Robert Campion Author and Poet

Some books which have inspired me
 

Each of these books ‘wowed’ me when I first read it. Every one of these has been an inspiration to me, in one way or another. Most of the titles on this list are examples of what I would call ‘Good, old-fashioned, classic story-telling.’

The How and Why Wonder Book of Time.

When I was a boy I saved up my pocket money to buy this (and others in the series.) I read it so many times, I knew it practically off by heart.
 

The Golden Ass, by Lucius Apuleius.

A comic fantasy from the later Roman Empire. The narrator recounts how, as a young man, he wished to become wise. He performed a spell to turn into a wise owl, but got the spell wrong and turned into an ass instead.  He has a series of adventures until becoming a man again after eating a rose at a festival of the Goddess Isis. Robert Graves (the poet) did a decent translation; a 17th century translation, which reproduces the exuberant style of the original, is also good.
 

The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Tolkien’s ability to create a complete - and completely credible - world, amazed me. Tolkien’s characters are swept up by a series of events over which they have little control; the story plays out against a vast backdrop. I also noted Tolkien’s working methods, insofar as I was able to learn what they were. There is a lot of patient, careful craftsmanship involved.

Fortunata and Jacinta, by Benito Pérez Galdós.

A masterpiece of Spanish realism. It describes the struggle of two women (a wife and a mistress) for control of the same man, against a backdrop of 19th century Madrid. This is the closest any European writer has ever got to the style of storytelling of the great Russian masters. There is no ‘plot’ as such, just a general movement of events: scene follows scene, episode follows episode; the story carries you along like a great river. This novel was a revelation to me: until reading this, I hadn’t realised you could tell a story that way.

Tiger Juan; Belarminio and Apollonio, by Ramon Perez de Ayala.

This author was a 20th century Spanish diplomat. He lived in Britain for a time. Perez de Ayala liked putting two contrasting characters together. In the first of these, an effeminate Don Juan is contrasted with a virile anti-Don Juan. The second novel concerns a pair of rival cobblers in Oviedo. One fancies himself a great modern philosopher. The other fancies himself a great poet and dramatist. The trouble begins when the daughter of one falls in love with the son of the other.

The Leopard (Il Gattopardo), by Giuseppe di Lampedusa.

One of the 20th century’s great books: a remarkable character portrait of a Sicilian nobleman: the Prince of Salina. It is set in the 19th century, when Garibaldi was driving out the Austrians and uniting Italy. A new age of democracy and capitalism is dawning. Italian director Visconti made a remarkable film of it, with Burt Lancaster in the lead role. Remarkable and unrepeatable.

By Night Under the Stone Bridge, by Leo Perutz.

This author was an émigré Czech writer. ‘By Night…’ is set in 16th century Prague. Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf the Second falls in love with the wife of the Jewish moneylender to whom he owes money. With the help of the Great Rabbi, who has occult powers, the lovers are able to meet up in dreams. ‘By Night…’ is constructed as a series of overlapping stories: by this means, Perutz is able to build up a wonderful, rich portrait of a living community.

Roughing It, by Mark Twain.

A semi- autobiographical account of Twain’s adventures in the Old West, not long before it disappeared. Clearly an early work, but hugely enjoyable. An early episode, describing the journey west by stagecoach, is worth the price of the book all by itself.

The Judge Dee Mysteries. Robert van Gulik (Various titles).

The author was a Dutch diplomat, who spent a lot of time in the Far East. In his spare time, he wrote murder mysteries set in ancient China. Judge Dee is the investigating magistrate. Normally, I don’t have much time for crime novels, but I make an exception for these. Van Gulik’s ability to evoke a culture, a place, and a time, so different than our own, is remarkable. You are drawn right in. One of these (Monastery Murders) was made into a movie in the 70’s.

Monkey (originally: The Journey West, by Wu Sheng En). Abridged English version by Arthur Waley.

Mad and magnificent. This remarkable novel, which describes a long journey west to obtain Buddhist documents, combines qualities not often found together in the same work. Exuberant imagination, striking characters, and a wild sense of humour, all coexist with an underlying seriousness of intent. (The Chinese author was a devout Buddhist.) This combination of qualities must be unique in world literature. While working on ‘Flower’, I kept it constantly in mind as an inspiration.

A Cloud of Outrageous Blue by Vesper Stamper. 

A remarkable work by the German-American illustrator. Set in 1348. When a girl loses her family in the plague, she is sent to a priory, where she is put to work as a book illustrator. I first came across this illustrator/ author when Professor Jordan Peterson interviewed her in one of his podcasts.

The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall

Golden Richards is a Mormon man who has four wives and 28 children. If that weren’t enough, his boss’s wife has the hots for him. The poor fellow can’t cope.  Brilliant, dark humour.

There are others I could mention: The Good Soldier, by Ford Madox Ford (astonishing); No More Parades, by Ford Madox Ford (describes a remarkable period in British history); Gabriel Garcia Marquez (rich imagination and remarkable characters); and, of course, the literature, poetry and drama of the ancient world… but the above list should suffice.