A review by abigailbat
The New Life by Tom Crewe

challenging dark emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Loosely inspired by actual people, this novel tells the story of two men who endeavored to publish a book normalizing homosexual behavior in 1890s England. At the time, being gay and the acts of male homosexual sex could get you sent to prison and doing hard labor. This book (which actually existed) set out to argue against criminalizing something that is part of some people’s natures. Although the book is definitely a huge bummer, it was eye opening to read. This is a important part of history (however we might not like that to be true). Through novelizing the story, the author is able to humanize the characters, both extremely flawed. It’s well worth a read for anyone interested in queer history.
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