BY DR KAUSTAV BHATTACHARYYA

In one of my doctoral supervisory meetings my academic supervisor instructed me to change the expression ‘nostalgia’ since it is strewn with pain and a sense of agony. I rose to the challenge of my Grammar-school, LSE-educated Supervisor and came up with the term ‘redolence’ which evokes feelings and emotions for the past sans the pathos. Yes, this was lauded and found acceptable by the academic dons!!

I have been reflecting upon this experience since I am intending to write book reviews of a few memoirs of British Civil servants of a particular generation. These particular memoirs of British Civil Servants belonging to the Inter-War generation display a particular pattern of conveying a certain world order or an epoch!!

There is one trait which is discernible in good British memoirs of the Gentlemanly or Lady sort including that of Graham Greene – the element of ‘Coming of age’ or in my own humble terms ‘coming to terms’ or I should say ‘Closure of our lived experiences’. It would be prudent and worthwhile to mention the memoirs of a quintessential British lady, Frances Partridge, named very simply ‘Memories’ which was praised by the Observer as ‘Classic’ in very simple confident British style. She was a member of the exalted Bloomsbury group.  Personally this memoir was an absolute delight reading it and being transported to another era and very distinct kind of human minds.

We need to define the ‘Coming of age’ or ‘Coming to terms’ style of memoirs:

‘Coming of age’ or ‘coming to terms’ stories of a life’s journey or experiences is when you stop and reflect upon a specific life journey or phase which has been completed or I would add furnished to its best possible extent. I wish to perceive the life phases as sources of springs for furnishing our lives with richness of sights, sound and smell or the entire sensory experiences which we like to call memory. Usually when a particular generation passes away or moves on or the death of an eminent person belonging to a particular genre like film directors of new wave cinema this feeling of a ‘coming of age’ arises, which brings closure to all the experiences absorbed through association with that generation.  Yes, there is mourning at the passing of an era but at the same time it’s about celebrating the glories of an epoch which just ended and the spirit is one of fulfilment or a live lived fully a la Frank Sinatra way.

Personally, I think this ‘coming to terms’ or ‘stock-taking’ experience is very important exercise to appreciate what life had offered; the good, the bad, the ugly, the exciting, the depressing and the enchanting. It’s a kind of a Balance sheet and you figure out all the assets you have gained and can then carry forward that for your future ventures or living phase.

In this context I wish to refer to one of my inspirational tomes of memoirs, Somerset Maugham’s ‘Summing Up’ a book which drew me and entangled me into its web of textual narrative and left me highly impressed. For me personally that book is the ‘role-model’ of memoirs or how memoirs need to be written and the author writes that eventually the memoir is an attempt “to sort out my thoughts on the subjects that have chiefly interested me during the course of my life.”

The craftmanship apart from the thematic narrative is truly brilliant since Maugham knits the diverse life stories at different phases along with enlightening us about subjects or topics which are philosophical and abstract with a certain appeal and charm for the readers.  One is left enlightened and entertained after reading the memoirs.

Somerset Maugham’s memoirs are often commented to be a keen observation about human nature and providing fascinating insights.

In the final section, in a rare moment of hesitation, Maugham turns his focus to philosophy: “I am constrained more anxiously than ever to repeat that what I give are my own private convictions.”  This is absolutely brilliant for me since this task requires intellectual candour and courage to state for the wider public of years to come such thoughts.

Memoirs create the notions of self-hood which were probably missing and exactly where my humble hypothesis or theoretical postulation kicks in of the ‘coming of age’ or more ‘coming to terms’.

A self-hood which is formed or created through this journey of ‘coming of age’, in my interpretation more coming to terms with all that life and reality offered in terms of joy, trials, tribulations, grief, distress, jubilation and most importantly hope.

In my opinion we all need to interpret and make sense of the life we led or even multiple lives or what’s called avatar and this process can provide very illuminating feelings for our soul. 

For instance, when I look back at my UK days as a doctoral student, I feel that the time spent at the local pub or ‘boozer’ or on a train ride to London with overcrowding or celebrating the Guy Fawkes Day at a local fish-n-chips shop was most wonderful and enriching not because of the guzzling of spirits or devouring of the fried fish and chips but the insight offered into the human psyche and the British culture.  What aspect of British life was so endearing in these encounters??

It’s that proverbial British humour which is very peculiar and unique and has adhered to me like a tattoo and feel the wider aesthetic role played by it in terms of making life more interesting and tolerable.  This apart from the very interesting and scintillating exchange of thoughts and views about life. This dimension comes forth only when I sit down today as a middle-aged man reflecting upon my days in the UK for a memoir-article.  These only seem meaningful when one sits down to write a memoir and is persuaded to make sense of all these experiences.  These innocuous human encounters offered me very powerful insights and knowledge of the human experience and their living reality.

Unfortunately, at that point in time one is so engrossed with current priorities of performing well in a job or getting a pay hike or completing a project successfully that these nice charming encounters are ignored and overlooked. 

The essential element of pleasant appeal of an experience is missed out in our mad hectic rush of a busy ambitious life and yes most of the memoirs we would like to read are those of successful accomplished individuals who would have been racing through life pinned into their tasks. Hence there is a process of introspection and self-reflection is necessary prior to putting down pen on the paper to write the memoirs.

It’s here that the glowing instance of Somerset Maugham’s memoirs provides an illustrious instance to be followed.

Its at this point I wish to introduce the notion of Experiential truth which is one of the objectives of memoirs; to capture, record and disseminate the nonfictional experiential truth apart from offering an artistic literary work.

Experiential truth is the truth or knowledge which is acquired through our senses; felt, seen and experienced by us.

And how does one define truth in the context of a memoir?? The truth is whatever opens your heart, and expands your sense of your own being, an idea drawn from ancient Indian spiritual wisdom(source: https://endless-satsang.com/experiential-truth). 

Here I completely concur that in the process of writing a memoir one opens up one’s heart and truly expands the frontiers of our senses which in turn leads to new notions of Being.  In many ways the understanding of our Being changes with time and often we are completely unaware of what that means to us and how we relate to our own selves as the Being. Memoirs is one of the instruments for evolving into a new Being through the process of recollections and reflections done by the Self.

In many ways its closer to the traditional Spiritual Indian process of seeking light and truth within ourselves and yes purely through our life experiences.  Perhaps it would be judicious to emphasize that the core strength of memoirs or writing thereof is the foundation of living experiences and encounters with the reality and not abstractions. 

Hence, we are capable of kindling the spirit and light of knowledge within us through processing of our life experiences which is for me a truly fantastic idea.

If I were to write down my memoirs one of the most hilarious, enervating phases of life which would deserve a memoir in its own right is the experience of launching of the Country Squire Magazine Indian Edition. 

The interactions with the Editor Dominic Wightman and his sharp acerbic wit and profound intellect yet the knowledge is delivered with a certain relaxed style made it such a memorable and delightful experience.

For our readers it would be interesting to note that all this happened during a raging pandemic when both of were dealing with the news of grief and morbidity and yet we pulled it off!!

I often joked with Dominic that the only driving force for me to write my memoirs would be the Country Squire experience apart from my carefree gallivanting days of being a student in the UK!! Nothing else about my life-story would be attractive for a wider audience.

Till I can gather my thoughts or getting my head around to penning my experiential truths I would keep reviewing the memoirs of eminent British and Indian personalities!!