It contains no explicit sex scenes, yet in 1928, the year in which the novel was published, it was deemed obscene in a british court of law for its defense of sexual inversion and was forbidden for sale or import into england. Two years later she received the eichelbergher humane award. The world hid its head in the sands of convention, so that by seeing nothing it might avoid truth. Well of loneliness signed radclyffe hall bauman rare. Octavo, original silverstamped cloth and paper boards, top edges gilt, uncut. She published five volumes of poetry and seven novels. The well of loneliness is a lesbian novel by british author radclyffe hall that was first published in 1928 by jonathan cape. Published by radclyffe hall herself in 1928, it was immediately banned in britain due to its lesbian theme and was allowed in. Read the well of loneliness by radclyffe hall available from rakuten kobo. Feb 05, 20 radclyffe hall, the well of loneliness 1928 radclyffe hall. The well of loneliness kindle edition by hall, radclyffe.
Hall again seems to be implying that lesbianism was not a rare and abnormal thing, but something much more common than society was prepared to acknowledge. Marguerite radclyffe hall 18831943 was born in hampshire and educated at kings college cambridge. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall overdrive rakuten. Kindle ebooks can be read on any device with the free kindle app. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall, paperback. She attended the trial in november 1928 dressed in a. 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. Famously sparking an obscenity trial, this 1928 bookwhich the times literary supplement called the archetypal lesbian novelfollows stephen, a woman who wears pants and short hair and realizes shes attracted to women. The obscenity trial of miss radclyffe halls novel, the. The well of loneliness is a 1928 lesbian novel by the british author radclyffe hall. Jan 25, 2010 oh, well, she had gone and would go even farther. Rare books by radclyffe hall, including first edition and signed first edition copies of the well of loneliness and the master of the house.
The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall goodreads. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall overdrive. Banned upon publication due to its lesbian theme, it tells the story of stephen gordon, an upperclass englishwoman and who struggles as a lesbian with the confines of society. At this moment our thoughts center upon sapphismwe have. The well of loneliness by hall, radclyffe and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. 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. Marguerite radclyffe hall was born on 12th august 1880, in bournemouth, england. Describe symbolism in the well of loneliness by radclyffe hall. The well of loneliness is a novel that follows an upperclass englishwoman who falls in love with another woman while serving as an ambulance driver in world war i. The well of loneliness project gutenberg australia. Free download or read online the well of loneliness pdf epub book.
Quotes from the well of loneliness radclyffe hall the. Other articles where the well of loneliness is discussed. 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 well of loneliness is the thinly disguised story of radclyffe halls own life. Raftery was dead, there was nothing to hold her, she was freewhat a terrible thing could be freedom. Nov 15, 20 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. Court cases led to the book being banned in both the united kingdom and the united states. Hall herself, however, saw the book as a pioneer work and today it is recognised as a.
Editor charlotte knight takes us behind the scenes to explore the controversial publication of radclyffe hall s landmark lesbian novel, the well of loneliness. 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. Jan 07, 2014 the well of loneliness was banned for obscenity when published in 1928. In radclyffe halls the well of loneliness, the protagonist is stephen gordon, who is understood to be a sexual invert. The main characters of this fiction, lgbt story are stephen gordon. 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. As a man loved a woman, that was how i lovedit was good, good, good stephen is an ideal child of aristocratic parent. The thinly disguised story of halls own life, if was banned outright upon publication and almost ruined her literary career. Radclyffe hall is best known as the author of the controversial lesbian novel, the well of loneliness. It has influenced how love between women is understood, for the twentieth century and beyond. It became an international bestseller, and for decades was the single most famous lesbian novel. Reading and reassessing the construction of gender and.
Pdf the well of loneliness book by radclyffe hall free. The powersthatbe had decided that they did not like the novels unnatural offences hence the decision to prosecute. Trees were free when they were uprooted by the wind. The well of loneliness, describing the lesbian invert stephen, was banned on publication in 1928. March 2015 project gutenberg of australia ebooks are created from printed editions which are in the public domain in australia, unless a notice is. Kupshik and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The judgment was given on a summons to show cause why seized.
