The BBC has launched a follow up to the Big Read, the Big Gay Read (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4162178.stm). I'm not convinced that we need to know the nation's favourite gay novel (wasn't really convinced that we needed to know the nation's favourite novel either), but as there seem to be quite a few gay people on the forum, I wondered whether anyone had any good nominations.

I can't think of any "gay novels" I've read right now, although I'm sure there have been some. Actually, I did read a Sarah Waters book: it was very well written, but I didn't like it: it seemed like little more than a technical exercise in re-writing Dickens from a lesbian perspective.

Actually, come to think of it the scene where the hero gets gang-raped by a troupe of acrobats in Angela Carter's "The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman" gets my vote.

Originally posted by DanSumption
The BBC has launched a follow up to the Big Read, the Big Gay Read (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4162178.stm). I'm not convinced that we need to know the nation's favourite gay novel (wasn't really convinced that we needed to know the nation's favourite novel either), but as there seem to be quite a few gay people on the forum, I wondered whether anyone had any good nominations.

I can't think of any "gay novels" I've read right now, although I'm sure there have been some. Actually, I did read a Sarah Waters book: it was very well written, but I didn't like it: it seemed like little more than a technical exercise in re-writing Dickens from a lesbian perspective.

What do you mean by "Gay Novel"? Particularly aimed at gay people or a story involving gay people?

I've never read a gay novel, is there such a thing ?

Some of Clive barkers books have gay characters, but they arn't "gay novels".

The whole thing has got silly.

Originally posted by ianbrownfan
What do you mean by "Gay Novel"? Particularly aimed at gay people or a story involving gay people?
I dunno, whatever the BBC mean by it. It sounds like quite a fluffy definition. I like one of the posts on that BBC news page "How can you have Big Gay Read suggestions without mentioning the Harry Potter books, surely the gayest novels of the past 10 years?"

"Best gay novel" does sound like pointless ghettoizing, but what the hell, if it's good enough for the BBC...

could be where the main plot is centred around Mr & MR smith, & mr smith runs off with mr jones type of thing.

There are novels by famous writers with gay themes, even though these themes are not explicit. Two of the best known of these are Thomas Mann's 'Death In Venice' and E.M.Forster's 'Maurice'. A more explicit treatment of confused sexual identity can be found in James Baldwin's 'Giovanni's Room'.


Of the three, in my opinion Mann's novella is by far the most profound - it was also turned into a very good film by Visconti (although the film cannot do justice to the many layers of meaning, or to the many issues raised, in the book)

I'm not sure if this is relevant to the thread, but I have heard the suggestion that Daphne du Maurier's classic "Rebecca" is actually the love story of two women - between the first Mrs de Winter and Mrs Danvers.

StarSparkle

Virginia Woolf's 'Orlando' and Radclyffe Hall's 'The Well of Loneliness' both have lesbian themes. I believe they were lovers at one time.

Although it is not explicit, I think Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray' also has a gay (indeed an autobiographical) theme

There's always Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City and Michele Roberts' Daughters of the House is subtley Sapphic.

Subtley Sapphic, langourously Lesbian, ooah - can't beat a bit of dyke sleaze to set the pulse racing.

Does anyone remember the Emmanuelle films? The first was based on a novel by Marayat Rollet-Andriane. The first Emmanuelle was beautifully shot and also well acted by Sylvia Kristel. It was I think preceded by Bilitis, which also combined beautiful photography, sensuous music and erotic lesbian scenes.

Coming back to novels with a gay theme, its surprising no one has yet mentioned Brideshead Revisited (I think a new film version is being made of this).

Oh yeah and the Talented Mr Ripley book? I TOTALLY missed the point of that one, and my friend told me on the way out of the cinema. D'oh! AND I have heaps of gay chums.

Originally posted by lizzmobile
There's always Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City and Michele Roberts' Daughters of the House is subtley Sapphic.

Yay! Good for you, lizzmobile! Maupin's Tales of the City should be required reading for EVERYONE over the age of 16 before they are allowed to set foot in San Francisco.

Just about anything by Gertrude Stein.

http://ellensplace.net/gstein1.html

She influenced many other authors, including Richard Wright.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wright_%28author%29

I don't believe he was gay, but two of his novels, Native Son and Black Boy are required reading in American high schools.

And the Talented Mr. Ripley? But he kills him in the end and assumes his life! But I've only seen the movie...

