Alan Hollinghurst takes his time with his prose. The latest novel from the renowned English writer, poet, and translator is six years in the making since his last one. However, the "old good" Hollinghurst is here, as we know him from before; the author sticks to his themes and form. The classic structure of five extensive parts captures a specific situation or event that unfolds over many years, following the fates of characters over several decades. The first chapter and the starting point of the plot take place in Oxford during the Battle of Britain. The story revolves around the arrival of a new seventeen-year-old student, David Sparsholt, a dazzling handsome young man. His classmate Evert Dax, the shy son of a famous writer, hopelessly falls in love with him. After some time, he finds success, although, as it turns out, David's interest was merely a favor in return for a financial loan meant to pull him out of his troubles. The novel further follows David's fate and the journeys of his son Jonathan, which constantly intersect with the life path of Evert Dax in the milieu of British cultural and media elite. Alan Hollinghurst, as a masterful storyteller, once again grapples with the experiences of gay men amid changing times and social conditions. Elegantly refined, precise and...
