Textual Notes

This scholarly edition of Lowry’s novella Swinging the Maelstrom is based on TS 15-8 in the Malcolm Lowry Papers at the University of British Columbia Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections, a copy typed in December 1951 for Robert Giroux, Lowry’s new editor at Harcourt, Brace. In the early 1940s Lowry had written an entirely new version of this novella, and it was this version that he took with him to France, where it was translated and published under the title “Le caustique lunaire.”

Because Lowry had made notes in his own typescript (15-7) and had no spare copy available, Margerie Bonner Lowry, an experienced typist, quickly transcribed the text (15-8). There was no time for substantial revision, and although the work was done in haste, the typescript shows only a few inserts and corrections in Malcolm Lowry’s hand. The rest of the revisions and marginal comments found in the typescript were inscribed by Margerie Lowry and Earle Birney in the early 1960s for their posthumous edition of Lunar Caustic (see Introduction). Those posthumous revisions are pointed out in the Textual Notes but not included in the authorized version of the text. When Lowry sent this novella to Giroux in January 1952, he called it Swinging the Maelstrom to distinguish it from his (vague) plans for a future novel to be called Lunar Caustic, which never materialized.

For the sake of uniformity throughout this scholarly edition of Swinging the Maelstrom, Lowry’s (or rather Margerie Lowry’s) irregular use of a dash (hyphen or double hyphen) and ellipsis (often two dots instead of three) are silently normalized, as are missing or extra spaces between words. Em dashes and double quotation marks silently replace single hyphens and single quotes. Where Lowry obviously intended to correct a typing error, this has been silently accepted in our text, and typographical inconsistencies have been silently normalized. In Lowry’s text, ships’ names and longer quotations are mostly underlined, but not always. This has been made consistent, with italics replacing underlining. Also, foreign words and phrases have been italicized and titles of songs placed within double quotation marks. In the textual notes below, the left column refers to the present, published edition of the text; the right column refers to the text of TS 15-8 and the few inserts and corrections made on the pages by Malcolm Lowry, as well as to the posthumous interventions made by Margerie Lowry and Earle Birney for the 1963 edition of Lunar Caustic.

Ch. I

3

Note by Lowry: missing p 65 / when pain threatens strikes

3:7

He had played the piano all night

Marginal note by Earle Birney: use – pref[ace] for piano scene

3:11

Passers-by

Passers by

3:17

spittoons

spitoons

3:20–21

Sweat flooded his face.

Marginal note by Birney: Good detail – needed to justify the pre-hospital past

3:22–23

He hadn’t got the strength to reach out for his second drink. He must have fallen asleep for the barman was shaking him.

Lines marked by Birney as potential insert “A” in the posthumous edition (and therefore changed into present tense).

4:14–15

A strange notion struck him: the letter was for him. He took a drink from his bottle.

Lines marked by Birney as “B” and changed into present tense.

4:15–17

Inside it was cool: around the wall were pictured the stages of the cross. Nobody seemed to be looking. He liked drinking in churches particularly.

Lines marked by Birney as “C” and changed into present tense.

Ch. II

5

Pencil note in Lowry’s hand on verso of 15-8:6, written late December 1951: “Dollarton / British Columbia / Canada / Total pop. at the moment 5; / including our cat / Wind Gale from S.E. / Grosse Koule”

[Große Kühle: severe cold]

5:4–6

he wondered if he were on a ship … He thought he recognized

Revision by Margerie: he was certain he was on a ship …. He recognized

5:7

Frère Jacques: Frère Jacques

For this new typescript Lowry changed the original text of TS 15-7 (“the steady thrum of the engines”) into the song Frère Jacques, which had become his favorite onomatopoeia for the ship’s engines since crossing the Panama Canal in December 1947.

5:13

Negro

The words negro and negroes are normalized throughout the text.

5:16

propeller

propellor

5:34

solemnly raping

Revision by Margerie: gravely

raping

6:30

Six Cantabs

15-8: six Cantabs

7:3–4

Another fiddle’s fiddling with Ruth, poor devil. It’s all my damn irresponsible bloody fault too.

Marginal note by Birney: retain – strong ideas e.g. his alcoholism

7:25–27

You’ll never know … got a look in.

Lines marked by Birney as “F.”

7:32–37

“Muscles,” said Bill … Is that it, kid?”

Lines marked by Birney as “G” with the note (subsequently crossed out): dialogue.

8:12–13

“Perhaps it was your heart you couldn’t make stretch an octave”

Lines marked by Birney as “H.”

8.23

powerhouse

This spelling, also used in 37:23, is normalized throughout the text.

Elsewhere in SW the spelling is power house (11:18,22,32; 12:28, 35:5). In LA the spelling varies from Power house (105:4) to Powerhouse (105:8) and Power-house (105:21).