:) Sierra

Originally posted by Sierra
And the Talented Mr. Ripley? But he kills him in the end and assumes his life! But I've only seen the movie...
Doh! Well, not worth me going to see it now is it? :hihi:

Surely there must be some DH Lawrence with subtle gay themes - I can just think of the very manly naked wrestling in Women in Love at the moment.

Originally posted by Sierra
Yay! Good for you, lizzmobile! Maupin's Tales of the City should be required reading for EVERYONE over the age of 16 before they are allowed to set foot in San Francisco.


I thought Tales Of The City was dreadful, sorry.

What about possibly the oldest gay story of all, ie. David and Jonathon, in the bible (Old Testament, book of Samuel).

Its true the bible mentions Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, but it also mentions David and Jonathon.

E. M. Forster's A room with a view was a bit gay - Littered with vaguely homo-erotic scenes, The chaps bathing with the Rev. Beebe in the pool and engaging in a bit of bath time frolics specificly springs to mind.

I think D. H. Lawrence wrote the Rainbow which was particularly saphic, Very heavy going though!

I can only think of "The Married Man" by Edmund White. It's about a middle aged married man, who falls in love with a young french bloke, who then promptly goes and dies. It's a right old tearjerker, one of those books where you feel heavy after reading it, but in a good way. :confused:

Naked Lunch. That's pretty gay. Or at least shot through with homoeroticism, wugwumps and all.

--wasn't the term Purple Prose invented for DH Lawrence?

Bizzarely enough probably Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z Brite - a rather disturbing and ermmmm icky(?) book about the ralationship between two gay serial killers and canibals. Once you get past the blood and guts it's hard not to notice that every major character in the book is male and gay.

If we extend it to include plays as well as novels, there are many examples. - e.g., just about every play Joe Orton wrote, but especially Entertaining Mr. Sloane

A couple of books recommended to me recently, I loved...

The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh
Toast by Nigel Slater

:thumbsup:

Originally posted by evildrneil
Bizzarely enough probably Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z Brite - a rather disturbing and ermmmm icky(?) book about the ralationship between two gay serial killers and canibals. Once you get past the blood and guts it's hard not to notice that every major character in the book is male and gay.

Poppy.Z.Brite is a good writer. In a short story, a ghost reaches inside their living companion and strokes their liver "it felt like wet velvet".

Exquisite Corpse is presumably a reference to the famous surrealist game?

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
Exquisite Corpse is presumably a reference to the famous surrealist game?
And also the title of an absolutely brilliant novel by Robert Irwin (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1585673862/103-5991667-2695028?v=glance) - a mock-autobiograpy (or "anti-memoir") of an English Surrealist artist, very highly recommended but not particularly gay.

Exquisite Corpse is rather good... I'd forgotten all about that! although it's a bit worrying that you get less than half way through it and you stop noticing the gore altogether!

Last Exit to Brookyln
By Hubert Selby

Available on Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0747574596/qid=1124449943/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/026-2627984-0291651)

This challenging and brilliant book which moves among a district of Brooklyn among the Neer-Do-Wells, gangsters, stuggling poor people and low lifes, goes into detail about sensitive and graphic issues including some Gay sex and prostitution. I was extremely moved reading this book and it enabled me to understand lots of things which I was unable to know before.

All the characters in this book are extremely well developed, and although some of them only last for about 20 pages you feel that you really know them.

This book was involed in court cases and challenges and a ban, but is is a gripping and shocking read for anyone who is intellegent, open minded and with enough empathy/sympathy and who can apreciate the great art of writing novels.

Hubert Selby also wrote "Requiem for a Dream" Not especially "gay" but made into a stunning film by Daniel Aronovsky. Going cheap in Fopp!;)

Selby was a much better writer than Burroughs in my opinion. Burrough's fame (or rather notoriety) stemmed more from what he was rather than from from what he wrote.

Originally posted by feargal
Exquisite Corpse is rather good... I'd forgotten all about that! although it's a bit worrying that you get less than half way through it and you stop noticing the gore altogether!

If you read it as a recipe book then you should REALLY worry!

David Leavitt's first novel, The Lost Language Of Cranes, was an acclaimed book. It is based on a young man whose decision to "come out" and discuss his homosexuality candidly inspires his father to question his own sexuality.

It was an acclaimed first novel of an incredibly moving family drama, seen from the perspective of not only the son, but also the father and mother - whose marriage slowly disintegrates.