Walter M. Holmes

Walter Martin Holmes took a degree in sociology at LSE in 1955 and, after a short spell in France he spent some years at Duke University in North Carolina mainly studying Psychology. Clearly not equipped for an academic career his working life was mainly devoted to the analysis of consumer behaviour.

Despite this background, or more possibly because of it, he remains perplexed by humanity. The often wide divergence between the word and the deed, the arbitrary loyalties, the inevitable inconsistencies which determine ‘human nature’ and all the other absurdities, are all better depicted and examined in the world of fiction than by statistical analysis, focus groups, or even Existential philosophy.

So, late in life, and in part to see how it can be done, he tried his hand at novel writing. I understand that this has been a satisfying and enjoyable experience.

Not surprisingly, given his admiration for such diverse writers as P.G.Wodehouse, Scott Fitzgerald, and George Gissing, his writing style is a little old fashioned. His somewhat unsympathetic attitude to his fellow mortals may be rather off putting! The lack of a strong narrative drive in his books may be another failing.

He also writes occasional reviews, justifying this activity to himself with the thought that he has at least tried to write and so may be allowed to have some comment to make on those he knows to be his betters.

Naturally I cannot recommend his novels, although to be fair to him I can say that, at least occasionally, I have read worse!