''Water on the Brain'' is a 1933

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

spy novel Spy fiction is a genre of literature involving espionage as an important context or plot device. It emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intellig ...

by the British writer

Compton Mackenzie Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie, (17 January 1883 – 30 November 1972) was a Scottish writer of fiction, biography, histories and a memoir, as well as a cultural commentator, raconteur and lifelong Scottish nationalist. He was one of t ...

. Based on his own experiences working for British intelligence during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Mackenzie wrote a parody of the traditional spy novel. He had recently been prosecuted under the

Official Secrets Act An Official Secrets Act (OSA) is legislation that provides for the protection of Classified information, state secrets and official information, mainly related to national security. However, in its unrevised form (based on the UK Official Secret ...

for divulging his wartime experience.

Plot

Drawing on his experience in the British secret services, the novel satirizes the shortcomings of the same agency. The novel revolves around the assignments of the main character British secret agent Major Arthur Blenkinsop. According to Fantastic Fiction "The plot involves His Majesty's Director of Extraordinary Intelligence - M.Q.99(E) - sending British agent Major Arthur Blenkinsop to counter the interference of the wily

Burgundians The Burgundians were an early Germanic peoples, Germanic tribe or group of tribes. They appeared east in the middle Rhine region in the third century AD, and were later moved west into the Roman Empire, in Roman Gaul, Gaul. In the first and seco ...

and Venetians in the affairs of Mendacia. Blenkinsop also has to deal with the dangerous American agent Katzenschlosser and the charms of the alluring Senora Miranda." Mackenzie was triggered by the reception of his ''Greek Memories'' (1932) which had resulted in his prosecution for quoting from secret documents.

References

Bibliography

* Burton, Alan. ''Historical Dictionary of British Spy Fiction''. Rowman & Littlefield, 2016. 1933 British novels Novels by Compton Mackenzie British comedy novels British thriller novels British spy novels Novels set in London Novels set in Scotland Cassell (publisher) books {{1930s-spy-novel-stub