The Well of Loneliness
First published in 1928, ‘The Well of Loneliness’ is a timeless portrayal of lesbian love, written by Radclyffe Hall, an English poet, and author. The thinly disguised story of Hall's own life, the novel was banned outright upon publication and almost ruined her literary career as the subject was that of an obscenity trial and forbidden at the time in England.
The novel tells the story of Stephen, an ideal child of aristocratic parents—a fencer, a horse rider, and a keen scholar. Stephen grows to be a war hero, a bestselling writer, and a loyal, protective lover. But Stephen is a woman and is attracted to women. As her ambitions drive her, and society incarcerates her, Stephen is forced into desperate actions. Although Gordon's attitude toward her own sexuality is anguished, the novel presents lesbianism as natural and makes a plea for greater tolerance. It became an international bestseller, and for decades was the single most famous lesbian novel.
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About the Author
Radclyffe Hall is the pen name of Marguerite Radclyffe-Hall (1880-1943), an English poet and novelist. Hall was renowned for her open homosexuality, a subject dealt with in her best-known novel, The Well of Loneliness (1928), a semi-autobiographical work and the only one of her eight novels to deal with overt lesbian themes. Her open treatment of lesbianism in The Well of Loneliness occasioned a trial for obscenity; it was banned and an appeal refused, which resulted in all copies in Britain being destroyed. The US allowed its publication after a long court battle. She also published several volumes of verse including Twixt Earth and Stars: Poems and Songs of Three Counties and Other Poems. Her novel Adam’s Breed won the Prix Femina and the 1927 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction.