The trial of radclyffe hall and virginia woolfs exquisite case for the freedom of speech writers produce literature, and they cannot produce great literature until they have free minds. Customs service held that the well of loneliness, a novel with a lesbian theme, was not obscene and could. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall used very. Halls publisher, jonathan cape, was charged under the obscene. The obscenity trial of miss radclyffe hall s novel, the well of loneliness 16 november 1928 november 15, 20 in headlines from history by the british newspaper archive give us also the right to our existence. The well of loneliness was banned for obscenity when stephen is an ideal child of aristocratic parentsa fencer, a horse rider and a keen scholar. The forge 1924 and adamss breed 1926, and a lot of poetry and shorter pieces. Stephen gordon is an ideal child of aristocratic parents a fencer, a horse rider and a keen scholar.
The well of loneliness toronto public library overdrive. Over 70 years ago, an opening salvo was launched in the 1928 obscenity trials of radclyffe halls novel the well of loneliness the well. New to penguin modern classics, the seminal work of gay literature that sparked an infamous legal trial for obscenity and went on to become a bestseller. Defending the well of loneliness a behind the scenes look at the controversy surrounding the publication of the well of loneliness.
The well of loneliness was banned for obscenity when published in 1928. Radclyffe halls pioneering novel about love between women becomes the centre of a 1928 obscenity trial. I nearly gave up on it during the early chapters as it is deathly dull, as a young child she is just confused and made bereft by the loss of her beloved father, but. The prosecution won, with the british court agreeing that it was obscene, as it. Shockingly candid for its time, this novel was the very first to condemn homophobic society for its unfair treatment of gays and lesbians. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall goodreads. 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 united states allowed its publication after a long court battle. The book remained banned in england until 1959, when the obscene publications act was amended to differentiate controversial. The obscenity trial of miss radclyffe halls novel, the well of. Pronounced obscene following a sensational trial, the book has become a cultural icon as well as a source of considerable debate, especially among feminists, lesbians, and. The novel tells the story of stephen gordon so named because. Halls lesbian bildungsroman the well of loneliness was bann land and not. Click download or read online button to get the well of loneliness book now.
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. 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. The novel detailed the life and loves of stephen gordon, a female invert, for whom samesex desire was depicted as an. The well of loneliness is the story of stephen gordon. Obscenity trial of the well of loneliness 2869 words radclyffe halls novel, the well of loneliness, was published in july 1928 when hall was already an.
In 1928 radclyffe halls the well of loneliness, which got no more racy than she kissed her full on the lips like a lover, led to an obscenity trial which considered the implications of the. The well of loneliness is the thinly disguised story of radclyffe halls own life. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the literary encyclopedia evolves. It has influenced how love between women is understood, for the twentieth century and beyond. Drama by shelley silas, starring kate fleetwood and. The well of loneliness audiobook by radclyffe hall. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall 1928, banned and tried in england for obscenity, has gone on to become a classic of gay and lesbian literature. Riot girls, the trial of the well of loneliness bbc radio 4. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the well of loneliness by radclyffe hall. From the battlefields of the first world war and to the streets of bohemian paris, the well of loneliness recounts her passionate search for love and fulfilment. The powersthatbe had decided that they did not like the novels unnatural offences hence the decision to prosecute. 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. Lesbian novel was danger to nation uk news the guardian. See all recipes from the trial of the well of loneliness.
It follows the life of stephen gordon, an englishwoman from an upperclass family whose sexual inversion homosexuality is apparent from an early age. Published in 1928, the well of loneliness, by british author radclyffe hall. Its an iconic book, thrust into the limelight by an obscenity trial at the time of publishing. The publishers of the novel, covicifriede, were charged with printing obscenity, but both the new york courts and the u. It remains an iconic portrayal of lesbian relationships and. The well of loneliness project gutenberg selfpublishing. In 1928, novelist radclyffe hall composed the well of loneliness, a semiautobiographical novel about coming to terms with a lesbian identity which brought into controversial terms the question of whether or not the portrayal of lesbianism in a book was grounds for charges of obscenity. Radclyffe halls pioneering novel about love between women becomes the centre of a 1928 obscenity. Her open treatment of lesbianism in the well of loneliness occasioned a trial for obscenity. The book received support from writers at the time on point of principle including e. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall hachette uk. Start a free 30day trial today and get your first audiobook free. With the publication of the well of loneliness public library, the way.
