Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
This can definitely go down as one of the oldest books I’ve ever read. Published in 1953 it tells the tale of Laurie Odell, an injured soldier in World War II who meets the lovely Andrew in the hospital. Only his recovery reconnects him with Ralph Lanyon and he is torn in two.
Mary Renault’s writing I will say this was absolutely magnificent. While chapters have a tendency to be enormous they are woven with intricately worded metaphors and beautifully constructed phrases that I highlighted many of. As a book from the 50′s there is a difference in the writing and the style was at times hard to get to grips with, it still read for the most part easily. There were some bits that I just couldn’t quite wrap my head around but it hardly diminished the excellence of the book.
The Love Triangle aspect of the book is of note for never feeling forced or tedious. It’s kind of an interesting structure, Renault leads you down one path to see it’s side then takes you down the other to explore that one, then a third path appears trying to lead you back to the others. And it’s phenomenal. She makes a love triangle where I was constantly changing my mind and I could never work out who Laurie was going to pick.
That’s it for non-spoilers so yeah beware spoilers ahead.
Laurie is a weird guy, he is self-assured but not totally confident and he’s comfortable and rarely strays from it. But he was so good. I loved Laurie. He just seemed like a guy who was getting by with his injury and the emotions he struggled with. He seems an overthinker and slightly on the anxious side of things he is relatable to this day.
Ralph on the other hand is mister extrovert. He is so comfortable and so fun. He’s kind of more wild than Laurie even if he is the senior of the two. But as it is frequently brought up in the closing act of the book he is a control freak. He tries to sort out everyone’s lives only to cause disturbances wherever he goes.
Andrew. Precious Andrew. He is a delicate flower. Young and kind he really doesn’t know himself at all. He has belief’s and that’s about it. But eventually we see him grow slightly as a person and learning to accept himself in a time when homosexuality was exceptionally taboo.
I just kind of want to go through some of my favourite moments. So let’s do that shall we. Andrew and Laurie’s weird little date things. Whenever they left the hospital for their rendezvous it made me a little happy. It was just so cute to see them build a relationship from their little adventures. They just spoke so freely and you could feel an intensity between them.
Favourite moment of them has to be the kiss though. By my recollection it is the only written kiss in the entire book. It is quick and it is sweet and it stole my heart. I was so sold on Andrew because of the cuteness of it all. They come down from this argument and act on their feelings only for a moment but it was a golden moment.
Touching on the argument though brought about by Charlot’s ailing. I was at a loss during that scene. Charlot was a minor, minor character but my heart broke as he deteriorated. The fact he only recognised Laurie was painful and even when Laurie made a bit of an ass of himself in front of Andrew it was incredible.
Ralph and Laurie’s first scene at the school was impeccable. It really kind of sets up the book and their relationship of slight unequals. It was a really kind of intimate scene you wouldn’t expect and the tenderness is there already. The passing of the book is symbolic and really came full circle by the end. When Laurie gave the book to Dave to Andrew I melted. Because when Ralph gave it to Laurie he still needed to find himself and now he’s passed it on because he has. I was like dying it was perfect.
The Ralph-Laurie reunion is impressively marred by Alec and Sandy. Sandy’s instability is a recurring theme in the book and the party kind of illustrated that. But the connection between Ralph and Laurie is still apparent. And whenever they were in the car together you just kind of get some sexual tension vibes.
The ending scenes were all a mess of me feeling to many things. Andrew leaving threw me for a loop but then Laurie goes to see him. But he talks to Dave and decides not to see him but to tell him the truth to pass onto Andrew. And Dave gets it which I really liked. And then Laurie finds out it wasn’t Ralph who went to Andrew and ruined everything, it was Bunny. Bunny man I hate him. He is such a prick, he almost ruins everything. But then Alec tells Laurie and Laurie is running to Ralph. And he’s reading that letter and I thought he was dead but no it’s fine. We get the kind of reunion after their argument about everything and it’s left there but it’s so happy. That last section moves fast and I loved the ending. Such a perfect way to end the story.
