At 400plus pages sprinkled with references to henry james, his fourth outing aspires to the status of an epic about sex, politics, money, and high society. Alan hollinghurst, one of englands most celebrated novelists, has changed with the times and found new ways to surprise. In 1997, he went on an asia book tour in singapore. He has also received the somerset maugham award, the e. See all books authored by alan hollinghurst, including the line of beauty, and the swimmingpool library, and more on thriftbooks. Two young men are attracted to a new man david sparsholt observed and encouraged by a. His latest, the line of beauty, last years booker prizewinner, starts on a hot summer day and ends with its protagonist and london bathed in the light of the moment. He is the author of one of the most highly praised first novels to appear in the 1980s, the swimmingpool library 1988, and was selected as one of the best young british novelists 1993. Alan hollinghurst book attacked as pornographic after radio broadcasts a short excerpt from it.
Alan hollinghurst is an english novelist, and winner of the 2004 booker prize for the line of beauty. In alan hollinghursts latest, a hazy sex scandal looms. The sparsholt affair by alan hollinghurst is published by picador. Sep 29, 2017 the booker prize winning british author alan hollinghurst has chronicled wealth and controversy at the heart of the establishment during the aids panic of the 1980s, in his book the line of beauty. There will be a book signing after the talk and copies of the novel will also be. October 20, 2004 novelist alan hollinghurst is awarded this years prestigious man booker prize. The book tells the story of a minor poet, cecil valance, who is killed in the first world war. The novel explores the changing attitudes towards homosexuality in england through the lives of two. In 1981 he joined the times literary supplement and was the papers deputy editor from 1982 to 1995. Alan hollinghurst is among britains most highlyrated literary novelists, whose bestknown book the line of beauty 2004, winner of that years man booker prize, is a tourdeforce envisioning of the thatcher years as an era of doomed romance. An evening with alan hollinghurst events at waterstones. Author alan hollinghurst sat down at esquire townhouse to talk with editorinchief alex bilmes about the 10 books that shaped his life.
There will be a book signing after the talk and copies of alans novels will also be available to buy on the night. Winner of the 2004 man booker prize and a finalist for the lambda literary award and the nbcc award. I found myself trying while reading much of the book, to waken hollinghurst from this diligent slumber by. The sparsholt affair is another grand canvas much in mould of the strangers child, five distinct parts composing an elegant ellipsis. Alan hollinghurst s hypnotic and exquisitely written novel tells the story of edward manners, a disaffected 33yearold who leaves england to earn his living as a language tutor in a flemish city. Join man booker prizewinning author alan hollinghurst for a discussion of his longawaited sixth novel, the sparsholt affair touching on themes such as sexuality, art and. Alan hollinghurst is the author of five novels, the swimmingpool library, the folding star, the spell, the line of beauty and the strangers child. 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. Hollinghurst won for the line of beauty, the first gay. Booker prize novel sparks free speech row in czech republic. The book moves from johnnys experiences in raffish 1970s london to the citys turnofthe.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The longer read with alan hollinghurst events manchester. The strangers child june 2011 is the fifth novel by alan hollinghurst. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 438 pages and is available in paperback format. The spell by alan hollinghurst goodreads share book. An author with an extraordinary talent for fusing past lives and experiences with contemporary concerns, allan hollinghurst is widely regarded as one of britains finest living writers. The situation is complicated by the use of cocaine one meaning of the line of beauty in which nick central character is complicit but ahs essential point is, despite the permissiveness. Alan hollinghurst biography life, story, history, mother. A civil servant falls for a younger man and thereby discovers ecstasy. An author with an extraordinary talent for fusing past lives and experiences with contemporary concerns, allan hollinghurst is widely regarded as one of britains finest.
