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aurora_f's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.75
An EXCELLENT read.
hils79's review
3.0
Even setting aside the fact that the main point of this book has already been disproved this was still not an enjoyable read. The author’s voice is dry and does little to capture the imagination, resulting in me caring very little about Symonds.
ken_bookhermit's review against another edition
3.0
Reading this was such a mixed bag. On one hand I was aware of the folly of synthesis in some of the author's points made repeatedly in The Guardian and the NY Times. But on the other, I appreciate the introduction to John Addington Symonds amongst others. And for the comprehensive bibliography. In a way I think the author was too ambitious that the work of contextual-building came off as sloppy.
tpanik's review against another edition
2.0
The identity of this volume isn’t clear: is it a literary history, or a social history? The former has a strong thesis, the latter is justified as the source of the research-integrity controversy Wolff finds herself in. The threads featuring the Pre-Raphealites were interesting, but unless you LOVE Walt Whitman, this is a dense read.
And yes, this was a copy of the American edition that has orders to be destroyed while corrections and reprints are made to a new edition.
And yes, this was a copy of the American edition that has orders to be destroyed while corrections and reprints are made to a new edition.
theworddegree's review against another edition
5.0
This book! What a clever even handed look at the criminalization of homosexuality. Wolf analyzes history by drawing links between events in the 19th century and ultimately running those links to events now. Simultaneously highlighting how far we have come in terms of LGBTQI rights and yet how far we have to go. These insights into the past make a compelling intellectual argument against homophobia. Additionally this book is a love letter to the courageous poets like Walt Whitman and John Addington Symonds, the publishing houses and book sellers who dared to oppose ludicrous censorship laws. The link at the end of the book to the present day is guaranteed to give you shivers! Read this!
I received this book for review from the publisher
Additional notes to my review: I have no other knowledge of the subject matter in this book as this is the first time I have encountered this topic and can therefore not way in on the historical inaccuracies debate that seems to be surrounding this book
I received this book for review from the publisher
Additional notes to my review: I have no other knowledge of the subject matter in this book as this is the first time I have encountered this topic and can therefore not way in on the historical inaccuracies debate that seems to be surrounding this book
annarella's review against another edition
2.0
I read about the historical error in this book but those aren't the reason I gave it two stars.
I can say I learned something new but the preaching tone and the style of writing grated on my nerves.
It was like reading something written by a preacher who is trying to convince you that her thesis is correct and all the rest is wrong.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I can say I learned something new but the preaching tone and the style of writing grated on my nerves.
It was like reading something written by a preacher who is trying to convince you that her thesis is correct and all the rest is wrong.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
maggiemcvey's review against another edition
1.0
So, so disappointed. I had no idea about the controversy behind this and the author before picking it up in the bookstore a few months back. I planned on saving it and reading for Pride month. Once I researched a little, I was “outrage”d.
Those who insist that the contents of the book should be separated from the background of the author have to consider that we do not live in a vacuum. Try as they might, writers are never fully objective, and I am of the opinion that you cannot separate “art” from the “artist”. Therefore I can’t in good conscience recommend this book, as I had hoped to.
Those who insist that the contents of the book should be separated from the background of the author have to consider that we do not live in a vacuum. Try as they might, writers are never fully objective, and I am of the opinion that you cannot separate “art” from the “artist”. Therefore I can’t in good conscience recommend this book, as I had hoped to.
carolinejanemid's review
4.0
*3.5
Brilliant scholarship - Wolf has such a beautiful turn of phrase, she could make dry paint interesting - but a bit all over the place with structure and topic. Was hard to follow and pick up again because of this. A biography of J.A. Symonds or an analysis on all the laws that persecuted certain minority groups in 19th century England and America? Still have no idea. 🤷🏼♀️
Brilliant scholarship - Wolf has such a beautiful turn of phrase, she could make dry paint interesting - but a bit all over the place with structure and topic. Was hard to follow and pick up again because of this. A biography of J.A. Symonds or an analysis on all the laws that persecuted certain minority groups in 19th century England and America? Still have no idea. 🤷🏼♀️