Underlying storylines I haven’t touched on most prominently for me are Mrs Odell’s wedding and Nurse Adrian. While they aren’t the biggest I think they hold a lot more about society in them. Mrs Odell’s wedding is a cause of upset for Laurie who honestly doesn’t like the man she’s marrying. She’s his mum and Mr Straike well, bit of a prick. But the moments between Mrs Odell and Laurie about the contention are so well done. Tense but heartfelt, they really give a mother-son relationship that you can enjoy.
Nurse Adrian is unusual because it plays a larger role into society expectations. Laurie and her get along well and he kind of gets this idea that he should just marry her because that’s what should happen. Even though it would be unfair maybe he kind of just should. And the expectation of society is obviously that homosexuality is wrong and man marries woman etc. And even Ralph kind of plays into that with his mentioning that he tried women for a couple of years. Like just because it would be easier in the navy if he went along with it all. It’s kind of horrific but I can see the truth in it.
Honestly though one of my favourite things was this idea of the hidden queer society. The wording of everything is so delicate and filled with allusions as it couldn’t be spoke about freely. So we get hidden parties and mention that they are good friends and that other places like this exist. It’s all cryptic so that people couldn’t persecute them for being gay. It was just incredible how everything was worded so precisely so that it was obvious but not overtly. I just can’t wrap my head around how much has changed. Like this was a time not that long ago and secrets came hand-in-hand with being gay, more so than they do now. I just feel it provides a real insight into how life would have been back then and it feels so real and angsty and I love it.
This book should be read by more people for reals. It’s just so beautifully written and the Charioteer motif which I think is really interesting crops up repeatedly and it never feels out of place. I just need a movie or something of this. It could be excellent. In my eyes if you are gonna read queer fiction this is one that you should read purely because it is now over half a century old. I haven’t read any of the more stereotypical classics but I feel this should become one because it is a stunning look at society, expectations and how love is harder than it looks.
Mary Renault’s writing I will say this was absolutely magnificent. While chapters have a tendency to be enormous they are woven with intricately worded metaphors and beautifully constructed phrases that I highlighted many of. As a book from the 50′s there is a difference in the writing and the style was at times hard to get to grips with, it still read for the most part easily. There were some bits that I just couldn’t quite wrap my head around but it hardly diminished the excellence of the book.
The Love Triangle aspect of the book is of note for never feeling forced or tedious. It’s kind of an interesting structure, Renault leads you down one path to see it’s side then takes you down the other to explore that one, then a third path appears trying to lead you back to the others. And it’s phenomenal. She makes a love triangle where I was constantly changing my mind and I could never work out who Laurie was going to pick.
That’s it for non-spoilers so yeah beware spoilers ahead.
Laurie is a weird guy, he is self-assured but not totally confident and he’s comfortable and rarely strays from it. But he was so good. I loved Laurie. He just seemed like a guy who was getting by with his injury and the emotions he struggled with. He seems an overthinker and slightly on the anxious side of things he is relatable to this day.
Ralph on the other hand is mister extrovert. He is so comfortable and so fun. He’s kind of more wild than Laurie even if he is the senior of the two. But as it is frequently brought up in the closing act of the book he is a control freak. He tries to sort out everyone’s lives only to cause disturbances wherever he goes.
Andrew. Precious Andrew. He is a delicate flower. Young and kind he really doesn’t know himself at all. He has belief’s and that’s about it. But eventually we see him grow slightly as a person and learning to accept himself in a time when homosexuality was exceptionally taboo.
I just kind of want to go through some of my favourite moments. So let’s do that shall we. Andrew and Laurie’s weird little date things. Whenever they left the hospital for their rendezvous it made me a little happy. It was just so cute to see them build a relationship from their little adventures. They just spoke so freely and you could feel an intensity between them.
Favourite moment of them has to be the kiss though. By my recollection it is the only written kiss in the entire book. It is quick and it is sweet and it stole my heart. I was so sold on Andrew because of the cuteness of it all. They come down from this argument and act on their feelings only for a moment but it was a golden moment.
Touching on the argument though brought about by Charlot’s ailing. I was at a loss during that scene. Charlot was a minor, minor character but my heart broke as he deteriorated. The fact he only recognised Laurie was painful and even when Laurie made a bit of an ass of himself in front of Andrew it was incredible.
