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The Well of Loneliness

By Radclyffe Hall
Penguin Classics
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.76 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 19,018 ratings, 1,936 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall is a groundbreaking novel that explores the life of Stephen Gordon, an Englishwoman who struggles with her gender identity and sexuality in a conservative society. The story delves into her experiences of love, rejection, and loneliness, highlighting her battle for acceptance and the right to live authentically. This moving narrative is a poignant examination of identity and societal norms, resonating with readers even today.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy exploring complex themes of self-identity, love, and societal expectations, especially within the context of early 20th-century society. Its pioneering narrative offers profound insights into the struggles and resilience of those who challenge traditional norms, making it both a poignant and historically significant read.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Tells the story of tomboyish Stephen, who hunts, wears trousers and cuts her hair short - and who gradually comes to realise that she is attracted to women.

From the battlefields of the First World War and to the streets of bohemian Paris, The Well of Loneliness recounts her passionate search for love and fulfilment.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

New to Penguin Modern Classics, the seminal work of gay literature that sparked a notorious legal trial.

The Well of Loneliness tells the story of tomboyish Stephen, who hunts, wears trousers and cuts her hair short - and who gradually comes to realise that she is attracted to women. Charting her romantic and professional adventures during the First World War and beyond, the novel provoked a furore on first publication in 1928 for its lesbian heroine and led to a famous legal trial for obscenity. Hall herself saw the book as a pioneer work and today it is recognised as a landmark work of gay fiction.

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall has been praised for its pioneering exploration of lesbian identity and its impact on LGBTQ literature. Reviewers often commend the novel's emotional depth and the courage it took to publish such a work during its time. The narrative is lauded for its portrayal of societal challenges faced by the protagonist, while some critique it for its melancholic tone and pacing.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141191836

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 February 2015

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 356g

Pages: 512

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics Penguin Classics: General Fiction Radclyffe Hall Series: Penguin Modern Classics

About the Author

Radclyffe Hall was born in 1880. After an unhappy childhood, she inherited her father's estate and from then on was free to travel and live as she chose. She fell in love and lived with an older woman before settling down with Una Troubridge, a married sculptor. Hall wrote many books but is best known for The Well of Loneliness, first published in 1928. She died in 1943 and is buried in Highgate Cemetery in London. Maureen Duffy was born in 1933 and educated at Kings College London. She became a full-time writer in the 1960s, and has since written numerous screenplays, poetry and novels. A lifelong campaigner for gay rights and animal rights, Duffy is also president of the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society.

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