9.31

attendant

attendent (idem 14:23; 18:1; 21:3; 22:9; 34:15; 37:4)

Ch. III

10:4

Königsberg

15-8: Konigsberg

Ch. IV

11:1–20

Still trembling in every limb … it was the drummer of the band

Posthumous revisions and suggestions for cuts and “-n Margerie’s hand: p12 LA Still trembling violently … Neat haze hung … ; it was the drummer of his band (The note “p12 LA” refers to overlapping text in the version of “The Last Address.”)

12:4–13

Staring out … Hercules Butterfly

Note in Margerie’s hand: use

12:19–23

Before … deliverance.

Suggestions for cuts in Margerie’s hand because of overlapping with LA.

12:24–25

No, in one way things were no longer so bad as they had been; time was passing

Revision by Margerie: And time was passing

13:24–35

But trying to explain … ship passed!

Note by Margerie points out overlapping with p14 LA

13:34

the city of dreadful night

Revision by Margerie: a city of dreadful night

14:10

sailing with the tide

Note by Margerie: dialogue on p11 LA + p14 LC (TS 15-13, see page 195)

Ch. V

14:16–17

In absolute despair the patients scraped

Revision by Margerie: The patients scraped

14:18

to the lavatory for a smoke

Revision by Margerie: to the lavatory, or for a smoke

14:22–23

when some poor fellow, tired out already, sat

Revision by Margerie: when someone sat

14:25

in the macabre procession

Revision by Margerie: in the procession

15:13–14

the vicious antisociality of the sunlight

Revision by Margerie: the vicious sunlight

15:31–32

his wandering, which sometimes queerly resembled the story of mankind, seemed

Revision by Margerie: his wandering seemed

16:3

throw that bottle at a little girl

Revision by Margerie: hurt that little girl

16:7

a gaily colored hat

Revision by Margerie: a bright colored basket

16:31–33

… In 1914 … smashed, broken.

Lines marked by Birney as “I,” but subsequently the note is cut.

17:17–21

“Sure,” said Garry … “… tied her up—”

Note by Margerie: see p19–20–21 LA

17:22

There was the huge clanking of keys

Note by Margerie: follows p16 LA

17:37

When they got back

Note by Margerie: see p21 LA

18:3

“ … she beat you at it,” he said

Note by Margerie: end chap? / Start at p21 LC / + after “tied her up – ” / return here / see p23 LA

18:12

goddamn

goddam

(various spellings have been normalized throughout the text: e.g. 116:33 goddam; 117:3 God dam; 124:31 God damned dirty; 126:2 god damned clothes; 127:4–5 goddam thing; 131:5–6 goddamned guinea-pig)

18:22

jumping to his feet

Note by Margerie: insert p24 LA to p26

18:23

“Hullo,” said a familiar voice

Revision by Margerie (because in her posthumous version the doctor is no longer a relative): “Hullo,” said a voice

18:24–34 passim

“Oh, hullo Philip … coming right along well.” Philip sat down … said Philip.

Revision by Margerie (because both the doctor and the protagonist have other names in her edition): “Oh, hullo doctor … coming along all right.” The doctor sat down … said the doctor.

18:34

My idea mostly

Note by Margerie: see bottom p26 LA

19:34

However that might be

Note by Margerie: doctor speaks lines in p29 LA

Ch. VI

21:7

Sometimes it was only

Note by Margerie: see p17 LA

21:9–10

Bill, playing the piano, remembered. Yet gone for half-an-hour late

Revision by Margerie: Bill, playing the piano in the ward room annex, remembered. Yet gone for a few minutes late

21:13

his annealing of the song

Revision by Margerie: his rendition of the song

21:19–20

Most of his audience might have been watching the puppet show again. In spite of himself he was hurt. He began to play …

Revision by Margerie: But his audience might have been watching the puppet show again. (In spite of himself he was hurt.) He began to play …

21:26–27

during which one suffered … one made of himself

Revision by Margerie: during which he suffered … he had made of himself

21:28–31

the supreme anonymity … the actual courtliness … for who had really noticed him … or had remarked … placed, so subtly, with ah, what inimitable

Revision by Margerie: the anonymity … the courtliness … for who had seen him … who had remarked …placed, with inimitable

22:2–3

instinct of the homing

seal

Revision by Margerie: instinct of a salmon

22:32

Philip’s office

Revision by Margerie: the doctor’s office

23:2

that damned piano

Revision by Margerie: the piano

23:11

he played violently, greeting another ace with “So up …

Revision by Margerie: he played violently. “So up …

23:28–29

at once

at one

24:16–19

… not white.” “What would you have done if it had been a white whale?” Bill asked, playing …Deep. “All right. It was a white whale then,” said Garry. “Well, so … and the white whale … ”

