‘Novel on Yellow Paper’ (1936) was the first of three written by Stevie Smith, now better remembered as a poet.

The book is about writing a book – and is also the book that results. The author is nominally one Pompey Casmilus, a publisher’s private secretary, who records her thoughts on yellow paper, to distinguish them from the writing she does in her professional capacity (on blue paper).

Smith was herself employed in this capacity, and her narrative is strongly autobiographical, featuring real relatives and, presumably, real friends and lovers too.

There is no plot: the book reads almost as as an extended monologue, in which Pompey reflects on distinct episodes in her life and a variety of themes, not least love, sex and death. There are frequent literary references and passages in other languages.

I couldn’t get on with the opening sections at all. It took three attempts before I felt confident that I had internalised the meaning of the first fifty pages.

But, gradually, I became attuned to Smith’s style – the disjointedness and her habit of flitting distractedly from topic to topic, introducing her ‘characters’ almost randomly.

I found some of her stylistic mannerisms dated and grating. It sometimes felt as though one were being addressed by an eccentric, yet highly erudite maiden aunt (though Smith was half my age when she wrote this).

But several passages are thought-provoking and remain meaningful.

TD

October 2023