"The first explicitly gay-themed novel in the United States" ('Encyclopedia of Gay Histories and Cultures')
"A saturnalia in which the most monstrous forms of human vice exhibit themselves shamelessly" ('Bedford's Magazine')
"The very first work of fiction to take up the subject of homosexuality in explicit terms" ('The Cambridge Companion to the Fin de Siècle')
"Absolutely unconventional" ('New York World')
Written in 1889, this account of a love triangle tells the story of Elsie Bouverie, a pretty, frivolous, aristocratic girl who falls in love with handsome, quiet Arthur Ravener. The only annoyance in their perfect marriage is the persistent presence of Captain Dillington, Arthur's devoted friend, and Elsie gradually comes to realise that she has competition for Arthur's affection.
Reading the fresh, lively prose, it is difficult to remember that this book is nearly 130 years old. It portrays a vivid picture of life in Victorian London and New York City, and describes the unravelling of Elsie and Arthur's marriage - and the tragic aftermath - with compassion and razor-sharp insight.
"A saturnalia in which the most monstrous forms of human vice exhibit themselves shamelessly" ('Bedford's Magazine')
"The very first work of fiction to take up the subject of homosexuality in explicit terms" ('The Cambridge Companion to the Fin de Siècle')
"Absolutely unconventional" ('New York World')
Written in 1889, this account of a love triangle tells the story of Elsie Bouverie, a pretty, frivolous, aristocratic girl who falls in love with handsome, quiet Arthur Ravener. The only annoyance in their perfect marriage is the persistent presence of Captain Dillington, Arthur's devoted friend, and Elsie gradually comes to realise that she has competition for Arthur's affection.
Reading the fresh, lively prose, it is difficult to remember that this book is nearly 130 years old. It portrays a vivid picture of life in Victorian London and New York City, and describes the unravelling of Elsie and Arthur's marriage - and the tragic aftermath - with compassion and razor-sharp insight.
