and a member of The Inklings, the Oxford-based group of literary titans that included, amongst others, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
I have to confess at this point that I have read just two of Williams books - in fact, the two mentioned above. War in Heaven I recall enjoying, All Hallows' Eve was a bit of a struggle. Williams has been described as a Christian fantasist, and his stories interweave elements of Arthurian legend - the Matter of Britain - with modern settings and characters. He is, for my money, a fine writer but not a very entertaining one. I find myself always on the lookout for the hook in the bait, the didactic point he is trying to make in favour of his faith.
That said, John Howard and Mark Valentine, two writers I have a lot of time for, have written stories (and essays) in tribute to Williams, so I was interested to discover what angles they decided to explore. John Howard's contribution is a short novel, 'The Dance of Gold', set in rural England during the run-up to the Second World War. The realm is therefore in peril, so when a scholarly priest finds what seems to be a coin minted in Arthur's reign in his poor box, he is amazed and concerned.
The plot of 'The Dance of Gold' recalls the snobbery-with-violence school of Christie and Sayers - a gallery of mostly upper-class characters, action alternating between country house and vicarage, and a mystery to be unravelled. But this is not whodunit, there is no corpse in the library. The stakes are in fact much higher - it is implicit that the politician at the big house, the current Chancellor, is in the position to undermine or bolster the nation in the struggle to come. There are parallels with War in Heaven, where the Grail surfaces in similar fashion. The conclusion sees the wrongdoer punished by mystical means and the status quo, or something like it, restored.
Mark Valentine's two novelettes are more overtly concerned with magical activity. In 'Kraken Tide' a public official journeys north to help deal with flooding in Lincolnshire. The time period is not spelled out but is clearly in Williams' era or a little later. An accidental encounter reveals that a magician is attempting to summon up dark, oceanic forces, and the showdown is extremely effective. 'Seek for the Pomegranate' takes us into the realms of the Orphic Mysteries, via a discovery in an obscure provincial museum.
All of these stories have in common the belief that behind the mundane world lies a true, or truer, reality that makes our everyday experience seem trivial. This spiritual reality is both essential and unbearable. It offers perfection in love and wisdom, but human beings can't take very much of either. This is certainly not a conventional ghost story collection, nor is there much horror. But there is plenty to think about in these sincere tributes to Williams, who had the courage to put his deepest feelings and convictions into his work.
A word about the Paul Lowe cover - superb! The parish church in 'The Dance of Gold' is beautifully imagined.
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