''The Boy Who Saw True'' (originally published by

Neville Spearman Neville Spearman Armstrong (20 October 1913 – September 2008) was a British soldier, literary agent, and publisher. In the 1940s and early 1950s he was in partnerships with others, then from 1955 he operated his own publishing company called Ne ...

, 1953, with an introduction, afterword and notes by

Cyril Scott Cyril Meir Scott (27 September 1879 – 31 December 1970) was an English composer, writer, poet, and occultist. He created around four hundred musical compositions including piano, violin, cello concertos, symphonies, and operas. He also wrot ...

) is the allegedly true diary of a young

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

boy with clairvoyant gifts. Born with unusual talents, the anonymous author could apparently see auras and spirits, yet failed to realise that other people were not similarly gifted. "In consequence he was misunderstood, and had to suffer many indignities." Noted English composer

describes the diary in the book's introduction as "a highly diverting and important human document. The document is of interest in that it reveals the thoughts, emotions and perplexities of a Victorian youngster brought up a little prior to the 'naughty nineties'... Before his death his wife persuaded him to let the diary be published. But he made certain stipulations. It was not to be printed until several years after his death. He allowed bad spellings to remain." Although the author remained anonymous, Scott says he was born in the

North of England Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Kingdom of Jorvik, and the ...

, his father being a businessman.

Critical reception

''Tutor Hunt'' wrote, "the diary is endearing and gently humorous so that readers cannot help but side with its deeply sensitive young protagonist. With the boy we laugh at the adults around him for all their various embarrassments and hypocrisies. From their fumbling explanations about the meaning of scriptural words like "adultery" and "circumcision", to the carbuncle on the curate's "B-T-M" and on to the vicar's piles it's all wonderfully observed", and ''holisticshop'' applauded "its naive candours, its drolleries, its unconscious humour, its oscillations between the ridiculous and the exalted, and its power to convince, for the very reason that the young diarist never set out with the intention of carrying conviction."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boy Who Saw True 1953 non-fiction books English-language books Diaries Clairvoyants Occult books