'Giant's Bread' by Mary Westmacott

Vernon Deyre is a sensitive and brilliant musician, even a genius, tormented and driven by forces even he didn't understand. His sheltered childhood in the home he loves has not prepared Vernon for the harsh reality of his adult years, and in order to write the great masterpiece of his life, he has to make a crucial decision with no time left to count the cost. But there is a high price to be paid for his talent, especially by his family and the two women in his lifee - the one he loves and the one who loves him.

Young Nell Vereker had always loved Vernon, loved him with a consuming passion that was alien to the proper social world in which she lived. But when Vernon sought solace in the arms of Jane Harding, a stranger and enigmatically beautiful older woman, Nell felt she could endure no greater pain. But Fate had only begun to work its dark mischief on this curious romantic triangle -- for before their destinies were sealed, one would live, one would die, and one would return from the grave to be damned…

MY THOUGHTS: 

This is my first Mary Westmacott novel, Agatha Christie's pseudonym when she wanted to depart from crime to try her hand at a more reflective, psychological genre. My mum had this one on her shelf among all her Agatha Christie mysteries, so I thought, 'Why not give it a go?' 

It's the story of Vernon Deyre, (no clue about the pronunciation of his surname. I kept imagining something like Dyer or Dayer), an experimental young composer with some rudimentary genius. The 'giant's bread' alluded to in the title is his formative experiences, beginning in early childhood, to shape him into the man he becomes. 

Vernon begins life as a deep and sensitive child; the pawn his smothering mother uses against his philandering father. He detests music passionately without understanding why, dreading the prospect of a concert like a trip to the dentist. The sound of music seriously sickens him and he's terrified of grand pianos, which he likens to beasts with fierce teeth.

 Vernon's paternal aunt pronounces him to be a Deyre all through, which is tough luck on him since they're 'never happy or successful.' She's essentially taking on the wicked fairy role and cursing the boy at the outset of his life. 

When he's a young man, Vernon visits an avant-garde concert where it dawns on him that his childhood repugnance was simply because everyone was doing music all wrong! He'd love the opportunity to create some himself.  

The crux of the story is a love triangle which offers some interesting psychological insights. Vernon loves Nell, who lusts for him but knows he won't be able to afford the lavish lifestyle she craves, at least not in the short term, because weird, edgy composers aren't the toast of the town. Jane, a level-headed singer who is older than the others, loves Vernon despite herself. I was pretty satisfied with how it all works out until the final three or four pages. Oh gosh, then Christie/Westmacott goes too far and turns the whole thing into an Ancient Greek Tragedy that makes me facepalm. What a farcical finish

But I recommend it anyway. Other than the abysmal ending, it's quite a page turner with some riveting twists and turns. There are other loved ones in Vernon's life too. His best buddy Sebastian is a wealthy Jewish boy who longs to take a chance on beautiful things, nurturing them to success with his financial backing. Sebastian is in love with Vernon's cousin Josephine, aka Joe, who won't consider him as a potential spouse because she's a passionate champion for the weak and oppressed, and he doesn't tick the box. 

Food for thought comes thick and fast. For example, Jane discusses with Vernon the three qualifications a woman really needs to face a life of poverty. 1) A sense of humour 2) A tough hide, and 3) The valuable quality of being sufficient unto oneself. 'You'd be alright stuck down anywhere, Buckingham Palace or the Sahara,' she tells him, 'because you've got your mental preoccupation - music. But Nell is dependent on extraneous circumstances.' Hmm, are some people really unfit to be poor?  

Sebastian's motto is always, 'I believe in beauty, in creation, in things like Vernon's music. I can't see any real defense for them economically, and yet I'm perfectly sure they matter more than anything else in the world.' 

Overall, I quite like Vernon, who in spite of being so highly strung and swept by any breeze, never really does anything we can fault him for. (Whoa, perhaps that makes him the perfect Greek tragic hero after all!) It was fun and fast, and I'm inclined to just ignore the last few pages. Based on Giant's Bread, I'm willing to read some other Westmacott titles down the track. 

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