Hollinghursts new domestic epic leapfrogs across seven decades to examine how the laws of social propriety shape the destinies of a father and. Mar 09, 2018 an alan hollinghurst novel comes into the world with a whole heart. But a chance meeting by the river soon becomes an intense, exhilarating, and all. The sparsholt affair by alan hollinghurst begins in the 1940s at oxford university. Mar 12, 2018 hollinghursts new domestic epic leapfrogs across seven decades to examine how the laws of social propriety shape the destinies of a father and son. Alan hollinghurst on the books that have shaped his life. Alan hollinghursts new novel explores the legacy of david sparsholt across three generations, on friends and family alike. Forster award of the american academy of arts and letters, and the james tait. Alan hollinghurst is the author of the novels the swimmingpool library.
The sparsholt affair is the sixth novel written by british author alan hollinghurst. The swimmingpool library 1988 and the folding star 1994 had gay protagonists. Alan hollinghursts masterly new novel evokes the intimate relationships of a group of friends bound together by art, literature and love across three generations. Called the first piece of gay fiction ever to win the honor, the story was also a sprawling and haunting elegy to the 1980s, wrote entertainment weekly critic jennifer reese. Alan james hollinghurst frsl born 26 may 1954 is an english novelist, poet, short story. The paucity of hollinghursts output has been wellnoted, the adherence to a leisurely timetable of a novel every 67 years. Mar 30, 2018 alan hollinghursts long journey his new novel, the sparsholt affair, affirms the novelist as a master chronicler of england past and present. Theres so much honest living going on in his pagesdesires, needs, regrets, sex, worries, beauty, ugliness, anxiety, humorthat the 63yearold british author is arguably the finest coiner of character at work today.
As with its predecessor, the strangers child 2011, much of. David sparsholt, a teenager briefly attending oxford during the second world war, and his openly gay son, johnny sparsholt, who comes of age in london just as homosexuality has been decriminalized. Alan hollinghursts the sparsholt affair is a moving depiction of clandestine gay britain the booker prize winning authors new novel explores life before and since the decriminalisation of. Alan hollinghursts most recent novel, the sparsholt affair, was published in 2017. The sparsholt affair by alan hollinghurst goodreads. Forster award of the american academy of arts and letters, and the james tait black memorial prize. Its real subject seems to grow more, rather than less, mysterious. Alan hollinghurst s sweeping new novel evokes across three generations the intimate relationships of a group of friends brought together by art, literature, and love.
When university student ludwik meets janusz at a summer agricultural camp, he is fascinated yet wary of this handsome, carefree stranger. He employs a similar structure in his new novel, the sparsholt affair, another multigenerational saga, this time focusing on the sparsholts and the effect a highly public midcentury scandal has on their family and legacy. Alan hollinghursts sweeping new novel evokes across three generations the intimate relationships of a group of friends brought together by art, literature, and love. Oct 12, 2011 hollinghursts followup novels, the folding star 1994, the spell 1998, and the man booker prizewinning the line of beauty 2004, continue the project of documenting gay society, mostly.
Gay lit icon alan hollinghurst on scandal, repression, and. Mar 29, 2018 the sparsholt affair, his formally inventive and frequently gorgeous new novel, begins in typical hollinghurst territory. In alan hollinghursts latest, a hazy sex scandal looms over many. The title of alan hollinghursts new novel, the sparsholt affair, is the moniker given to a fictional british scandal from the 1960s. Winner of the 2004 man booker prize and a finalist for the lambda literary award and the nbcc award.
