Irritating Fictional Artists I Love

I've been recommending The Horse's Mouth to a certain somebody for a couple of months. Right now she's reading Chesterton's take on artists. I should read Chesterton, too, but the regional library near my home hasn't any Chesterton on its fiction shelves. (It's a lovely building, but it's collection is ever so lame, and I haven't the brain cells to properly lament what that means just now.)

One of the enduring memories I have of this book is Gully Jimson's obsession with the 18th century mystical poet, William Blake. If you haven't heard of Blake, you're really missing something. For someone writing in the middle of "The Age of Reason," Blake was something of an alien among the earth-bound, but unlike the punning, dry wit of his peers, Blake's sensual imagery and wild, prophetical, metaphysical musings still inspire modern readers. His best known poem, "The Tyger" provides the image of Gully's life as an artist--inspiring, compelling, vain, dangerous, and ultimately untamable.

But if you're looking for a fun evening, watching an irritating (but loveable) artist take on his world, look no further than Alec Guiness's film adaptation of the novel.

Then read the novel. "Tyger, tyger, burning bright" will never mean the same to you again.

Gully takes on Polite Society. Gully's prank call (below). No, he's not asking if they've got Prince Albert in a can.