Originally published in 1928, radclyffe halls the well of loneliness is the timeless story of a lesbian couple pdfs struggle to be accepted by polite society. The motoring, of course, was the most tremendous fun, but and it was a very large but indeed when stephen got home to morton and the schoolroom, a little grey figure would be sitting at the table correcting an exercise book, or preparing some task for the following morning. It is perhaps the first coming out story published let me know of others, if im wrong, and sets down the pattern for that particularly kind of bildungsroman that many. Growing up, stephen is just like any other prewar aristocratic child.
Radclyffe hall, the pen name of marguerite radclyffehall, was born in bournemouth on august 12, 1880. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall overdrive rakuten. Pronounced obscene following a sensational trial, the book has become a cultural icon as well as a source of considerable debate, especially among feminists, lesbians, and transgendered persons. Miss puddleton arrived to take possession of the schoolroom, and sir philip bought himself a motorcar. With its overtly lesbian theme, the book was published in 1928, but was deemed obscene and was withdrawn from circulation, not appearing again until 1949. A powerful novel of love between women, the well of loneliness brought about the most famous legal trial for obscenity in the history of british law. Quotes from the well of loneliness radclyffe hall january 25, 2010 june 27, 2018 geoff w the subtlety, the craftiness of that question which. It is the story of an upperclass mannish lesbian, stephen gordon, who gradually realises that she is a female invert. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall is not a particularly famous or well known novel amongst general reading circles. That same year also saw publication of the unlit lamp, the first work for which hall was known as simply radclyffe hall. Radclyffe hall s 1928 novel, the well of loneliness, is repeatedly described as a bible of lesbian literature. The history and legacy surrounding the well of loneliness, pbs. Hall, radclyffe, carabine, dr keith, saxey, dr esther.
Feb 05, 20 radclyffe hall, the well of loneliness 1928 radclyffe hall. Nonetheless, the well of loneliness is worth reading because it shattered the silence of oppression and conveys a message about homophobia and internalized shame relevant to lesbians even today. These novels were both experimental and radical in their own rights, but were received differently. Publication date 1928 topics lesbians publisher new york, covici friede. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall, paperback. The well of loneliness is a lesbian novel by british author radclyffe hall that was first published in 1928 by jonathan cape.
The main character in the well of loneliness, published in 1928, is stephen gordon so named because her parents had expected a boy. The well of loneliness is the story of stephen gordon, an aristocratic woman who prefers to dress in a masculine fashion, and who loves women. Originally published in 1928, radclyffe pdf hall s the well of loneliness is the timeless story of a lesbian couples struggle to be accepted by polite society. Marguerite radclyffe hall was born on the south coast of england. Reading and reassessing the construction of gender and. This essay considers whether, insofar as they deploy christian tropes, these texts. Rare books by radclyffe hall, including first edition and signed first edition copies of the well of loneliness and the master of the house. Originally published in 1928, radclyffe hall s the well of loneliness is the timeless story of a lesbian couple pdfs struggle to be accepted by polite society. Lynn harriss just as i am 1994, and franz kafkas the metamorphosis 1915. Radclyffe hall richard dellamora university of pennsylvania.
Radclyffe halls the well of loneliness, a candid, semiautobiographical novel about coming to terms with a lesbian identity, brought to the. First published july 1928 in england by jonathan cape, the well was soon seized and criminalized for violating the obscene. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the well of loneliness. Her mother may have battered her, while her father, a playboy known as rat, ignored her. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 414 pages and is available in paperback format.
The novel tells the story of stephen gordon so named because. Free download or read online the well of loneliness pdf epub book. Originally published in 1928, radclyffe pdf halls the well of loneliness is the timeless story of a lesbian couples struggle to be accepted by polite society. Quotes from the well of loneliness radclyffe hall the. The judgment was given on a summons to show cause why seized.
Marguerite radclyffehall 18831943 was born in hampshire and educated at kings college. It is hall s most direct artistic expression of her own personal sexual orientation. The first thing i noticed about radclyffe halls the well of loneliness, was the beautiful descriptive exposition. However, halls novel did not reach the wide audiences of her contemporaries it was banned. The obscenity trial of miss radclyffe halls novel, the. Hall again seems to be implying that lesbianism was not a rare and abnormal thing, but something much more common than society was prepared to acknowledge. Radclyffe halls 1928 novel, the well of loneliness, follows the story of stephen gordon, an englishwoman from an upperclass family. Radclyffe halls 1928 novel, the well of loneliness, is repeatedly described as a bible of lesbian literature. It became an international bestseller, and for decades was the single most famous lesbian novel. A life in the writing richard dellamora offers the first full look at. In 1928, british author radclyffe hall published a novel about a lesbian relationship, a topic that was considered immoral in britains culture. It follows the life of stephen gordon, an englishwoman from an upperclass family whose sexual inversion that is, homosexuality is apparent from an early age.
