The Well of Loneliness
Radclyffe Hall (1880-1943)
Your comments
I have read many reviews of The Well Of Loneliness,
and I must say that mostly they are the reason it has taken
me so long to read this brilliant book. Even though I know
find many of the views outdated, I realise that we as modern
day lesbians have much to thank the dykes of the 70's for,
their political stance has paved the way for the life of relative
equality we find ourselves in today. But just as we must thank
and remember them for paving the way for us, so must they
look to Radclyffe Hall in her time for her bravery.
So the book has a gloomy outcome. Do all lesbian love stories
end in happiness then? Dickens
wrote about the poverty and harshness of the Victorian times
- do we lambaste him because he paints a reality we wouldn't
want to find ourselves in? Is that not what literature must
sometimes do?
I cannot imagine how it must have been for Radclyffe Hall
and lesbians of that time, but I imagine can that it was hard
to believe that you were not alone in the world, that you
were not a freak of nature. I can imagine that you might believe
you would never fine any sort of peace or happiness.
Having said all that, I do not think that The Well of Loneliness
is a book of total despondency, any more
than Tipping the Velvet was. What I find refreshing in both
books is the innocent discovery of both heroines
of the nature of themselves, and the sense that they do not
initially feel it to be wrong, that they bravely
follow a path set before them.
This book must be read with a consideration for the time
it was written, this consideration must not
only take into account the views of the moral majority,
but extend to the effect of those views and
that climate on the gay, lesbian and transgender people of
the time i.e. how they view themselves.
Read the book Gay, straight or Lesbian you may not like
all it stands for but it's a part of your
history and it's a great read.
This is the best book ever written!
If this book is one thing, it is long, however, I persevered
through it because, as a lesbian, I could identify with the
thoughts,feelings and experiences of the main character, Stephen.
Stephen just wants to live her life as we all do. She wants
to pursue her interests, love another person who just happens
to be of the same sex as she, and most importantly, she wants
basic privacy and respect as a person. This was a very tough
order in the early 20th century and is sometimes a tough order
still. The disgust and feelings of superiority of the "normal"
heterosexuals toward homosexuals still abounds. Homosexuality
is now spoken of more often but it is still stigmatized. This
book was banned because it even dared to speak of lesbianism
despite the fact that there is no sexual narrative in it at
all, save tame references to kissing, dancing and holding.
Stephen's love life is marred with the mistakes that we all
make (e.g. loving the wrong people and being loved by those
that we don't love in return).
It took great courage for Radclyffe Hall to write this book,
especially in light of the times that it was written. I do
not agree with the previous reviewer that this is the best
book ever written but I am glad that I have read it just to
know that my thoughts, experiences and foibles have been shared
by another human being.
I absolutely adored this book, the narrative was wonderful
and the emotions so true to life. The characters are very
interesting, and unlike some I really enjoy the wonderfully
written lengthy descriptive text. Being a lover of period
work, it is lovely to read something of that era that as a
lesbian I can also relate to. If she was still here she would
be a star.
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