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The Humble Lover

By Edmund White
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Brief Description
A wildly hilarious and irreverent novel about a rich octogenarian and the young ballerino he covets—Edmund White at his funniest and most unrestrained. Aldwych West, an eighty-year-old modern-day aristocrat living alone in his Manhattan townhouse, is used to having what he wants. When he sets eyes... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3499
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From National Book Award-honored author Edmund White, a wildly hilarious and irreverent novel about a rich older man who falls in love with a young ballerino.

A wildly hilarious and irreverent novel about a rich octogenarian and the young ballerino he covets— Edmund White at his funniest and most unrestrained.

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

A wildly hilarious and irreverent novel about a rich octogenarian and the young ballerino he covets—Edmund White at his funniest and most unrestrained.

Aldwych West, an eighty-year-old modern-day aristocrat living alone in his Manhattan townhouse, is used to having what he wants. When he sets eyes on August Dupond, a strong, stunningly beautiful soloist in the New York City Ballet, he decides he must have him.

Soon they strike up a closeness that falls between the blurry lines of friendship, sponsorship, and love, and August moves in with Aldwych. But eventually, August starts bringing home other men, and a formidable woman in Aldwych's circle named Ernestine also takes a deep interest in the young, enchanting star.

Messy entanglements and fierce rivalries ensue, and the result is an unforgettable, outrageous tragicomedy that explores the many layers of love and sexual desire as only Edmund White can.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781639735273

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 09 October 2025

Country: United States

Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 272

Collections

Edmund White Education & Reference Fiction General Fiction LGBTQ+ Literary Fiction

About the Author

Edmund White (1940-2025) authored more than thirty works of fiction, memoir, and nonfiction, including the novels A Boy’s Own Story, Our Young Man, and The Humble Lover; the memoirs City Boy, Inside a Pearl, and The Unpunished Vice; The Flâneur, a tour through Paris; the literary biographies Genet and Rimbaud; and many more. His most recent work, the sexual autobiography The Loves of My Life, was a New York Times Editors' Choice. He received the PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction and the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation.

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