It is perhaps the first coming out story published let me know of others, if im wrong, and sets down the pattern for that particularly kind of bildungsroman that many other coming out stories would follow, charting stephens life from. The well of loneliness wordsworth classics hall, radclyffe isbn. She was educated at kings college, london, and later undertook further studies in germany. The well of loneliness, or the gospel according to radclyffe. 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. At bow street in london on 16 november 1928, miss radclyffe halls novel, the well of loneliness, found itself in the dock on a charge of obscenity. Mar 17, 2020 the well of loneliness by radclyffe hall. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall goodreads. Not very far from up tononsevernbetween it, in fact, and the malvern hillsstands the country seat of the gordons of bramley. Hall was renowned for her open homosexuality, a subject dealt with in her bestknown novel, the well of loneliness 1928, a semiautobiographical work and the only one of her eight novels to. The well of loneliness, the most important novel of hall s career, was published in 1928 to immediate sensation and controversy. The well of loneliness is a 1928 novel by british author radclyffe hall.
In 1928, as she was preparing to appear as a defense witness in the prosecution of radclyffe halls novel the well of loneliness 1928 for obscenity, virginia woolf wrote in a. At issue are the linkages between queer theory and literature, on the one hand, and christian paradigms, on the other hand. Sir charles byron, bow street magistrate, yesterday adjudged obscene miss radclyffe halls book the well of loneliness, which has been the object of much discussion and litigation since its publication last summer. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall librarything. Jun 07, 20 halls novel the well of loneliness a gloomy account of the struggles of a congenital invert that even sympathetic writers such as virginia woolf struggled to defend artistically was put. Soon after the departure of mademoiselle duphot, there occurred two distinct innovations at morton. First published in 1928, this timeless portrayal of lesbian love is now a classic. The main characters of this fiction, lgbt story are stephen gordon. Many times, cheap lesbian pulp, written and produced mostly by men, for men, said on their blurbs that their books were like something of the well of loneliness.
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. Born marguerite radclyffe hall in 1880, hall wrote eight novels, the most famous being the well of loneliness. Both the well of loneliness and the unlit lamp end in tragedy and radclyffe hall is apparently unable to do happy endings or to dissemble. Please be aware this contains spoilers, read at your own risk. This 67page guide for the well of loneliness by radclyffe hall includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 56 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Pdf the well of loneliness book by radclyffe hall free. It has influenced how love between women is understood, for the twentieth century and beyond.
The well of loneliness is a 1928 lesbian novel by the english author radclyffe hall. A sapphic chronicle by lovat dickson and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. 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. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Radclyffe hall at the well of loneliness internet archive. The well of loneliness penguin modern classics radclyffe hall isbn. R adclyffe halls the well of loneliness and modernist fictions of identity laura green i n 1928, as she was preparing to appear as a defense witness in the pros ecution of radclyffe halls novel the well of loneliness 1928 for ob scenity, virginia woolf wrote in a letter. Marguerite radclyffehall, preferred to be called john. Buy radclyffe hall ebooks to read online or download in pdf or epub on your pc, tablet or mobile device. The first edition of the novel was published in 1928, and was written by radclyffe hall. Oct, 2017 radclyffe halls 1928 novel, the well of loneliness, follows the story of stephen gordon, an englishwoman from an upperclass family. Aug 06, 2016 the well of loneliness is the story of stephen gordon, an aristocratic woman who prefers to dress in a masculine fashion, and who loves women.
She is angry, bitter and twisted and she wants the world to know it. Radclyffe halls the well of loneliness and modernist fictions of identity. Sep 26, 20 radclyffe hall s the well of loneliness, a candid, semiautobiographical novel about coming to terms with a lesbian identity, brought to the forefront the question of whether or not the frank portrayal of lesbianism in a book was grounds for charges of obscenity. Established writers radclyffe hall and virginia woolf respectively published the well of loneliness and orlando. Radclyffe hall loneliness by dickson lovat abebooks. Halls was labeled as obscene and then banned, while woolfs was praised. Radclyffe hall quotes author of the well of loneliness. This article will read the protagonist, stephen gordon, as a queer christ figure whose suffering ushers in a new ethics of love. Pdf the well of loneliness download read online free. Stephen is an ideal child of aristocratic parentsa fencer. A biography within a few months of each other in 1928. Descriptions of the english countryside, of london and of paris are some of the finest written in english. New to penguin modern classics, the seminal work of gay literature that sparked an infamous legal trial for obscenity and went on to become a bestseller. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the well of loneliness wordsworth classics.
