Operation Heartbreak – Duff Cooper (1950) 155 pages
Operation Heartbreak is one of the few Persephone Books reprints written by a man, Duff Cooper, who served in Churchill’s government during the war and was married to socialite Diana Cooper. It is Persephone No.51 and I would say the title is entirely apt.
It follows the story of Willie Maryngton, born on the first day of the last century, which makes him too young to fight in World War I and too old in World War II. This is the great tragedy of his life, as Willie is devoted to the army and longs more than anything to see active service.
Willie is nice, pleasant, popular, but he never quite grasps anything, whether it is other people’s motives, the wider political situation, or any sort of life for himself beyond the armed forces. He witnesses others do so, and has a vague idea of world affairs, but everything drifts by him.
“It seemed to be his fate, he sometimes thought, to be a soldier who never went to war, and a lover who never lay with his mistress.”
He is a man out of his time, with both wars and with his love of the cavalry. He remains stubbornly committed to his horses despite being told that warfare is becoming mechanised. There is nothing he can do, and so he does nothing.
“Willie minded little how heavy [casualties] were if he was in it, but how could he bear to sit at home, hoping that his brother officers would be killed so that he could take their place?”
It’s a very sad tale as a pleasant, decent man really has no agency in his life. He places all meaning external to himself, and as such finds that he is dependent on indifferent forces to validate his existence. As a result, he holds that existence lightly.
“’I’m alone in the world, hale and hearty, just the sort of cannon-fodder they ought to be looking for – and, and, oh Hamilton, for God’s sake tell me – have I got a chance?’
Hamilton replied, ‘Not an earthly.’”
Now, SPOILERS. I wouldn’t normally discuss the ending of a book but I’m going to here because it’s really hard to explain my experience of reading this without doing so. I’ll be as vague as I can, but skip the rest of this post if you don’t want to know and just please believe me that Operation Heartbreak is truly worth reading.
The end of the novel is based on the true story of Operation Mincemeat. It is a well-known event in World War II, adapted into the film The Man Who Never Was, among others. Willie finds himself playing a pivotal role in the affair, and his real-life counterpart remains unnamed to this day.
I find it really intriguing that Duff Cooper – intelligent, sociable, successful; a hard-drinking womaniser and gambler, at the centre of so much – chose to write the story of Willie Marynton, a man seemingly very different from himself. In doing so, he shows real compassion for Willie, and for the real-life person whose identity remains unknown. The ending he gives Willie is an act of great kindness, and of commemoration. This makes Operation Heartbreak immensely moving, both in the story it tells and in what the novella represents as an act of respectful remembrance.
To end, a trailer for the latest adaptation of the true story:
I’m far more likely to read this as a result of your spoiler. Proof that spoilers can be a good thing, if flagged, of course!
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Thanks so much Susan. I’d hate someone who didn’t want to know to find out accidently, but my reaction to the story was so much centred around the ending I didn’t know how else to do it!
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How fascinating, Madame B! I know about the Operation, but hadn’t realised there was this fiction around it. An unusual choice for a Persephone, maybe, but it does sound intriguing!
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A really unusual choice for them Kaggsy! I’m glad their reprint meant I picked this up.
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Coincidentally I have Ben Macintyre ‘s book on Operation Mincemeat lined up to read once I finish volume 3 of Churchill’s history. This sounds like it could be an interesting follow-on to that. I must say, from the trailer of the film, that is possibly the least Churchill-like portrayal of Churchill I have ever seen!
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I’ll be really interested to know how you find the Macintyre FF. I’d like to read more about it, although I tend to always shove NF to the bottom of the pile!
It must be so hard to portray Churchill without falling into some sort of parody!
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I remember loving this little novella, I found it really heartbreaking for so many of the reasons you highlight. An underrated little book.
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So pleased to hear you found this moving too Ali. As you say, very underrated.
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