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Jonathan Meades Returns with a Bold New Novel

“Warm bath telly” is a term often used to describe the gentle nature of many Sunday night arts and history documentaries. However, Jonathan Meades, a seasoned filmmaker and author, breaks away from this familiar mold. Known for his unique approach, Meades often presents his commentary through a satirical lens, typically adorned in dark glasses while standing before stark, brutalist structures. His intense presence suggests that he’s not the kind to indulge in the comforts of a warm bath.

In recent years, Meades has graced our screens less frequently, reflecting a shift in the preferences of television executives. His style—stoic, sharp, and devoid of the cheerful persona prevalent in modern broadcasting—certainly distinguishes him within the industry. Yet, for his loyal audience, Meades remains a multifaceted talent. Previously celebrated as a food critic, he has also carved out a niche as an essayist, novelist, and unflinching reviewer. He now works from his Le Corbusier-designed apartment in Marseille, from where he has produced a substantial novel that defies simple categorization.

His latest work, published by crowdfunding platform Unbound, is titled Empty Wigs. The book is described as “a hallucinatory ride in a gilded vessel through the sickness and labyrinthine squalor of the long 20th century.” However, this vessel is less a luxurious journey and more reminiscent of a dark transport vehicle, exploring the sordid events that have shaped our recent history, including the violent desolation of French Algeria, the contentious debates surrounding euthanasia and eugenics, and the perversion of faith into acts of terrorism. The narrative intertwines various characters and stories, some more connected than others.

The title and the intricate chapters of Empty Wigs evoke an earlier literary tradition, reminiscent of novels that unfold as a complex collection of narratives. Meades’s writing recalls the sprawling, multilayered tales of the Victorians, which Henry James might have referred to as “baggy monsters.” His novel challenges conventional storytelling forms, echoing the approach of literary forebears like Laurence Sterne, whose work he admires for its unfilmable qualities and inventive structure. Indeed, Meades has stated that his television work serves an audience that rarely engages with the medium.

Meades’s insatiable curiosity and refined taste permeate his prose, evident in every carefully chosen line. Yet, some might find his elaborate style overwhelming. Within the pages of his novel, a host of unlikable characters come to life. The question arises whether Meades fully grasps the extent of their repulsiveness; his portrayal of life’s inequities delivers poetic justice to the miscreants. For instance, a hedonistic rock star is forced to confront a dire choice involving his talent, while a pompous historian, perhaps a grotesque reflection of Meades’s experiences, faces a grim demise.

Meades crafts scenes that rival the wit found in the works of Evelyn Waugh, casting a critical eye on the elite society he depicts. His affection for the nonconformist figures of the 1970s transcends the snobbery often encountered in literary circles, allowing him to navigate comfortably through the upper-class milieu.

Yet, Empty Wigs is not for the faint-hearted. Its contents are explicit and unyielding, leaving little room for tenderness or humanity amidst graphic depictions of violence and depravity. The narrative delivers a stark critique of societal ills, aligning Meades with the sharp pen of Swift, whose satire also targeted moral failings.

Reflecting on his literary influences, Meades has noted the cartoonish nature of characters in the works of Waugh and Nabokov, pointing to the authors as puppet masters who wield a dark sense of humor. This brutal, yet captivating, approach characterizes Meades’s own sprawling narrative in Empty Wigs. His previous anthology, Museum Without Walls, can be viewed as a precursor to this unsettling endeavor. In essence, Empty Wigs stands as Meades’s own collection of curiosities—a dark exploration of the human experience that thrives at the fringes of societal norms.

Source
www.theguardian.com