Reviews

This is the kind of book that is interesting because of what it tells us about queerness in the late nineteenth century, but is also really awful because it's melodramatic and I am not sure Alan Dale has ever met a woman in his life (notwithstanding his wife and daughter). There's a very Grecian male couple, with the older one "luring" the younger into a life of homosexuality (and they remind me very much of Oscar and Bosie, incidentally) but I dislike how the "Bosie" of the couple seems to be bullied and completely under the way of the "Oscar" of the couple, and that the "Bosie" is just kind of a weak, effeminate man, happy to live a life of crime with his lover. Not super gay-positive, but you can tell Dale did some sort of research, although it's hard to tell if Dale is very creeped out by gay men or trying to persuade his readers to let them live and love whoever they want.

Overall, since (spoiler, but this book is over a hundred years old) Arthur is dead at the end of the novel, I am not sure why Elsie makes a big deal out of never marrying again. Girl, you never slept with your first husband AND he's dead, feel free to marry someone else. I get it, being a beard is awful and Arthur did you dirty, but you can still be happy, come on.

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