The well of loneliness is a 1928 book written by radclyffe hall about homosexuality. Stephen grows to be a war hero, a bestselling writer and a loyal, protective lover. Loneliness, a novel with a lesbian theme, was not obscene and could be. In 1928 radclyffe halls the well of loneliness, which got no more racy than she kissed her full on the lips like a lover, led to an obscenity trial. The trial of the well resulted in a verdict end page 250 different from the one handed down in the earlier case. It became an international bestseller, and for decades was the single most famous lesbian novel. Literary encyclopedia obscenity trial of the well of. Sir farquhar buzzard, i want to be able to call some gentleman of undoubted knowledge, experience and position who could inform the court of the results to those unfortunate women as i deem them who have proclivities toward lesbianism, or those wicked women as i deem them. Prior to taking on the well, ernst had practiced law for years and had recently defended similar charges of obscenity in literature. The american trial of the well of loneliness 251 different from the. The history and legacy surrounding the well of loneliness, the. The books publisher was forced to endure an obscenity trial. The question of the relation between obscenity and literature raised by judge biron prompted some musings in the diary of virginia woolf, who attended bow street on 9 november, the first day of the.
The obscenity trial of miss radclyffe halls novel, the. Listen to the well of loneliness by radclyffe hall available from rakuten kobo. The us allowed its publication after a long court battle. Pdf the well of loneliness download full pdf book download. The united states allowed its publication only after a long court battle. The well of loneliness the radclyffe hall novel at times referred to as the bible of lesbianism was released in britain in 1928 and was immediately controversial. Consequently, the well of loneliness was charged with obscenity, despite the fact that, as jeanette winterson wrote in 1997 in the times, there are no descriptions of sex in it, no rude words, and the lesbian lovers do not live happily ever after. The american trial of the well of loneliness, new york. Capes solicitor harold rubinstein sent out 160 letters to potential witnesses. After its publication, the well of loneliness was deemed obscene and ordered destroyed in the u. Extraordinary women, the well of loneliness would have passed muster as having, if not a strong moral influence, at least not a bad one. Forster and virginia woolf, but when hall asked them to support the book for its literary merit.
The well of loneliness is a 1928 lesbian novel by the british author radclyffe hall. Although the well of loneliness is not sexually explicit, it was nevertheless the subject of an obscenity trial in the uk, which resulted in all copies of the novel being ordered destroyed. The judges of the obscenity trial in london for the well of loneliness refused to admit expert testimony from the defense as to the literary value. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall overdrive. Before the well of loneliness 1928, her most famous and notorious book see trial section below, hall had already written 4 major novels two of which were bestsellers and critically acclaimed. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall penguin books. The book ends with stephen trying to drive mary away and into the arms of a man in order that mary might live an easier life. Pronounced obscene following a sensational trial, the book has become a cultural icon as well as a source of considerable debate, especially among feminists, lesbians, and transgendered persons. Banned on publication in 1928, it then went on to become a classic bestseller. The free mind has access to all knowledge and speculation of its age, and nothing cramps it like a taboo. Bbc radio 4 riot girls, the trial of the well of loneliness.
The well of loneliness was of course not the only book depicting homosexual love and relationships to be put on trial around this time. The judges of the obscenity trial in london for the well of loneliness refused to admit expert testimony from the defense as to the literary value of the book, despite endorsements from esteemed authors such as e. 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. This fascinating brainpickings article outlines the ins and outs of the obscenity trials, both here and in the us, that made this book and its author cultural icons of the 20th century. The well of loneliness s obscenity trial on august 19, 1928, less than a month after the publication of the well of loneliness, james douglas article a book that must be suppressed appeared in the sunday express, stating. The well of loneliness by radclyffe hall, paperback. The well of loneliness the radclyffe hall novel at times referred to as the bible of lesbianismwas released in britain in 1928 and was immediately controversial. She finds love with mary llewellyn, whom she meets while serving as an ambulance driver in world war i, but their happiness together is marred by social.
The well of loneliness download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Reading and reassessing the construction of gender and. Published in 1928, the well of loneliness deals with the life of stephen gordon, a masculine lesbian who, like hall herself, identifies as an invert. Radclyffe halls pioneering novel of samesex love is the centre of a 1928 obscenity trial. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The well of loneliness is a lesbian novel by british author radclyffe hall that was first published in 1928 by jonathan cape. The well of loneliness obscenity trial by zackariah nolan. The history and legacy surrounding the well of loneliness.