Revision by Margerie:

not white.” Bill was playing … Deep. “Well, so … and the whale

… ”

24:23

sang Mr. Quattrass

sand Mr. Quattrass

24:30

Garry said to Bill

Revision by Margerie: Garry said, and Bill

24:32–35

… tell them? Well, the river … no further.” Mr. Quattrass and the other

Revision by Margerie: tell them? Mr. Quattrass and the other

25:3–4

he thought. He was tearing the very keys out by the roots. “Say listen,”

Revision by Margerie: he thought. “Say listen,”

25:25

Philip

Revision by Margerie: the doctor

Ch. VII

26:4

“Have a cigarette—wait, I’ll get them—and sit down … ”

Revision by Margerie: “Have a cigarette – and sit down …”

27:19–20

I’m only a passenger …They’re the crew.

Lines marked by Birney as “J” for possible addition?

27:33

Bill thought he was going to cry

Lines marked by Birney as “v. p33 possible inclusion?

28:19

Tashetego ... Daggoo

Tashtego ... Dagoo

28:27–28

the whole world. Then there’s his father; but God, I don’t

Revision by Margerie: the whole world … God, I don’t

29:18–30

“Sorry,” he said … “ …what I mean.”

Lines marked by Margerie with the note use this.”

30:24

would say

would day

31:2

Then there was the father.

First deleted by Margerie, then restored (“stet”) as: Then there was the priest.

31:10–11

“Good night.” / “Good night.”

Revision by Margerie: “Good bye.” / “Good bye.”

Ch. VIII

31

Margerie changed the number of page 51 into 59 to adapt it to her own posthumous foliation.

32:2

he drew

de drew

32:5–6

a hope flickered in him, though of nothing in particular

Revision by Margerie: a hope flickered in him, though it was a hope of nothing in particular

32:6–8

Then he laughed, of course … was only a false hope

Revision by Margerie: But, of course … was a false hope

32:36

yellow awning

Revision by Margerie: blue sunblind

33:20

said to Philip

Revision by Margerie: said to the doctor

33:23

Where were all the good honest ships

Note by Margerie: See p70 LA

33:32

The world

Revision by Margerie: This world

33:36–

34:1

it was a world that had often been projected into his dreams, where the tortoise crawled … or where nails

Revision by Margerie: just as in his nightmares the tortoise crawled … and nails

34:4

But Philip

Note by Margerie (p70–71 in LA) and revision: But Dr. Claggart

34:5

Better get back to

Revision by Margerie: Get back to

34:15–16

There was a perplexing silence.

Note by Margerie: p71 LA

35:27–33

Whether I go or not—” He hesitated … the sanitarium of death. The moon

Note by Margerie (p76 LA) and revision: Whether I go or not – ” The moon

Birney’s reference to insert “8”

36:4

lacquered

laquered

36:13

moonlit water

Revision by Margerie: stormlit water

37:2

Then all was still. The ship had gone.

Note by Margerie (p80 LA 82) and revision: Then the ship had gone.

37:19

After a moment he said

Note by Margerie: see p86 LA

37:36–

38:3

Mr. Kalowsky told him with a certain kindly defiance in his voice, “I lay down … schnooze. I had a comrade … drank the wine with me.”

They joined Garry at the window.

Revision by Margerie:
Mr. Kalowski was repeating, “I lay down… schnooze.”

They joined Garry & the doctor at the window.

38:8

that’s all.

Note by Birney: Insert 9 on LA p81–2, 86–7

Ch. IX

38:18–

39:37

but instead he pocketed them himself with a queer canceled feeling. It was too hard to return to the hospital … phoning had proved a strain and approaching midtown Bill began to hear strange noises

The original text of TS 15-7:60 reads:

instead he pocketed them himself guiltily. Approaching midtown Bill began to hear strange noises,

The insert in which the protagonist “was calling on behalf of a new patient” (15-8:63–65) was added by Lowry in December 1951.

39:25

the Bellevue Hospital

the Belvedere Hospital
Lowry’s lapsus on a December 1951 insert.

39:30

I feared

I feard

40:8

whisky

15-8: whiskey [‘whisky’ is Lowry’s usual spelling]

41:21–30

he noticed an obscene sketch of a girl chalked on the wall. For some reason, suddenly enraged … placed in this hell?

It was dark

The original text of TS 15-7:63 reads: he noticed an obscene sketch of a girl chalked on the wall. He hurled the bottle against this drawing; then he vomited. It was dark
In a marginal note Lowry points to an “Insert from p93 1st version.” This refers to the page numbers of the new typescript of “The Last Address” (TS 15-11), which Margerie has just completed.