Cakes and Ale is a delicious satire of London literary society between the Wars. Social climber Alroy Kear is flattered when he is selected by Edward Driffield's wife to pen the official biography of her lionized novelist husband, and determined to write a bestseller. But then Kear discovers the great novelist's voluptuous muse (and unlikely first wife), Rosie. 在 寻欢作乐 里 毛姆从现实中取材 将虚实相掺 借故事叙述者阿申登之口讲述了其与著名作家德里菲尔德及其前妻罗西的早年交往 而这段往事正是另一位流行小说家基尔所要挖掘的传记素材 读者可依稀指认出德里菲尔德是在影射哈代 基尔由休·沃尔波尔脱胎而来 至于罗西 则分明是乔伊斯笔下莫莉·布鲁姆的翻版