Ralph and Laurie’s first scene at the school was impeccable. It really kind of sets up the book and their relationship of slight unequals. It was a really kind of intimate scene you wouldn’t expect and the tenderness is there already. The passing of the book is symbolic and really came full circle by the end. When Laurie gave the book to Dave to Andrew I melted. Because when Ralph gave it to Laurie he still needed to find himself and now he’s passed it on because he has. I was like dying it was perfect.
The Ralph-Laurie reunion is impressively marred by Alec and Sandy. Sandy’s instability is a recurring theme in the book and the party kind of illustrated that. But the connection between Ralph and Laurie is still apparent. And whenever they were in the car together you just kind of get some sexual tension vibes.
The ending scenes were all a mess of me feeling to many things. Andrew leaving threw me for a loop but then Laurie goes to see him. But he talks to Dave and decides not to see him but to tell him the truth to pass onto Andrew. And Dave gets it which I really liked. And then Laurie finds out it wasn’t Ralph who went to Andrew and ruined everything, it was Bunny. Bunny man I hate him. He is such a prick, he almost ruins everything. But then Alec tells Laurie and Laurie is running to Ralph. And he’s reading that letter and I thought he was dead but no it’s fine. We get the kind of reunion after their argument about everything and it’s left there but it’s so happy. That last section moves fast and I loved the ending. Such a perfect way to end the story.
Underlying storylines I haven’t touched on most prominently for me are Mrs Odell’s wedding and Nurse Adrian. While they aren’t the biggest I think they hold a lot more about society in them. Mrs Odell’s wedding is a cause of upset for Laurie who honestly doesn’t like the man she’s marrying. She’s his mum and Mr Straike well, bit of a prick. But the moments between Mrs Odell and Laurie about the contention are so well done. Tense but heartfelt, they really give a mother-son relationship that you can enjoy.
Nurse Adrian is unusual because it plays a larger role into society expectations. Laurie and her get along well and he kind of gets this idea that he should just marry her because that’s what should happen. Even though it would be unfair maybe he kind of just should. And the expectation of society is obviously that homosexuality is wrong and man marries woman etc. And even Ralph kind of plays into that with his mentioning that he tried women for a couple of years. Like just because it would be easier in the navy if he went along with it all. It’s kind of horrific but I can see the truth in it.
Honestly though one of my favourite things was this idea of the hidden queer society. The wording of everything is so delicate and filled with allusions as it couldn’t be spoke about freely. So we get hidden parties and mention that they are good friends and that other places like this exist. It’s all cryptic so that people couldn’t persecute them for being gay. It was just incredible how everything was worded so precisely so that it was obvious but not overtly. I just can’t wrap my head around how much has changed. Like this was a time not that long ago and secrets came hand-in-hand with being gay, more so than they do now. I just feel it provides a real insight into how life would have been back then and it feels so real and angsty and I love it.
This book should be read by more people for reals. It’s just so beautifully written and the Charioteer motif which I think is really interesting crops up repeatedly and it never feels out of place. I just need a movie or something of this. It could be excellent. In my eyes if you are gonna read queer fiction this is one that you should read purely because it is now over half a century old. I haven’t read any of the more stereotypical classics but I feel this should become one because it is a stunning look at society, expectations and how love is harder than it looks.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
[COMENTÁRIO]
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Charioteer
Mary Renault
O final dos anos 40, início dos anos 50, foi um momento de particular produção literária sobre temática LGBTQIA+ na literatura anglófona. "A Cidade e o Pilar" de Gore Vidal, "O quarto de Giovanni" de James Baldwin e "Carol" de Patricia Highsmith são, a par com "The Charioteer" de Mary Renault, exemplos dessa produção, literariamente importante, nascida do pós-guerra.
Neste caso estamos perante uma novela histórica que se passa no Reino Unido durante a II Guerra Mundial. Acompanhamos a história de um jovem, de seu nome Laurie Odell, que serviu como militar na guerra e que se encontra internado a convalescer num dos muitos hospitais que se criaram durante o conflito.
Estamos perante um livro onde questões relacionadas como a homossexualidade, as normas sociais e o impacto da guerra nos indivíduos são tratados com acuidade.
Um dos pontos fortes do liveo é a capacidade da autora de retratar com brilhantismo as personagens e as suas múltiplas relações. Neste caso em particular Laurie Odell é retratado, na intensa luta interior em torno da sua sexualidade e das expectativas sociais com que lida, muitas vezes, num processo em que o "armário" é uma constante presença.
Assim o livro apresenta com alguma crueza as normas sociais e culturais que demonstram a discriminação de que são alvo as pessoas homossexuais no final dos anos quarenta. Renault retrata, de um modo vivido e intenso, as dificuldades que Laurie e outros gays enfrentam numa sociedade que os encara como desviantes e imorais.
Será de salientar que a própria se auto exila na África do Sul, com a sua companheira.
(li de 08/06/2022 a 18/06/2022)
#livro #literatura #leitor #leitores #leitura #literaturabritânica #lerLGBTI #lgbti #queer #queerbook #queerliterature #pride
#book #bookstagram #bookclub #bookstagramportugal #bookworm #booknerd #bookaddict #booklover
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Charioteer
Mary Renault
O final dos anos 40, início dos anos 50, foi um momento de particular produção literária sobre temática LGBTQIA+ na literatura anglófona. "A Cidade e o Pilar" de Gore Vidal, "O quarto de Giovanni" de James Baldwin e "Carol" de Patricia Highsmith são, a par com "The Charioteer" de Mary Renault, exemplos dessa produção, literariamente importante, nascida do pós-guerra.
Neste caso estamos perante uma novela histórica que se passa no Reino Unido durante a II Guerra Mundial. Acompanhamos a história de um jovem, de seu nome Laurie Odell, que serviu como militar na guerra e que se encontra internado a convalescer num dos muitos hospitais que se criaram durante o conflito.
Estamos perante um livro onde questões relacionadas como a homossexualidade, as normas sociais e o impacto da guerra nos indivíduos são tratados com acuidade.
Um dos pontos fortes do liveo é a capacidade da autora de retratar com brilhantismo as personagens e as suas múltiplas relações. Neste caso em particular Laurie Odell é retratado, na intensa luta interior em torno da sua sexualidade e das expectativas sociais com que lida, muitas vezes, num processo em que o "armário" é uma constante presença.
Assim o livro apresenta com alguma crueza as normas sociais e culturais que demonstram a discriminação de que são alvo as pessoas homossexuais no final dos anos quarenta. Renault retrata, de um modo vivido e intenso, as dificuldades que Laurie e outros gays enfrentam numa sociedade que os encara como desviantes e imorais.
Será de salientar que a própria se auto exila na África do Sul, com a sua companheira.
(li de 08/06/2022 a 18/06/2022)
#livro #literatura #leitor #leitores #leitura #literaturabritânica #lerLGBTI #lgbti #queer #queerbook #queerliterature #pride
#book #bookstagram #bookclub #bookstagramportugal #bookworm #booknerd #bookaddict #booklover
*first review of the year yay!*
So, it really was an impressive book, considering that its was published in 1953. The ending was sure very moving and many of their dialogues or the Laurie's monologues were impressive, the writer's ideas are admirable. But to be honest, that's all. The plot didn't exactly please me and it was too obvious that there was a distance between me and the characters. Some of the disadvantages were probably caused by the translation, as I was reading the greek translated version, but still, I've read better. It was very good, though, but not what I expected (and I had some very high expectations).
So, it really was an impressive book, considering that its was published in 1953. The ending was sure very moving and many of their dialogues or the Laurie's monologues were impressive, the writer's ideas are admirable. But to be honest, that's all. The plot didn't exactly please me and it was too obvious that there was a distance between me and the characters. Some of the disadvantages were probably caused by the translation, as I was reading the greek translated version, but still, I've read better. It was very good, though, but not what I expected (and I had some very high expectations).
