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Originally published in 1928, Radclyffe Hall's The Well of Loneliness is the timeless story of a lesbian couple's struggle to be accepted by "polite" society. Shockingly candid for its time, this novel was the very first to condemn homophobic society for its unfair treatment of gays and lesbians.
Anonymous
Posted December 5, 2002
'The Well of Loneliness' is a very solid book, but when you look closely, it has two or three themes that it trumpets again and again, almost to the exclusion of all else. I think it would be more successful if Stephen wasn't so typical of the mannish 'dyke' type, and her lovers weren't such obvious 'femmes'-it seems to wallow in stereotyping. It's also heavily reliant on quasi-scientific theories of 'inversion', which are laughable to a modern reader. And her girlfriends, Angela especially, are so unsympathetic! All the same, it's a relief to see how much attitudes to homosexuality have changed, and it's a virtual tour of period detail. I'd say the book falls apart badly at the end (almost sagging under its own weight) but for the rest of the time it's worth a look, even if you disagree with many of its central themes.
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Overview
Originally published in 1928, Radclyffe Hall's The Well of Loneliness is the timeless story of a lesbian couple's struggle to be accepted by "polite" society. Shockingly candid for its time, this novel was the very first to condemn homophobic society for its ...