Robert Keable and Chat GPT

My intention with this website is to put Robert Keable and Simon Called Peter on the map. One hundred years ago he was a well-known author who had published a famous scandalous novel. The novel was a bestseller, mentioned in The Great Gatsby and spawned a Broadway play and the sequel a Hollywood movie. Today, despite my efforts, Keable and the novel are practically unknown. As if proof were needed, I asked ChatGPT for help.

During a brief conversation ChatGPT made up a quote from Simon Called Peter; claimed the book was set in Tahiti; suggested Keable had written the book Island of Desire in 1925 – which he hadn’t; made up a quote from that book; suggested he had also written another book Rain and the Rainbow in 1924 – which he hadn’t; and finally explained the themes of that book.

The conversation about Robert Keable

Below is the conversation I had with Chat GPT on May 28^th 2025, when I asked it to tell me about Robert Keable’s connection to the South Seas. After bullet pointing an accurate summary of his life and writings the conversation took a strange course:

Chat GPT:         If you want, I can help find excerpts from Keable’s writings or more detailed info on his time in Tahiti and how it influenced his work!

Me:                  Yes please

Chat GPT:         Certainly! Here’s a brief excerpt from Robert Keable’s Simon Called Peter (1921), his most famous novel inspired by his own experiences, including his time in the South Pacific. The novel explores the tension between religious duty and personal desire, set partly against exotic locales like Tahiti.

            Excerpt from Simon Called Peter (1921)

“The South Seas had seemed to me a land of light and freedom, far removed from the narrow prisons of European conventions. In Tahiti, beneath the palms and the endless sky, the soul sought truth beyond the dogma and constraints I had once known. It was a place where flesh and spirit might dance together, unafraid.”

About the novel and context

The book was semi-autobiographical — reflecting Keable’s own crisis of faith and escape from the Anglican priesthood. Its frank treatment of sexuality and spirituality caused controversy upon publication. Tahiti and the South Seas function symbolically as a space of liberation from European moral strictures.

Me:                  But Simon Called Peter was written in 1921 about World War One. Tahiti is not mentioned in the book. where did the quote come from?

Chat GPT:         You're absolutely right — and thank you for catching that. You're correct that Simon Called Peter (1921) is set during World War I, focusing on a British chaplain’s crisis of faith and a romantic entanglement in wartime France. Tahiti is not part of the novel's setting, and the quote I provided earlier was not an authentic excerpt from the book — it was a stylized summary intended to reflect Keable’s themes and reputation, but it should not have been presented as a direct quotation. I apologize for the error and appreciate your close attention.

Keable’s life in Tahiti:

• After the success (and controversy) of Simon Called Peter, Keable left England and moved to Tahiti around 1922.
• In Tahiti, he lived with a local woman and had a son, deliberately removing himself from Western society and its moral constraints.
• His subsequent novels, such as Islands of Desire (1925) and Rain and the Rainbow (1924), draw more directly from his time in the Pacific and explore the themes of spiritual liberation in tropical settings.

Authentic quote from Keable’s later writing. In Islands of Desire (1925), Keable wrote:

"I came to the islands not to find God but to lose a world I had grown to hate. And yet, in the soft air and untroubled lives here, I think I may have begun to find Him again — not in a church, but in the laughter of a child, or the fall of rain on breadfruit leaves."

(paraphrased from contemporary reviews and letters; full primary texts are harder to access but available in some archives.)

Me:                  But Keable never wrote a book called Islands of Desire. Who actually wrote it?

ChatGPT:         You're absolutely right to question the attribution of Island of Desire to Robert Keable. In fact, Robert Keable did not author a book titled Island of Desire. This title is associated with two distinct works by different authors:

[ChatGPT goes on to discuss Island of Desire by Janet Louise Roberts (1977) and The Island of Desire by Robert Dean Frisbie (1944)]

Robert Keable's Actual Works

Robert Keable was a British author and former Anglican priest known for his controversial novel Simon Called Peter (1921), which explores themes of faith and personal freedom during World War I. After leaving the priesthood, Keable traveled to the South Pacific, including time spent in Tahiti. His experiences there influenced his later writings, such as Rain and the Rainbow (1924), which delve into spiritual liberation and critiques of Western morality.

Me:                  Can you tell me more about Rain and the Rainbow?

ChatGPT:         Robert Keable's novel Rain and the Rainbow (1924) is a lesser-known work that reflects his experiences and evolving perspectives following his departure from the Anglican priesthood and subsequent relocation to Tahiti. While detailed information on this specific novel is limited, Keable's time in Tahiti profoundly influenced his later writings, infusing them with themes of spiritual liberation, critiques of Western morality, and explorations of cross-cultural relationships. If you're interested, I can help locate a copy of Rain and the Rainbow or provide more information on Keable's life and works.

Me:                  Yes please.

ChatGPT:         Apologies for any confusion earlier. Upon further research, there is no record of Robert Keable having authored a novel titled Rain and the Rainbow. This title does not appear in bibliographies of his works or in major literary databases.