A lan hollinghurst s sixth novel, the sparsholt affair, opens in oxford during the second world war and ends in london in 2012. The author, who won the booker prize in 2004 for the line of beauty, said that though he, of course, welcomed the liberated times we lived in, they. I had the distinct sense, on finishing alan hollinghursts latest novel, that i might have read next years bookerwinner before this years had even been. The question is not why write about sex, claims author. The best english novel of the year so far is alan hollinghurst s the line of beauty colm toibin, the guardian in alan hollinghurst s novel the line of beauty, the great tradition of english public, political narrative, as perfected by trollope, meets the sculpted, poetic and interior narrative as perfected by henry james. The swimming pool library, the folding star, the spell, the line of beauty, and the strangers child. The sparsholt affair, his formally inventive and frequently gorgeous new novel, begins in typical hollinghurst territory. As with its predecessor, the strangers child 2011, much of the. The line of beauty, winner of the 2004 man booker prize and a finalist for the national book critics circle award. Alan hollinghurst audio books, best sellers, author bio. Alan hollinghursts long journey his new novel, the sparsholt affair, affirms the novelist as a master chronicler of england past and present. From the internationally acclaimed winner of the man booker prize, a sweeping new novel. Forster award of the american academy of arts and letters, and the.
The sparsholt affair audiobook by alan hollinghurst. Mar 21, 2018 the title of alan hollinghursts new novel, the sparsholt affair, is the moniker given to a fictional british scandal from the 1960s. Booker prize novel sparks free speech row in czech republic. Hollinghursts followup novels, the folding star 1994, the spell 1998, and the man booker prizewinning the line of beauty 2004, continue the project of. Dec 01, 2016 an inspiring conversation with the awardwinning english novelist alan hollinghurst noted for his novel the line of beauty about being a sort of puppet master to his characters and. The sparsholt affair by alan hollinghurst a study in. His new novel, the sparsholt affair, tells the deeply moving story of closeted gay lives over the past century in britain. The sparsholt affair by alan hollinghurst hardcover. His acclaimed first novel, the swimmingpool library 1988, gives a vivid account of london gay life in the early 1980s through the story of a young aristocrat, william beckwith, and his involvement with. He was on the staff of the times literary supplement from 1982 to 1995.
Sep 25, 2017 a lan hollinghursts sixth novel, the sparsholt affair, opens in oxford during the second world war and ends in london in 2012. Like hollinghursts other books, the sparsholt affair is dazzlingly good. Jun 30, 2011 months back, when i heard that alan hollinghursts new novel was finally being printed and bound, i priced out flights to englandand then i looked up shipping rates on. The novel is about a group of gay men in 1990s britain, ranging in age from late teens to midforties, who desperately try to determine the size and shape of other mens cockandballs in whatever pants or underwear. The fictional scandal named in the title of alan hollinghursts new novel, the sparsholt affair, involves a minister of parliament, political corruption, and a tryst between two businessmen.
The sparsholt affair exposes closeted gay lives of the past, and out gay lives of the present, culminating in a breathtaking description of a night of drugs and dancing in a gay club. Two young men are attracted to a new man david sparsholt observed and encouraged by a fellow student, freddie green. Ultimately, the spell details the restlessness of every human heart, informs the goodreads blurb. The character of this man and his companions is brilliantly drawn so that we know and are avid to find out how those friendships develop. The strangers child by alan hollinghurst, paperback. Alan hollinghurst is the author of the novels the strangers child, the swimmingpool library, the folding star, the spell, and the line of beauty, which won the man booker prize and was a finalist for the national book critics circle award. As authors from chaucer to hollinghurst have shown, sex reveals our emotions, instincts and morals. A new novel by alan hollinghurst is always an event. When alan hollinghurst won the man booker prize in 2004 for his novel the line of beauty, londons daily express went with this scarehead. The novel explores the changing attitudes towards homosexuality in england through the lives of two men. Longing, wronging, and belonging in alan hollinghursts the sparsholt affair. Hollinghursts return with a new novel could hardly be better timed.
British novelist alan hollinghurst won the prestigious man booker prize for fiction in 2004 for his fourth novel, the line of beauty. It explores the social and sexual revolutions of the most pivotal years of the past century, whose lifechanging consequences are. Alan hollinghurst was born in 1954 in stroud, gloucestershire. Hollinghursts most recent novel, the sparsholt affair knopf, is also divided into five sections, and covers similar temporal territory, though the starting point is the second world war. The best english novel of the year so far is alan hollinghursts the line of beauty colm toibin, the guardian in alan hollinghursts novel the line of beauty, the great tradition of english public, political narrative, as perfected by trollope, meets the sculpted, poetic. There is a passage in alan hollinghursts new novel in which an amateur biographer conducts a series of interviews in the hope of finding out about. The sparsholt affair by alan hollinghurst the work of a. Written by alan hollinghurst, narrated by david dawson. Alan hollinghurst book attacked as pornographic after radio broadcasts a short excerpt from it published. Alan hollinghursts new novel, the sparsholt affair, is an impressive portrait of the titular character, david sparsholt, through the eyes of various people. Forster, virginia woolf, and the like, alan hollinghursts new novel will be both. The sparsholt affair, like hollinghursts previous novel the strangers child, is a multigenerational portrait of gay life in the 20th century. His next novel, the strangers child, was longlisted for the man booker prize in 2011. We witness shifts in taste and morality through a series of vividly rendered episodes.
He has received the somerset maugham award and the james tait black memorial prize. Alan hollinghurst biography life, story, history, mother. The sparsholt affair confirms alan hollinghursts status. Like the reallife profumo affair, it involves tory. His novels do not come around particularly often his new one, the. When alan hollinghurst won the man booker prize in 2004 for his novel.
Browse alan hollinghursts bestselling audiobooks and newest titles. However, he read english at magdalen college, oxford university and then stayed on as a fellow, doing an m. Mar 12, 2018 when alan hollinghurst won the man booker prize in 2004 for his novel the line of beauty, londons daily express went with this scarehead. A lan hollinghursts sixth novel, the sparsholt affair, opens in oxford during the second world war and ends in london in 2012.
Forster award of the american academy of arts and letters, and the james tait black. His father was a architect and hollinghurst planned to follow in his fathers footsteps. Hollinghurst won for the line of beauty, the first gaythemed novel to win the british. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 1989 somerset maugham award, the 1994 james tait black memorial prize and the 2004 booker prize. October 20, 2004 novelist alan hollinghurst is awarded this years prestigious man booker prize. From alan hollinghurst, the acclaimed author of the sparsholt affair, the line of beauty is a sweeping novel about class, sex, and money during four extraordinary years of change and tragedy.
The sparsholt affair by alan hollinghurst, paperback. Alan hollinghurst is the author of five novels, the swimmingpool library, the folding star, the spell, the line of beauty and the strangers child. Supported by john fuller, also a fellow, he took up writing and it was fuller. From the internationally acclaimed winner of the man booker prize, a masterly new novel that spans seven transformative decades in england from the 1940s to the present as it plumbs the richly complex relationships of a remarkable. Alex travels down to dorset for a weekend visit to his old boyfriend justin, who is now ensconced in an idyllic english cottage with his new lover robin. F or readers who can imagine english life thanks to college reading lists featuring books by evelyn waugh, e. An inspiring conversation with the awardwinning english novelist alan hollinghurst noted for his novel the line of beauty about being a sort of puppet master to his characters and.
Why is alan hollinghursts new novel missing his usual sex. But tales of our fight to exist are evolving into tales of our lives and loves the brilliant writer alan hollinghurst said at the hay festival this weekend that the gay novel was dead and had had its day. Alan james hollinghurst frsl born 26 may 1954 is an english novelist, poet, short story writer and translator. An alan hollinghurst novel comes into the world with a whole heart. In his marvelous novel the strangers child, alan hollinghurst spanned the 20th century to tell the story of an enigmatic poem and its relevance to generations of one family. It explores the social and sexual revolutions of the most pivotal years of the past century, whose lifechanging consequences are still being played out to this day. Alan hollinghurst was born in stroud in gloucestershire, england in 1954 and was educated at magdalen college, oxford. The fictional scandal named in the title of alan hollinghurst s new novel, the sparsholt affair, involves a minister of parliament, political corruption, and a tryst between two businessmen. Download and keep this book for free with a 30 day trial. Alan hollinghursts new novel is almost as hard to pin down as it is to put down. Months back, when i heard that alan hollinghursts new novel was finally being printed and bound, i priced out flights to englandand then i looked up shipping rates on. At the same time, you cant help noticing and occasionally even. What it details is the restlessness of the gay penis.
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