Radclyffe hall, also known as marguerite radclyffe hall, marguerite radclyffehall born august 12, 1880 in christchurch, england died october 6, 1943 in london, england was a british writer. Published by radclyffe hall herself in 1928, it was immediately banned in britain due to its lesbian theme and was allowed in the united states only after a long court battle. The main characters of this fiction, lgbt story are stephen gordon. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall free ebooks. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Feb 05, 20 radclyffe hall, the well of loneliness 1928 radclyffe hall. First published in 1928, this timeless portrayal of lesbian love is now a classic. Publication date 1928 topics lesbians publisher new york, covici friede. Sep 26, 20 radclyffe hall s 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. The novel tells the story of stephen gordon so named because. Originally published in 1928, radclyffe hall s the well of loneliness is the timeless story of a lesbian couple pdfs struggle to be accepted by polite society. Like woolf, hall created female protagonists who are artists a saturday life or writers the well of loneliness, whose thwarted ambitions include an oxbridge education the unlit lamp, who may challenge conventional gender expectations the unlit lamp, the well of loneliness, and whose lives are shaped by powerful although in halls case. She finds love with mary llewellyn, whom she meets while serving as an ambulance driver in world war i, but their. Woolf in time and space publication of the well of loneliness.
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. Other articles where the well of loneliness is discussed. Hall was renowned for her open homosexuality, a subject dealt with in her bestknown novel, the well of loneliness 1928, a semiautobiographical. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall overdrive. To morton hall came the lady anna gordon as a bride of just over twenty. The novels exploration of lesbianism and the taboo nature of homosexuality led to a vehement backlash from some quarters of english society. The novel is about stephen gordon, a young englishwoman who is a lesbian, in a time when acceptance of this lifestyle was nonexistent. Her book is an absorbingly wellwritten series of pictures of her work and that of those she has gathered around her connection with the catholic worker, its. Free download or read online the well of loneliness pdf epub book. The well of loneliness tells the story of tomboyish stephen, who hunts, wears trousers and cuts her hair short and who gradually comes to realise that she is attracted to women. Editor charlotte knight takes us behind the scenes to explore the controversial publication of radclyffe halls landmark lesbian novel, the well. The long loneliness ebook 9780062796677 by dorothy day.
Sir charles byron, bow street magistrate, yesterday adjudged obscene miss radclyffe halls book the well of loneliness, which has been the object of much discussion and litigation since its publication last summer. The trial of radclyffe hall and virginia woolfs exquisite case for the freedom of speech writers produce literature, and they cannot produce great literature until they have free minds. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall overdrive rakuten. The obscenity trial of miss radclyffe halls novel, the. Jan 07, 2014 buy the well of loneliness wordsworth classics. Stephen is a lesbian but, growing up, doesnt know what she. Marguerite radclyffehall was born on the south coast of england. Like for the sake of all the others who are like you, but less strong and less gifted perhaps, many of them. 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. The silent novel in radclyffe halls groundbreaking the well of. As a man loved a woman, that was how i lovedit was good, good. Shockingly candid for its time, this novel was the very first to condemn homophobic society for its unfair treatment of gays and lesbians.
The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall, paperback. Quotes from the well of loneliness radclyffe hall january 25, 2010 june 27, 2018 geoff w the subtlety, the craftiness of that question which. The well of loneliness the radclyffe hall novel at times referred to as the bible of lesbianism was released in britain in 1928 and was immediately controversial. Maureen duffy was born in 1933 and educated at kings college london.