challenging
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So I almost forgot that I read this. Then I remembered why I forgot, and it's because it hasn't aged especially well. I don't know, I can see why people like it but I just couldn't get over the sort of villainization (not a real word apparently) of certain characters and the weird undercurrents that are just ingrained there because of when it was written. The whole 'feminine gay men are the baddies/toxic ones' vibe was just getting too overbearing and I honestly can't recall if I finished it and I'm sure that my reasoning was a bit more nuanced than that. I know Mary Renault was an important figure to gay lit but this and the Persian Boy being about a literal child with an adult man continues to rub me the wrong way. It's all fair to enjoy the old classics for what they are but at a certain point I have to give it up. There are plenty of other things I could be slogging through and if I can throw Wilde away for antisemitism without missing him a bit I can certainly avoid Renault for old-fashioned homophobia.
I wish I'd liked this more. Unfortunately the writing tended to be so vague and opaque, with characters having these major reactions to innocuous-sounding statements which I had to read several times over to even begin to understand. So much is only alluded to indirectly. And I suppose that's probably how it was at a time when queer relationships couldn't be spoken about openly, but I am a simple being. My brain really doesn't work that way. I had a hard time with many parts of this book.
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Before reading this, I was aware of Renault's views on queer identity: though a lesbian, she was against the gay pride movement, and believed we should blend in as much as possible with straight society. I have read many of her historical novels, and in these, this view is not particularly evident, but The Charioteer is driven by it. It is the story of Laurie, a young gay man who is convalescing from wounds from Dunkirk, who meets two men he loves: Andrew, a young Quaker who has no idea that he is gay, and Ralph, a former school-mate of Laurie's, who has had many queer encounters.
While Laurie, Ralph and Andrew, are nuanced characters, queer culture is only ever viewed in a negative light. To be a good queer, in this book, you must not allow yourself to identify with it too strongly, you must not participate in gay society, and you must not complain about your lack of rights or place in society. Laurie, who has had little contact with gay people, in considered unspoiled, and wants to preserve this. He is unwilling to tell Andrew, who he loves, anything about himself or his affections, because he is afraid of ruining him. Ralph, who is jaded, acts as Renault's mouth-piece to voice her negative views of gay culture. He hates the parties he goes to, the casual sex, and any sign of a person being effeminate or not rigorously manly.
While Renault's acceptance of Laurie as queer, and the reasonably happy ending, was probably revolutionary when this book was published in 1959, for the modern lesbian reader, this book is disappointing. Renault offers no alternatives to her view that queers should be at best repressed, and at worst self- hating, and that an early understanding of being gay ruins young people's lives. Naturally this makes the narrative feels closed and bleak.
That said, her writing about place and people is as beautiful as in her historical novels, and she maintains a wonderful ability to evoke place and time. As well as that, her descriptions of wounded men and conscientious objectors are compassionate, thoughtful, and subtle. As a novel about disability: Laurie's struggle with his leg, Ralph's with his hand, this succeeds, and for that I enjoyed it.
While Laurie, Ralph and Andrew, are nuanced characters, queer culture is only ever viewed in a negative light. To be a good queer, in this book, you must not allow yourself to identify with it too strongly, you must not participate in gay society, and you must not complain about your lack of rights or place in society. Laurie, who has had little contact with gay people, in considered unspoiled, and wants to preserve this. He is unwilling to tell Andrew, who he loves, anything about himself or his affections, because he is afraid of ruining him. Ralph, who is jaded, acts as Renault's mouth-piece to voice her negative views of gay culture. He hates the parties he goes to, the casual sex, and any sign of a person being effeminate or not rigorously manly.
While Renault's acceptance of Laurie as queer, and the reasonably happy ending, was probably revolutionary when this book was published in 1959, for the modern lesbian reader, this book is disappointing. Renault offers no alternatives to her view that queers should be at best repressed, and at worst self- hating, and that an early understanding of being gay ruins young people's lives. Naturally this makes the narrative feels closed and bleak.
That said, her writing about place and people is as beautiful as in her historical novels, and she maintains a wonderful ability to evoke place and time. As well as that, her descriptions of wounded men and conscientious objectors are compassionate, thoughtful, and subtle. As a novel about disability: Laurie's struggle with his leg, Ralph's with his hand, this succeeds, and for that I enjoyed it.
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes