The new life by Tom Crewe – theme – LGBTQ+ history.
This is a beautifully written and fascinating book, with a lot of history and a strong sense of place, but includes some rather graphic scenes that might not work for everyone. If anyone would like to write a sentence or two about the book, please email me janet.bayliss@esneft.nhs.uk – so we can post to the book group part of the ESNEFT book group website.
This is the debut novel of Tom Crewe, who has a PhD in nineteenth century history from the University of Cambridge and a background as editor and contributor to the London Review of Books. He is highly erudite, which comes out clearly in this book which is set in the intellectually fervid and questioning last decade of the nineteenth century and more specifically, in the years around the trial of Oscar Wilde. The story is partly based on fact, but the author has cleverly moved dates around and made some changes to the lives of his characters, to increase the tension in his narrative.
It is a taut book, opening with John Addington Symonds, an on the surface comfortably married man in his fifties, with 3 grown daughters being powerfully attracted to other men. At length he meets Frank and a relationship starts between them, but at the same time he wants to change society and change the law with regard to gay men. To this end he contacts Henry Ellis and together they collaborate on a book titled Sexual Inversion. Henry has married a woman who is a lesbian, but together they are both involved in the “New Life” movement, which is about social and intellectual freedom. The outcomes of the literary collaboration and what happens after the book is published form the climax of what is an authentic feeling exploration of this period.
We felt that the story captures the frustrations of desire very well, if rather regularly. The story was interesting and involving; although the main characters were not necessarily very likeable: Henry being rather naïve and John a rather worldly person, but also rather selfish in the way that he treated his wife. Oscar Wilde had a large off-stage role; with the characters commenting on his attitudes and actions in no very complimentary ways. The story raises urgent questions about social and legal mores and freedom of choice that resonate today. Overall, this is a book of ideas, eloquently expressed, but with some strong meat added in places – not for the faint hearted perhaps.
A mixed bag of recommendations this month, including Spare by Prince Harry, which has rather a lot of complaints in it, but is well-written.
For those who find self-help books useful, The let them theory by Mel Robbins has a powerful message about not being bound by what other people think.
The non-fiction book Tamed: ten species that changed our world, another book from Alice Roberts is an absorbing side-wise look at human history through the domestication of certain animals and plants.
For biographies, we recommended Cher – the memoir, which is her autobiography and chronicle of an extraordinary life.
Turning to the fields of crime and spy fiction, we liked Slow horses by Mick Heron and Hunted by Abir Mukherjee.
Finally, we felt that The way of all flesh by Samuel Butler offered a good companion read to the Tom Crewe book, as it is a diatribe against hypocrisy in late Victorian England which the author was unable to publish in his lifetime. Some classic children’s fiction was also mentioned, including City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, the first in “The Mortal Instruments” fantasy series.
Several of the above are on Libby, check them out at the ESNEFT Libby pages.