*The Firewalkers by Frank Cauldwell [Francis King] (John Murray, 1956)

 

Published as a memoir written by Frank Cauldwell, The Firewalkers is actually a novel written by Francis King.  I'm not sure why it was published in this manner -- perhaps because of the benign but overtly homosexual content?

Frank Cauldwell is a rather enigmatic and personality-free young English man living in Athens and supporting himself by giving "lessons" -- one assumes in English.  Although he lives with his wealthy  Greek friend Dino, who is somehow connected to the international diplomatic community in Athens, Frank spends most of his time at the home of General Theo Grecos, an elderly Greek man who had been a heroic flying ace in the first World War and is presently haplessly striving to establish himself as a celebrity in the artistic world, failing as fashion designer, composer, and assemblage artist.

Theo seems to be bisexual and lives apart from his glamorous and hectoring White Russian wife.  Also living in Theo's crumbling house, which is stuffed with junk and artifacts, is Herr Joquim Gotz, a brutally ugly young German man whose disfigurements (a hairlip and albinism) does not deter  him from relentlessly pursuing young Greek women.  The third occupant of Theo's house is Cecil, a young upper-class English homosexual who is drawn to the Mediterranean  in pursuit of Greek sailors.

This short amusing book -- a sort of Hellenic Christopher and his Kind -- loosely revolves around Theo's attempts to establish himself as a celebrated artist.  This pursuit of fame involves the four men with many many colorful characters and scenic excursions.  A delicate web of melancholy (and death) is deftly woven into this minor, but delightful and accomplished book.