A very strange book about a strange man, and it is written by a woman who married this man, a heavy drinker, and a serious sexual sadist. The Strange World of Willie Seabrook, written in 1966 and republished by the great Spurl Press, is an interesting memoir by Marjorie Worthington, mainly focusing on her relationship with a sexual adventurer, participatory of magick practices with Alistair Crowley, a world traveler, and an expert on areas of the world which at the time, the West didn’t know too much about. In fact, he was the first one to use the word “Zombie.” He seemed to have a habit of chaining up women in his barn on his property, and by the title, I was expecting a soft porn narrative. But what we have here is a wonderful examination of boho life in the 1920s and 1930s through the eyes and mind of Ms. Worthington.
The weird thing about the book is that Worthington doesn’t dwell on her husband’s sexuality that much and is concerned about his destructive drinking and the frustration of being a writer trying to do exceptional work. She pretty much avoided her husband’s sessions with paid girls chained up, but it caused a great deal of anxiety for her but also I think it weighed down on Seabrook’s consciousness as well. My frustration with the book is that by its cover (fabulous, by the way) and title, one thinks it would mostly be about Seabrook’s oddities, but it’s not. Most of the book deals with life among the avant-garde as well as high-living Manhattan and Paris life, where both had to deal with successes and failures of their writings.
Worthington’s love for Seabrook comes loudly and clearly, but one wonders how she could have put up with his destructive drinking, as well as his over-the-top personality and very open sexuality. The book does discuss the route she took along with him, but it seems she had no fundamental understanding of why he drank or his need to have women in bondage. Worthington gives insightful moments in the lives of Jean Cocteau, Willian Faulkner, Gertrude Stein, Huxley, and Dashiell Hammett. So it’s a great snapshot of an era of interesting figures, with the additional touch of the publishing world at the time. I just wished that it had more of a focus on the kinky stuff. Beyond that, I’m interested in reading Seabrook’s travel narratives and Marjorie Worthington’s other books. Especially a book of hers titled Manhattan Solo (1937). I already ordered Seabrook’s Asylum (1935), which is about his time in a mental ward, to fight off his alcoholism. But I do recommend The Strange World of Willie Seabrook because they are a fascinating couple, and it captures the essence of the creative life of the early 20th century.
The images above came from here
“A very strange book about a strange man…” and his clinging wife doesn’t understand. (sorry for awk Beatles reference) Book sounds good.