Maugham & Forster

I just finished "Cakes & Ale" by Somerset Maugham; this, on the heels of Howard's End by E.M. Forster.

I do love the period between the two wars - James Hilton is my favorite author from that era - Lost Horizon, Random Harvest etc.

Cakes & Ale - about writers, writing and reputations.  Although Maugham is catty about Hugh Walpole and full of praise for Thomas Hardy, the meditation on writing was sublime.

Howard's End - is the better book.  Distinctions of class, and materialistic vs idealistic views of life.  Very, very good!

I also finished off the lesser known works of James Hilton to round him out - We are not alone and So Well remembered (middling works...).

I would like to turn my attention to New England writers now - just started off by listening Self-Reliance on Audible by Emerson and an essay on Emerson by Santayana.  

This might well be my 2020 theme... (don't know if it will work out - but that's the idea!)