Lee the well of loneliness por radclyff hall disponible en rakuten kobo. Radclyffe halls the well of loneliness, a candid, semiautobiographical novel about coming to terms with a lesbian identity, brought to the. Lesbian novel was danger to nation uk news the guardian. Halls first novel the unlit lamp 1924 was a lengthy and grim tale that proved hard to sell. The well of loneliness, by radclyffe hall chapter nineteen through the long years of life that followed after, bringing with them their dreams and disillusions, their joys and sorrows, their fulfilments and frustrations, stephen was never to forget this summer when she fell quite simply and naturally in love, in accordance with the dictates of.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Read the well of loneliness by radclyffe hall available from rakuten kobo. In 1928, british author radclyffe hall published a novel about a lesbian relationship, a topic that was considered immoral in britains culture. All the characters in this book are purely imaginary, and if the author has used names that may suggest a reference to living persons, she has done so inadvertently. The main character in the well of loneliness, published in 1928, is stephen gordon so named because her parents had expected a boy.
As a man loved a woman, that was how i lovedit was good, good, good stephen is an ideal child of aristocratic parent. Halls novel caused a quasirevolution of its own upon publication. Her mother may have battered her, while her father, a playboy known as rat, ignored her. Animals and radclyffe halls the well of loneliness by. The well of loneliness 2014 read online free book by. Radclyffe hall, the pen name of marguerite radclyffehall, was born in bournemouth on august 12, 1880.
Not very far from uptononsevern between it, in fact, and the malvern hills stands the country seat of the gordons of bramley. It follows the life of stephen gordon, an englishwoman from an upperclass family whose sexual inversion homosexuality is apparent from an early age. Feb 23, 2016 bow street, london radclyffe halls the well of loneliness was published in 1928 to much outrage. The novel has become a groundbreaking work in lesbian literature. The well of loneliness ebook by radclyffe hall rakuten kobo. Originally published in 1928, radclyffe halls the well of loneliness is the timeless story of a lesbian couple pdfs struggle to be accepted by polite society. The well of loneliness isbn 9780141191836 pdf epub.
Radclyffe hall biography, birth date, birth place and pictures. The well of loneliness is a 1928 lesbian novel by the english author radclyffe hall. She became a fulltime writer in the 1960s, and has since written numerous screenplays, poetry and novels. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 414 pages and is available in paperback format. Lady una troubridge, the life and death of radclyffe hall london. 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. The well of loneliness is a lesbian novel by british author radclyffe hall that was first published in 1928 by jonathan cape. Both the well of loneliness and the unlit lamp end in tragedy and radclyffe hall is apparently unable to do happy endings or to dissemble. A powerful novel of love between women, the well of loneliness brought about the most famous legal trial for obscenity in the history of british law. The first edition of the novel was published in 1928, and was written by radclyffe hall.
Woolf in time and space publication of the well of. Reading and reassessing the construction of gender and. London, english writer whose novel the well of loneliness 1928 created a scandal and was banned for a time in britain for its treatment of lesbianism. Quotes from the well of loneliness radclyffe hall the. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall free mobi epub ebooks download. Charting her romantic and professional adventures during the first world war and beyond, the novel provoked a furore on first publication in 1928 for its lesbian. Apr 02, 2020 not very far from uptononsevern between it, in fact, and the malvern hills stands the country seat of the gordons of bramley.
Pronounced obscene following a sensational trial, the book has become a cultural icon as well as a source of considerable debate, especially among feminists, lesbians, and transgendered persons. Hall wrote many books but is best known for the well of loneliness, first published in 1928. In the drawing rooms of edwardian society, marguerite made a small name for herself as a poet and librettist. The english writer radclyffe hall 18801943 is best known for her lesbian novel the well of loneliness 1928. The well of loneliness download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. The gay rights movement has certainly accomplished a lot since the well of loneliness was written, hasnt it, but i think the book still has things in it that are relevant to gay struggles today, just about. Marguerite radclyffehall, preferred to be called john. How to fight loneliness and win by barbara powell and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The history and legacy surrounding the well of loneliness, the. Internet archive contributor internet archive language english.
The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall, paperback barnes. Radclyffe hall quotes author of the well of loneliness. Download or read radclyffe hall at the well of loneliness book by clicking button below to visit the book download website. As her ambitions drive her, and society confines her, stephen is forced into desperate actions. 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. Pdf the well of loneliness book by radclyffe hall free. Radclyffe hall born marguerite radclyffe hall on 12 august 1880 7 october 1943 was an english poet and author, best known for the novel the well of loneliness. She is most famous today for the well of loneliness which she wrote in 1928. The well of loneliness was banned for obscenity when published in 1928.