She finds love with mary llewellyn, whom she meets while serving as an ambulance driver in world war i, but their. In 1975, for example, jane rule, complaining about the reputation of the well of loneliness as the lesbian bible, quoted two. The well of loneliness the radclyffe hall novel at times referred to as the bible of lesbianism was released in britain in 1928 and was immediately controversial. The well of loneliness wordsworth classics kindle edition by hall, radclyffe, saxey, esther. The well of loneliness by hall, radclyffe and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The well of loneliness, or the gospel according to. Radclyffe hall, the well of loneliness 1928 radclyffe hall. The well of loneliness ebook written by radclyffe hall. This essay examines christian tropes in three queer texts. The first thing i noticed about radclyffe hall s the well of loneliness, was the beautiful descriptive exposition. Hall, with her novel, created a way for queer women to talk to other queer women without ever endangering them or creating suspicion. Shockingly candid for its time, this novel was the very first to condemn homophobic society for its unfair treatment of gays and lesbians. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall overdrive.
The well of loneliness addressed its themes in a subtle and completely nongraphic manner, and yet, shortly after its publication, copies of the book were seized. At this moment our thoughts center upon sapphismwe have. Written in 1928, three years after the great gatsby, and at the height of the popularity of virginia woolf, it was published in the uk during an exciting time for literature. Banned upon publication due to its lesbian theme, it tells the story of stephen gordon, an upperclass englishwoman and who struggles as a lesbian with the confines of society. Radclyffe hall was already a successful popular novelist when her fifth book, the well of loneliness, was published in 1928. Imagine growing up with people judging you and condemning you because you are some notquitedefinably. Despite the obvious biblical allusions in radclyffe halls the well of loneliness 1928, the complex theological questions it raises have largely been overshadowed by criticism that focuses on gender and sexuality. Radclyffe halls the well of loneliness and modernist fictions of identity laura green in 1928, as she was preparing to appear as a defense witness in the prosecution of radclyffe halls novel the well of loneliness 1928 for obscenity,virginia woolf wrote in a letter. Jan 07, 2014 the well of loneliness was banned for obscenity when published in 1928. The well of loneliness, or the gospel according to radclyffe hall. Marguerite radclyffehall was born on the south coast of england.
Halls novel the well of loneliness a gloomy account of the struggles of a congenital invert that even sympathetic writers such as virginia woolf struggled to defend artistically was put. The well of loneliness, by radclyffe hall chapter nineteen through the long years of life that followed after, bringing with them their dreams and disillusions, their joys and sorrows, their fulfilments and frustrations, stephen was never to forget this summer when she fell quite simply and naturally in love, in accordance with the dictates of. The thinly disguised story of halls own life, it was banned outright. The well of loneliness is an engaging story that shows the challenges, indignities suffered and, yes, the loneliness of being gay, particularly at the time this book was written. The motor was a panhard, and it caused much excitement in the neighbourhood of upton. Radclyffe hall born marguerite radclyffe hall on 12 august 1880 7 october 1943 was an english poet and author, best known for the novel the well of. Theosophy, and an eclectic brand of christian and buddhist mysticism.
Why the well of loneliness by radclyffe hall is an. Before the novel delves too far into modernism, it is apparent that it is hedging out the victorian. Radclyffe halls the well of loneliness, a candid, semiautobiographical novel about coming to terms with a lesbian identity, brought to the forefront the question of whether or not the frank portrayal of lesbianism in a book was grounds for charges of obscenity. Radclyffe hall 1880 1943 was a british author best known for her semiautobiographical novel about a young womans coming to terms with her lesbian identity the book caused a furor when first published in england in 1928. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. The well of loneliness is probably the most famous lesbian novel ever written, and. It follows the life of stephen gordon, an englishwoman from an upperclass family whose sexual inversion homosexuality is apparent from an early age. In the drawing rooms of edwardian society, marguerite made a small name for herself as a poet and librettist. Stephen is a lesbian but, growing up, doesnt know what she. The well of loneliness is a 1928 book written by radclyffe hall about homosexuality. The powersthatbe had decided that they did not like the novels unnatural offences hence the decision to prosecute. Radclyffe hall s the well of loneliness and modernist fictions of identity laura green in 1928, as she was preparing to appear as a defense witness in the prosecution of radclyffe hall s novel the well of loneliness 1928 for obscenity,virginia woolf wrote in a letter.
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