The thinly disguised story of hall s own life, it was banned outright upon publication and almost ruined her literary career. Radclyffe halls 1928 novel, the well of loneliness, follows the story of stephen gordon, an englishwoman from an upperclass family. Because of covid19 precautions, we are currently limiting book orders to one item per order to ensure that our warehouse team can work safely. Two years later she received the eichelbergher humane award. First published in 1928, this timeless portrayal of lesbian love is now a classic.
Hall was renowned for her open homosexuality, a subject dealt with in her bestknown novel, the well of loneliness 1928, a semiautobiographical work and the only one of her eight novels to. In 1928 radclyffe halls the well of loneliness, which got no more racy than she kissed her full on the lips like a lover, led to an obscenity trial. Radclyffe hall, the pen name of marguerite radclyffehall, was born in bournemouth on august 12, 1880. Halls first novel the unlit lamp 1924 was a lengthy and grim tale that proved hard to sell. Marguerite radclyffe hall was born on 12th august 1880, in bournemouth, england. Many times, cheap lesbian pulp, written and produced mostly by men, for men, said on their blurbs that their books were like something of the well of loneliness. The well of loneliness is a 1928 book written by radclyffe hall about homosexuality. The well of loneliness is a lesbian novel by british author radclyffe hall that was. It follows the life of stephen gordon, an englishwoman from an upperclass family whose sexual inversion that is, homosexuality is apparent from an early age. It contains no explicit sex scenes, yet in 1928, the year in which the novel was published, it was deemed obscene in a british court of law for its defense of sexual inversion and was forbidden for sale or import into england. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall goodreads. Radclyffe hall 1880 1943 was a british author best known for her semiautobiographical novel about a young womans coming to terms with her lesbian identity the book caused a furor when first published in england in 1928. Born marguerite radclyffehall in 1880, hall wrote eight novels, the most famous being the well of.
The well of loneliness vintage classics book pdf, epub ebook. The well of loneliness ebook written by radclyffe hall. The powersthatbe had decided that they did not like the novels unnatural offences hence the decision to prosecute. The well of loneliness radclyffe hall fromthedustybookshelf. Before the novel delves too far into modernism, it is apparent that it is hedging out the victorian. Marguerite radclyffe hall 18831943 was born in hampshire and educated at kings college cambridge. The well of loneliness is a 1928 lesbian novel by the english author radclyffe hall. Imagine growing up with people judging you and condemning you because you are some notquitedefinably. First published july 1928 in england by jonathan cape, the well was soon seized and criminalized for violating the obscene. Her mother may have battered her, while her father, a playboy known as rat, ignored her.
At bow street in london on 16 november 1928, miss radclyffe halls novel, the well of loneliness, found itself in the dock on a charge of obscenity. Radclyffe halls the well of loneliness, a candid, semiautobiographical novel about coming to terms with a lesbian identity, brought to the forefront the question of whether or not the frank portrayal of lesbianism in a book was grounds for charges of obscenity. A 1920s classic of lesbian fiction by radclyffe hall and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Book download the well of loneliness by radclyffe hall. Buy radclyffe hall ebooks to read online or download in pdf or epub on your pc, tablet or mobile device. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall, paperback. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall is a controversial novel that was banned at the time of its publication in 1928. Pdf the well of loneliness book by radclyffe hall free. The well of loneliness, describing the lesbian invert stephen, was banned on publication in 1928. Like for the sake of all the others who are like you, but less strong and less gifted perhaps, many of them, its up to you to have the courage to make good. The thinly disguised story of halls own life, it was banned outright upon publication and almost ruined her literary career.
Radclyffe halls the well of loneliness and modernist fictions of identity laura green in 1928, as she was preparing to appear as a defense witness in the prosecution of radclyffe halls novel the well of loneliness 1928 for obscenity,virginia woolf wrote in a letter. It became an international bestseller, and for decades was the single most famous lesbian novel. Originally published in 1928, radclyffe pdf halls the well of loneliness is the timeless story of a lesbian couples struggle to be accepted by polite society. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Free download or read online the well of loneliness pdf epub book. She was educated at kings college, london, and later undertook further studies in germany. Stephen is an ideal child of aristocratic parentsa fencer. She finds love with mary llewellyn, whom she meets while serving as an ambulance driver in world war i, but their. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall free ebooks. Soon after the new year, nine months later, stephens second novel was published. Radclyff hall to our three selves authors note all the characters in thi. Hall, with her novel, created a way for queer women to talk to other queer women without ever endangering them or creating suspicion. The well of loneliness kindle edition by hall, radclyffe. Signed limited edition, number 5 of 225 copies signed by radclyffe hall, printed on van gelder handmade paper.