Like woolf, hall created female protagonists who are artists a saturday life or writers the well of loneliness, whose thwarted ambitions include an oxbridge education the unlit lamp, who may challenge conventional gender expectations the unlit lamp, the well of loneliness, and whose lives are shaped by powerful although in hall s case. The powersthatbe had decided that they did not like the novels unnatural offences hence the decision to prosecute. Stephen grows to be a war hero, a bestselling writer and a loyal, protective lover. How to be alone but not lonely gives christian advice on how to find comfort in knowing god understands our deepest times of loneliness. It was only published following the success of the much lighter social comedy the forge 1924, which made the epub bestseller list of john olondons weekly.
Court cases led to the book being banned in both the united kingdom and the united states. Radclyffe hall is best known as the author of the controversial lesbian novel, the well of loneliness. Radclyffe hall, also known as marguerite radclyffe hall, marguerite radclyffe hall born august 12, 1880 in christchurch, england died october 6, 1943 in london, england was a british writer. A novel about lesbian love congenital inverts the book was suppresed both here and in the u. But the reality is we can feel so lonely, so separated, so isolated, and thinking no one really understands. Radclyffe hall at the well of loneliness by lovat dickson book resume. Rare books by radclyffe hall, including first edition and signed first edition copies of the well of loneliness and the master of the house. 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. Recently the universe conspired that i would be reading radclyffe halls the well of loneliness while preparing to give a lecture on judith butler, whose book gender trouble revolutionized gender theory when it was published in 1990. Jan 25, 2010 quotes from the well of loneliness radclyffe hall january 25, 2010 june 27, 2018 geoff w the subtlety, the craftiness of that question which in common decency could have but one answer. Radclyffe halls 1928 novel the well of loneliness was subjected to a vicious campaign of attack led by the sunday express for its depiction of. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall goodreads.
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. The well of loneliness is a 1928 lesbian novel by the british author radclyffe hall. Hall was prepared for the attention the publication of the well of loneliness was likely to draw to her own sexual orientation. The judgment was given on a summons to show cause why seized. She died in 1943 and is buried in highgate cemetery in london. Halls was labeled as obscene and then banned, while woolfs was praised, and brought her both critical and financial success.
She was educated at kings college, london, and later undertook further studies in germany. She is angry, bitter and twisted and she wants the world to know it. Published by radclyffe hall herself in 1928, it was immediately banned in britain due to its lesbian theme and. There are multiple format available for you to choose pdf, epub, doc. Buy the well of loneliness by radclyffe hall online at alibris. Nov 14, 2014 radclyffe hall, the well of loneliness. 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. Animalistic descriptions of humans peter and david serve to showcase stephens insecurities. Hall is a key figure in lesbian literature for her novel the well of loneliness 1928. The thinly disguised story of halls own life, it was banned outright upon publication and almost ruined her literary career.
In radclyffe halls the well of loneliness, the protagonist is stephen gordon, who is understood to be a sexual invert. The obscenity trial of miss radclyffe halls novel, the well. According to una troubridge, hall consulted her on whether she was willing to be subject to the public scrutiny such a novel would bring to their private lives. A motor ambulance unit of british women drivers did very fine service upon the allied front in france during the later. Radclyffe hall, the well of loneliness 1928 radclyffe hall. Bow street, london radclyffe halls the well of loneliness was published in 1928 to much outrage. Stephen is an ideal child of aristocratic parentsa fencer. The well of loneliness is a 1928 book written by radclyffe hall about homosexuality. The well of loneliness is the thinly disguised story of radclyffe halls own life. The well of loneliness project gutenberg australia. She was lovely as only an irish woman can be, having that in her bearing that. The worst part is when a book seems to drag, i dont even feel like reading anything else.