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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Video review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGrMx5NOEQE&ab_channel=MarcNash
dark
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
sad
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
“He hated other people to imagine that they understood his mind because he was a boy.”
What begins as a Burtonesque, quaint, coming-of-age story slowly becomes a boring tale of a precocious child and his perverted holiday. As a fan of perversion, my interest was quickly piqued, but as a hater of a precocious child, I was immediately tuned out. Welch writes beautifully, describing in sometimes too much detail Orvil's surroundings and actions, down to the last bead of sweat on Lady Winkle's forehead. I think that In Youth is Pleasure suffers greatly from the era it was released- I see it hailed as a queer classic, but I found very little subtle, let alone overt, queer aspects to the novel. Sure, Orvil's a little screwy and he puts on makeup, but I know straight's who wear makeup and act weird. Knowing the author, though, makes this seem a little more gay than it actually is. I was expecting something a little more yearning, a little more open, but this was very, very closeted homosexuality, if any at all.
As someone not too far removed from Orvil's age, the intense, awkward pursuit of sexuality and the immense curiosity it holds is portrayed so excellently by Welch, it's almost sickening. Orvil is super scummy and creepy, with that type of intense, unknown lust that only a fifteen-year-old possesses. I have seen a lot of people cite In Youth as a disturbing, near-horror story, and I do find it to hold more of those qualities than coming of age. I feel like a coming of age story usually has a lesson- Orvil learns no lesson, he simply floats through some icky situations (and puts himself in just as many). Things were just a little too ethereal for me to fully grasp what Welch was trying to say about growing up and being queer at this time. It must be an acquired taste.
As someone not too far removed from Orvil's age, the intense, awkward pursuit of sexuality and the immense curiosity it holds is portrayed so excellently by Welch, it's almost sickening. Orvil is super scummy and creepy, with that type of intense, unknown lust that only a fifteen-year-old possesses. I have seen a lot of people cite In Youth as a disturbing, near-horror story, and I do find it to hold more of those qualities than coming of age. I feel like a coming of age story usually has a lesson- Orvil learns no lesson, he simply floats through some icky situations (and puts himself in just as many). Things were just a little too ethereal for me to fully grasp what Welch was trying to say about growing up and being queer at this time. It must be an acquired taste.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Welch captures that prurient danger of the Russian roulette-esque risk of being aroused by someone who either reciprocates or violently rebukes.
Queer boys are like antelopes falling for lions.
The publisher, Open Road Integrated Media, reached out to me with this book as I’d previously read Jane Bowles’ Two Serious Ladies, and she is even mentioned in this work.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hesitant at first as Bowles’ work was very well written but I just didn’t like the characters. Thankfully, Welch’s characters were a bit more accessible for me. This is two shorter stories so I’ve separated my response into two parts. The publisher provided a copy of this book and I received no compensation for my honest opinion.
The one over-arching them the two pieces have in common is the idea of sexuality, specifically homosexuality, before it was commonly talked about and/or accepted. I tried (aka did a brief google search) to find out about Welch’s sexuality, but again this was a long time ago before our out and proud mantras of today. Welch died young, he was only 33, and there is only speculation outside of his written works which in today’s society seem pretty explicit. Regardless, I enjoyed both of these snippets of the past for completely different reasons.
Continue reading on my book blog at geoffwhaley.com.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hesitant at first as Bowles’ work was very well written but I just didn’t like the characters. Thankfully, Welch’s characters were a bit more accessible for me. This is two shorter stories so I’ve separated my response into two parts. The publisher provided a copy of this book and I received no compensation for my honest opinion.
The one over-arching them the two pieces have in common is the idea of sexuality, specifically homosexuality, before it was commonly talked about and/or accepted. I tried (aka did a brief google search) to find out about Welch’s sexuality, but again this was a long time ago before our out and proud mantras of today. Welch died young, he was only 33, and there is only speculation outside of his written works which in today’s society seem pretty explicit. Regardless, I enjoyed both of these snippets of the past for completely different reasons.
Continue reading on my book blog at geoffwhaley.com.
I've been putting off reading Welch for a while because, due to various opinions I respect, my expectations have been raised to quite a significant level (the English Proust, you say?). This seems like a good place to start and while I enjoyed the book and was impressed by the writing, it never really became anything more than a charming tale of adolescence.
The story revolves around Orvil Pym, a fifteen year old boy who, for a few days in the summer holidays, leaves his boarding school to spend time in a hotel in Surrey with his father and two brothers (plus an additional trip down to Hastings). He never really feels connected to his brothers (especially the eldest, Charles) and finds himself wandering alone by the river or investigating abandoned buildings. He has various flights of fancy and creates a myriad of imagined scenarios (often self-indulgent and self-pitying) but ultimately feels dread at the idea of having to go back to school. Meanwhile the plot (such as it is) has a curious exploration of proto-sexual feelings, most of which are directed at the newlywed Aphra but which also seem to be aimed (subtly) in the opposite direction until a genuine sense of homoerotic tension is cultivated. It's very respectfully done and always maintains an ambiguous nature.
All in all, the book is very light and bounces along without ever offering anything too challenging. There are moments where you can really see why people have such a high opinion of Welch, where his prose becomes utterly drenched in metaphor and simile, with rich, inventive descriptions and clever analogies. It makes for a highly nourishing experience but, for me, it never quite hit the heights I was hoping for.
But I could see what people are talking about. The book is very charming and I look forward to reading more of his work. It's closer to a 3.9.
The story revolves around Orvil Pym, a fifteen year old boy who, for a few days in the summer holidays, leaves his boarding school to spend time in a hotel in Surrey with his father and two brothers (plus an additional trip down to Hastings). He never really feels connected to his brothers (especially the eldest, Charles) and finds himself wandering alone by the river or investigating abandoned buildings. He has various flights of fancy and creates a myriad of imagined scenarios (often self-indulgent and self-pitying) but ultimately feels dread at the idea of having to go back to school. Meanwhile the plot (such as it is) has a curious exploration of proto-sexual feelings, most of which are directed at the newlywed Aphra but which also seem to be aimed (subtly) in the opposite direction until a genuine sense of homoerotic tension is cultivated. It's very respectfully done and always maintains an ambiguous nature.
All in all, the book is very light and bounces along without ever offering anything too challenging. There are moments where you can really see why people have such a high opinion of Welch, where his prose becomes utterly drenched in metaphor and simile, with rich, inventive descriptions and clever analogies. It makes for a highly nourishing experience but, for me, it never quite hit the heights I was hoping for.
But I could see what people are talking about. The book is very charming and I look forward to reading more of his work. It's closer to a 3.9.
i hate male narrations but orvil is a cutie pie i will probably revisit this summer
I love that this is weird.
Really love the writing.
Really love the writing.