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. Born marguerite radclyffehall in 1880, hall wrote eight novels, the most famous being the well of. Banned on publication in 1928, it then went on to become a classic bestseller. Buy the well of loneliness penguin modern classics uk ed. First published in 1928, this timeless portrayal of lesbian love is now a classic. The well of loneliness is a novel that follows an upperclass englishwoman who falls in love with another woman while serving as an ambulance driver in world war pdf i. 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.
Established writers radclyffe hall and virginia woolf respectively published the well of loneliness and orlando. Lesbian novel was danger to nation uk news the guardian. Marguerite radclyffehall, preferred to be called john. The main character in the well of loneliness, published in 1928, is stephen gordon so named because her parents had expected a boy. Get answers to your the well of loneliness questions like describe symbolism in the well of loneliness by radclyffe hall from. Radclyffe hall quotes author of the well of loneliness. Hall, a powerful writer although at times stylistically inelegant brittain, 1968, has put generations of authorities at loggerheads trying to determine the inspirational source of her bestknown heroinethe masculinized stephen gordon. Project gutenberg australia a treasuretrove of literature treasure found hidden with no evidence of ownership. They took raftery in an ambulance from great malvern in order to spare him the jar of the roads. Halls first novel the unlit lamp 1924 was a lengthy and grim tale that proved hard to sell. Jan 01, 2005 hall, a flamboyant lesbian, wrote the well of loneliness to put my pen at the service of some of the most misunderstood people in the world. The well of loneliness is probably the most famous lesbian novel ever written, and certainly the most widely read.
Radclyff hall a project gutenberg of australia ebook ebook no 0609021h. This is her only work with overt lesbian themes and tells the story of the life of. The well of loneliness was banned for obscenity when published in 1928. She finds love with mary llewellyn, whom she meets while serving as an ambulance driver in world war i, but their. It follows the life of stephen gordon, an englishwoman from an upperclass family whose sexual inversion homosexuality is apparent from an early age. The well of loneliness is a 1928 lesbian novel by the english author radclyffe hall. Shockingly candid for its time, this novel was the very first to condemn homophobic society for its unfair treatment of gays and lesbians. 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. Signed limited edition, number 5 of 225 copies signed by radclyffe hall, printed on van gelder handmade paper. Born marguerite radclyffe hall in 1880, hall wrote eight novels, the most famous being the well of loneliness. 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. These novels were both experimental and radical in their own rights, but were received. The book was banned for obscenity because its main character is a lesbian, and it subsequently became a notorious bestseller, thrusting hall into a literary rogues gallery of fame. The well of loneliness wordsworth classics kindle edition by.
Radclyffe halls the well of loneliness and modernist fictions of identity laura green in 1928, as she was preparing to appear as a defense witness in the prosecution of radclyffe halls novel the well of loneliness 1928 for obscenity,virginia woolf wrote in a letter. Her open treatment of lesbianism in the well of loneliness occasioned a. 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 deal with overt lesbian themes. The first edition of the novel was published in 1928, and was written by radclyffe hall. Radclyffe hall biography, birth date, birth place and pictures. The well of loneliness is a 1928 novel by british author radclyffe hall. The well of loneliness wordsworth classics kindle edition. First published july 1928 in england by jonathan cape, the well was soon seized and criminalized for violating the obscene. The novel has become a groundbreaking work in lesbian literature. The obscenity trial of miss radclyffe halls novel, the well. The well of loneliness, by radclyff hall, free ebook. Well of loneliness signed radclyffe hall bauman rare books. 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. Hall s first novel the unlit lamp 1924 was a lengthy and grim tale that proved hard to sell.
Radclyffe hall s the well of loneliness and modernist fictions of identity laura green in 1928, as she was preparing to appear as a defense witness in the prosecution of radclyffe hall s novel the well of loneliness 1928 for obscenity,virginia woolf wrote in a letter. Halls was labeled as obscene and then banned, while woolfs was praised, and brought her both critical and financial success. The novel tells the story of stephen gordon so named because. That night he slept in his own spacious loosebox, and the faithful jim would not leave him that night. 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. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 414 pages and is available in paperback format. Radclyffe hall is the pen name of marguerite radclyffe hall 18801943, an english poet and novelist. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall, paperback barnes. 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.