In the modern era similar to now, you just looking because of your mobile phone and searching what their problem. Download in pdf the well of loneliness txt,pdf,epub. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall overdrive. A seminal banned classic kindle edition by hall, radclyffe. Also recognized with a lambda literary award, she lives in upstate new york. This early work by radclyffe hall was originally published in 1928 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. Halls novel the well of loneliness a gloomy account of the struggles of a congenital invert that even sympathetic writers such as virginia woolf struggled to defend artistically was put. Radclyffe hall at the well of loneliness internet archive. Octavo, original silverstamped cloth and paper boards, top edges gilt, uncut. Right now, choose your own personal ways to get more information about your. Please be aware this contains spoilers, read at your own risk. The well of loneliness vintage classics radclyffe hall read free online d0wnload epub. Sapphic books written before the well of loneliness duration. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall librarything.
In the drawing rooms of edwardian society, marguerite made a small name for herself as a poet and librettist. Published by radclyffe hall herself in 1928, it was immediately banned in britain due to its lesbian theme and was allowed in. The well of loneliness wordsworth classics mobi download. Hall was renowned for her open homosexuality, a subject dealt with in her bestknown novel, the well of loneliness 1928, a semiautobiographical work. The well of loneliness is a lesbian novel by british author radclyffe hall that was first published in 1928 by jonathan cape. Radclyffe halls the well of loneliness and modernist. The obscenity trial of miss radclyffe halls novel, the. Here is a momentin whichthe mobile formsof powerin the moderneraadapted to. The well of loneliness 2014 read online free book by. This novel was the first written by radclyffe hall, but it is so tragic that her. The well of loneliness is an engaging story that shows the challenges, indignities suffered and, yes, the loneliness of being gay, particularly at the time this book was written. Shockingly candid for its time, this novel was the very first to condemn homophobic society for its unfair treatment of gays and lesbians. The main characters of this fiction, lgbt story are stephen gordon.
She is best known for this novel, which was first published in 1928 with a foreword by havelock ellis. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the well of loneliness. The well of loneliness is a novel that follows an upperclass englishwoman who falls in love with another woman while serving as an ambulance driver in world war i. Her open treatment of lesbianism in the well of loneliness occasioned a. Radclyffe hall, the pen name of marguerite radclyffehall, was born in bournemouth on 12 august 1880. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 414 pages and is available in paperback format. In 1928, as she was preparing to appear as a defense witness in the prosecution of radclyffe halls novel the well of loneliness 1928 for obscenity, virginia woolf wrote in a. I n 1928, as she was preparing to appear as a defense witness in the pros ecution of radclyffe halls novel the well of loneliness 1928 for ob. She published five volumes of poetry and seven novels. Well of loneliness signed radclyffe hall bauman rare. Radclyffe hall is the pen name of marguerite radclyffehall 18801943, an english poet and novelist. The well of loneliness radclyffe hall compra livros ou ebook na. It has influenced how love between women is understood, for the twentieth century and beyond.
Radclyffe halls the well of loneliness and modernist fictions of identity. Radclyffe is the founder of the publishing house bold strokes books and a recipient of the 20032004 alice b. The novel is about stephen gordon, a young englishwoman who is a lesbian, in a time when acceptance of this lifestyle was nonexistent. The well of loneliness wordsworth classics mobi download book 16gmfk. Growing up, stephen is just like any other prewar aristocratic child. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the well of loneliness.
At this moment our thoughts center upon sapphismwe have. Hall again seems to be implying that lesbianism was not a rare and abnormal thing, but something much more common than society was prepared to acknowledge. The first thing i noticed about radclyffe halls the well of loneliness, was the beautiful descriptive exposition. It is perhaps the first coming out story published let me know of others, if im wrong, and sets down the pattern for that particularly kind of bildungsroman that many other coming out stories would follow, charting stephens life from. It follows the life of stephen gordon, an englishwoman from an upperclass family whose sexual inversion homosexuality is apparent from an early age. The well of loneliness is the story of stephen gordon, an aristocratic woman who prefers to dress in a masculine fashion, and who loves women. The first edition of the novel was published in 1928, and was written by radclyffe hall. Hall was renowned for her open homosexuality, a subject dealt with in her bestknown novel, the well of loneliness 1928, a semiautobiographical work and the only one of her eight novels to deal with overt lesbian themes. The novel tells the story of stephen gordon so named because. The well of loneliness addressed its themes in a subtle and completely nongraphic manner, and yet, shortly after its publication, copies of the book were seized. Descriptions of the english countryside, of london and of paris are some of the finest written in english. Go to the editions section to read or download ebooks. Selected prose 19661978 txt,pdf, epub download in pdf a little princess txt,pdf, epub download in pdf the well of loneliness txt,pdf, epub. Published by radclyffe hall herself in 1928, it was immediately banned in britain due to its lesbian theme and.