TO CHRISTOPHER SYKES

Graham wrote that many who dwelt on the cruelty of Evelyn Waugh’s character had left out another side which was extraordinarily kind and seen him only ‘as a sort of sacred monster’.²⁴This has been Greene’s own fate at the hands of some of his biographers. In this letter, he relates anecdotes about Waugh to Christopher Sykes (1907–86), whose Evelyn Waugh: A Biography appeared in 1975.

29 August 1967

Dear Christopher,

I was delighted by reading your broadcast programme on Evelyn in The Listener which could hardly have been better done. One or two points occur to me which may be of use to you as a biographer. Evelyn when he told me of the plane crash in Yugoslavia always said that he was flying to join Randolph. He remembered nothing of the crash, but after the crash found himself walking through a field and to his astonishment, because he had no idea where he was, saw Randolph walking towards him through the field carrying a drink! He never mentioned that Randolph was a fellow passenger. He also used to tell me that he found he was put off alcohol completely by sharing a hut with Randolph in Yugoslavia because the smell of Slivovitz coming from his companion was too strong for him.

Evelyn on Tito. Evelyn used always to say that Tito was a lesbian who had lived in Paris at the period when it was fashionable for lesbians to have their breasts removed!

I always disbelieved a little in the stories of Evelyn’s rudeness at parties and used to deny such stories until one evening when Carol Reed invited Evelyn, myself and Korda, who was then living with Alexa, to dinner. Suddenly at table Evelyn developed an extreme anti-Semitic rudeness towards Korda. The next day I was with him in a taxi and I said, ‘Why did you insult poor Alex like that?’ He said, ‘He had no right to bring his mistress to Carol Reed’s house for dinner.’ I said. ‘But I had my mistress with me.’ Evelyn’s reply was, ‘That is quite different. She is a married woman.’

It’s only after a good lunch and reading The Listener that I send you these notes with affection.
Graham

Date: 2015-02-03; view: 668