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A review by nightpeaches
Street Lavender by Chris Hunt
5.0
Other than it being an inspiration for Sarah Waters and also very hard to get a copy of, I admittedly didn't know much about this book going into it so I was surprised by just how much I liked it. I found the first part of the book hard to read considering the sexual content and the age of the main character, and this might not be a book for everyone, but I'm very glad I stuck with it.
The book is written in a style that feels appropriate for the historical period its set in but without being overly stuffy. I found the prose engaging and the pacing to be just right for quickly moving along the events of Willie's life but also giving time for introspection when needed.
So much gay historical literature centers around tragedy and death, and while there are plenty of darker themes and struggles in this book it also has bright moments of love and companionship that keep the book from feeling too gritty or depressing, such as Willie's friendship with Caroline. I really liked the tone of it – some parts may feel a bit romanticized or idealized, but that was something that made me like the book more rather than less.
There was one event () that I found hard to get to terms with, and I'm still not sure whether to attribute the handling of this to the author or the character. It's a very complex thing that I'm not sure I can find an answer to – not helped by the fact that I otherwise liked Willie a lot and found him to be a quite sympathetic character. I feel that this topic and event deserves an exploration that is too in-depth for this review, so I won't delve deeper into it but I also felt a need to not let it go unmentioned.
Overall, this book worked for me on many different levels. I will always have a soft spot for gay literature that lets its characters have happiness and hope for a good future, and despite all the struggles and twists and turns of Willie's life this book left me with a very good feeling.
The book is written in a style that feels appropriate for the historical period its set in but without being overly stuffy. I found the prose engaging and the pacing to be just right for quickly moving along the events of Willie's life but also giving time for introspection when needed.
So much gay historical literature centers around tragedy and death, and while there are plenty of darker themes and struggles in this book it also has bright moments of love and companionship that keep the book from feeling too gritty or depressing, such as Willie's friendship with Caroline. I really liked the tone of it – some parts may feel a bit romanticized or idealized, but that was something that made me like the book more rather than less.
There was one event (
Spoiler
the sexual assaultOverall, this book worked for me on many different levels. I will always have a soft spot for gay literature that lets its characters have happiness and hope for a good future, and despite all the struggles and twists and turns of Willie's life this book left me with a very good feeling.