British author Alan Hollinghurst has won the Booker Prize, one of the world's most prestigious literary awards, for his critically acclaimed gay novel "The Line of Beauty."
CNN Story
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[ October 20, 2004, 09:38 AM: Message edited by: bobby78751 ]
Full Version: Gay novel wins literary prize
I had already sent that story to my partner who is also an Oxford alumnus, and rarely reads "gay" fiction. I wonder if he will now make this one of his exceptions.
[ October 20, 2004, 09:52 AM: Message edited by: sportinlife ]
[ October 20, 2004, 09:52 AM: Message edited by: sportinlife ]
Hollinghurst's first novel, The Swimming-Pool Library, is excellent and so beautifully and movingly written. I didn't like A Folding Star as much. The Spell presents the scenario of four vivid characters dealing with desire and loss. Hollinghurst is definitely one of the leading contemporary writers in Britain. I'm very glad he won and highly recommend his work.
My Dad turned me on to "SPL" when it first came out and I enjoyed most of it, except for what I read as an excessive emphasis on abusive, quasi-violent sex. In this, it was akin to Vidal's "City & The Pillar," for which it was much criticized upon its publication. I will look for "LOB" and hope it doesn't disappoint.
BTW, the antics at the "Corinthian" in "SPL" could easily occur at the NYAC, DAC, TOC or any other prestigious American men's city club - and I know firsthand that some of them have! eek!
BTW, the antics at the "Corinthian" in "SPL" could easily occur at the NYAC, DAC, TOC or any other prestigious American men's city club - and I know firsthand that some of them have! eek!
The article on this book in today's Globe and Mail mentioned that Hollinghurst's first novel, The Swimming Pool Library, was ranked #34 on the Publishing Triangle's list of 100 greatest gay & lesbian novels.
This raised 2 questions in my mind.
1: What do we call a 'gay novel?' Is it a novel written by a LGBT author? One with LGBT subject matter? Or both? (For example, Alice Walker's The Color Purple appears on the list... but I think many would consider it an African-American novel, or an American novel, or a Women's novel before calling it a Lesbian & Gay novel. But I suppose it could be considered an LGBT novel due to its slight lesbian content, and the sexuality of its author.)
2: What is this 100 best list?
Publishing Triangle's 100 best lesbian and gay novels.
Top 10:
1. Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
2. Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
3. Our Lady of the Flowers by Jean Genet
4. Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust
5. The Immoralist by Andre Gide
6. Orlando by Virginia Woolf
7. The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall
8. Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig
9. The Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar
10. Zami by Audré Lorde
'Visitors' top 10 list:
1. The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren (PNW is a frequent contributor to Outsports & was a guest speaker at the Outsports convention in '03)
2. The Hours by Michael Cunningham
3. The Charioteer by Mary Renault
4. Like People in History by Felice Picano
5. Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden
6. A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham
7. Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
8. The Lost Language of Cranes by David Leavitt
9. Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim
10. The Object of My Affection by Stephen McCauley
[ October 20, 2004, 12:54 PM: Message edited by: canmark ]
This raised 2 questions in my mind.
1: What do we call a 'gay novel?' Is it a novel written by a LGBT author? One with LGBT subject matter? Or both? (For example, Alice Walker's The Color Purple appears on the list... but I think many would consider it an African-American novel, or an American novel, or a Women's novel before calling it a Lesbian & Gay novel. But I suppose it could be considered an LGBT novel due to its slight lesbian content, and the sexuality of its author.)
2: What is this 100 best list?
Publishing Triangle's 100 best lesbian and gay novels.
Top 10:
1. Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
2. Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
3. Our Lady of the Flowers by Jean Genet
4. Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust
5. The Immoralist by Andre Gide
6. Orlando by Virginia Woolf
7. The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall
8. Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig
9. The Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar
10. Zami by Audré Lorde
'Visitors' top 10 list:
1. The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren (PNW is a frequent contributor to Outsports & was a guest speaker at the Outsports convention in '03)
2. The Hours by Michael Cunningham
3. The Charioteer by Mary Renault
4. Like People in History by Felice Picano
5. Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden
6. A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham
7. Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
8. The Lost Language of Cranes by David Leavitt
9. Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim
10. The Object of My Affection by Stephen McCauley
[ October 20, 2004, 12:54 PM: Message edited by: canmark ]
I would fully agree with the "Visitors" List of top 100...not so sure on the other list 
IMHO, I would think that a LGBT novel would be about LGBT subject matter or character. Just because an author is LGBT, doesn't make the novel such. Clive Barker for example, I would consider only a few (if any) of his novels/stories as LGBT.
It looks as though I am a bit behind on my reading list.
Jeffrey
IMHO, I would think that a LGBT novel would be about LGBT subject matter or character. Just because an author is LGBT, doesn't make the novel such. Clive Barker for example, I would consider only a few (if any) of his novels/stories as LGBT.
It looks as though I am a bit behind on my reading list.
Jeffrey
Alan Hollinghurst will be giving a reading and be interviewed at the International Festival of Authors in Toronto on October 28 & 29, respectively.
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