The Luck Surface Area
1930, Craigenputtock, Scotland
Thomas Carlyle had been struggling for a decade trying to make a name and a living as a writer. He had steadily worked on a number of original essays, biographies and some beautiful translations of German masterpieces to English. But he never got any recognition.
Goethe, one of the greatest German writers ever, whose work Carlyle often translated was himself very impressed with this young, brilliant, Scot. He once wrote to a friend commenting on how surprising it was that someone with the calibre of Carlyle was largely ignored in his own country.
But now, he was invigorated again. Inspiration had struck and he was immersed in writing a satirical novel in a completely unconventional style. Fiction and philosophy were combined with a lot of history thrown in for good measure. For months, he wrote furiously as was his style. And then, for years he struggled to find a publisher. The manuscript for Sartor Resartus (The Tailor Retailored), which is now regarded as a literary masterpiece, languished in his drawer for over two years.
Despite such odds, no money and a decade of rejection behind him, he still kept going. There were few incorporeal rays of hope and maybe they were enough to sustain him. Those few, far apart instances when someone was able to see the sparks of brilliance in the man and his work. Goethe, by now almost a mentor of Carlyle, had kept up a stream of correspondence and encouragement. In August 1833, a young budding philosopher had shown up at Carlyle’s door. He had travelled from America to pay homage to the people whose writings inspired him — mainly Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, William Wordsworth and Thomas Carlyle. Carlyle was greatly flattered and touched at being included with such luminaries.
In 1834, Thomas and Jane Carlyle moved to London in hopes that it would give them access to a better literary circle. Carlyle struck a friendship with the acclaimed philosopher, John Stuart Mill and on his recommendation started working on the history of the French Revolution. He had a sum total of 200 pounds which would enable a frugal existence for him and his wife for a year. By then, he hoped, his current project would earn enough to tide them over for the next few years.
For many months he researched and then started writing furiously, as was his style. No notes or book outlines for him. The man was a genius. For the last 15 years, he had been waiting for such a project. He had long suspected, rather hoped, that there was a spark of greatness in him. This was the project to bring it out. On 7th Feb 1835, Volume 1 of the book was finished. Carlyle gave the manuscript to Mill to review and wrote in his journal that night.
He started working on the second volume. Tired and ill from exhaustion, he still kept working.
March 6 1835, London
London must have been chilly and dreary in the evening as Carlyle sat toiling at his desk. Suddenly, the bell rang. It was Mill. Deathly pale and incoherent with despair, he told them how an illiterate maid, thinking it was waste paper, had used the manuscript to light a fire. It was gone, completely destroyed! Mill had brought what remained — mostly ashes and scraps of burnt paper. He knew the financial situation of the Carlyles and begged them to accept 200 pounds as a reimbursement for financial loss. Carlyle refused of course! True character is often revealed at the worst times. And for Carlyle, this was once such moment. Both he and his wife were more concerned with consoling Mill rather than worry about what had befallen them. When he finally left, the first words that Carlyle spoke to his wife were “Mill, poor fellow, is awfully cut up. We must strive to hide for him how very serious this is for us.”
That night he somehow found in himself to continue the work. The next morning, he went to Mill’s house and agreed to take 100 pounds from him. It was to buy writing paper. Over the next two years he wrote Volume two and three of book and then rewrote Volume one from scratch.
12 Jan 1837, London
The French Revolution was finally complete! The date was historic for another reason. After ignoring and keeping away from him for almost two decades, Lady Luck had finally decided to court Thomas Carlyle!
The book got fantastic reviews. The best review came from John Stuart Mill himself. Very possibly, his guilt had something to do it, but the other reviews were equally enthusiastic. The book started to pick up momentum in United Kingdom. Now, this is where Lady Luck had another trick up her sleeve. Remember the young American chap who had visited Carlyle in 1833? By now he had started to become famous. Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the greatest philosophers this world has seen, threw his weight behind the book. The book became even more famous in America and had to be reprinted soon as all the copies sold quickly.
By now his novel Sartor Resartus had also been published and was hailed as the most original book of the century. Success had finally come knocking and decided to break down the door.
Carlyle became a household name. Charles Dickens carried a copy of The French Revolution wherever he went. It was the last book Mark Twain had been reading before he died. He had numerous admirers in the day - Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, George Eliot, Louisa Alcott, Robert Browning, Walt Whitman, Lord Tennyson to name a few. Fame and fortune were finally at his feet. He was commonly referred to as the “Sage of Chelsea”.
Much later, Gandhi was heavily inspired by a number of his books. His ideas for non-violence and “Satyagrah” found validation in The French Revolution.
Jasmetji Tata, the pioneer industrialist and the founder of the TATA industries, attended a lecture by Thomas Carlyle in 1867. ‘The nation which has the steel will have the gold”, Carlyle thundered and thus a spark was ignited in Jasmetji’s heart.
Carlyle changed the course of history but he spent decades as the underdog. His belief in himself led him to keep trying to get his stuff published ever since the early years. His fortitude made him get back on his feet again and again, no matter how often or how hard he fell. By the time The French Revolution was published, his writings had been out for many many years. This enabled Emerson to discover him, Goethe to mentor him, John Stuart Mill to revere him.
The concept of the Luck Surface Area is so popular today. Without even thinking about it, this is exactly what Carlyle did.
If we keep going, we become unstoppable. If we keep channeling our passion, we can’t help but be original. And one day, people might just call us lucky. That is the luck surface area in a nutshell!