The writing is smooth and flawless, and the everything was beautifully and carefully constructed. Alan james hollinghurst frsl born 26 may 1954 is an english novelist, poet, short story writer and translator. Ive had to make do with the large amount of coverage in the british pressof both the book and. May 16, 2019 hollinghurst is a master storyteller thrilling in the rather awful way that the best victorian novels are, so that one finds oneself galloping somewhat shamefacedly through the pages in order to discover what happens next. What happens to these two men in this year will affect many lives and will set in motion the mystery at the heart of the sparsholt affair. Stephen smith meets booker prize winning author alan hollinghurst. Books by alan hollinghurst author of the line of beauty. The sparsholt affair is the sixth novel written by british author alan hollinghurst. Events at waterstones get you closer to the books and authors you admire most. Alan hollinghurst on the 2019 desmond elliott shortlist. There will be a book signing after the talk and copies of alan. The line of beauty was fine, but my opinion of it was helped by a bbc adaptation that smoothed out a lot of the areas i found problematic in the book itselfnamely that there was something inaccessible about it. In alan hollinghurst s latest, a hazy sex scandal looms over many lives.
He is the author of one of the most highly praised first novels to appear in the 1980s, the swimmingpool library 1988, and was selected as one of the. Mar 12, 2018 in alan hollinghursts latest, a hazy sex scandal looms over many lives. Pdf the line of beauty book by alan hollinghurst free. The fictional scandal named in the title of alan hollinghursts new novel.
Alan hollinghurst was born in stroud in gloucestershire, england in 1954 and was. Join man booker prizewinning author alan hollinghurst for a. Almost immediately he falls in love with one of his pupils, but can only console himself with other, illicit affairs. He read english at magdalen college, oxford graduating in 1975. The first edition of the novel was published in 2004, and was written by alan hollinghurst. The sparsholt affair finds truth somewhere between satire and sentiment novelist alan hollinghurst s latest chronicles changing attitudes towards homosexuality in.
Alan hollinghurst on the books that have shaped his life. Though hes best known for his elegant descriptions of gay male life and pitchperfect prose, hollinghurst. The bookerwinning author on the three books up for the best firstnovel prize michael. In 1983 london, will, a privileged, gay, sexually irresistible 25yearold, saves the life of an elderly aristocrat who has a heartattack in a public lavatory. He has received the somerset maugham award, the james tait black memorial prize for fiction and the 2004 man booker prize. Mai 1954 in stroud, gloucestershire, england ist ein britischer. I could read him just to spend time in the eccentric london apartments and idyllic country cottages that fill his books. The next installment in the series comes from alan hollinghurst. Sep 25, 2017 this is a book about gay life, about art, about family, but most of all its about the remorseless passage of time. Alan hollinghurst has 29 books on goodreads with 109507 ratings.
Booker prize novel sparks free speech row in czech. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Alan hollinghurst book attacked as pornographic after radio broadcasts a short excerpt from it published. Buy the swimmingpool library by alan hollinghurst from waterstones today. The sparsholt affair by alan hollinghurst begins in the 1940s at oxford university. Oct 04, 2017 join man booker prizewinning author alan hollinghurst for a discussion of his longawaited sixth novel, the sparsholt affair touching on themes such as sexuality, art and family secrets, the novel spans several generations and key periods of uncertainty and change in british society, from second world warera oxford to the swinging 1960s, to the 1970s power cuts and contemporary london. The book moves from johnnys experiences in raffish 1970s london to the citys turnofthemillennium rave scene. 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. Jun 24, 2011 the novelist alan hollinghurst drinks a fruit cocktail and talks to emily stokes about vegetarianism, his days as a raver and the unknowable truths of biography.
Alan james hollinghurst frsl born 26 may 1954 is an english novelist, poet, short. The situation is complicated by the use of cocaine one meaning of the line of beauty in which nick central character is complicit but ahs essential point is, despite the permissiveness not available to earlier gays like firbank, secrecy and pretence is still the order of the day, with the threat of aids everpresent. The strangers child by alan hollinghurst, paperback barnes. The sparsholt affair by alan hollinghurst the work of a. The spell is a 1998 novel by british author alan hollinghurst. Sign me up for news about alan hollinghurst and more from penguin. Aug 31, 2009 discover book depositorys huge selection of alan hollinghurst books online.
The sparsholt affair by alan hollinghurst waterstones. The evolution of one of fictions gay liberators the new. His most recent book, the strangers child, has been warmly received by readers and critics alike. Alan hollinghursts first novel, the swimmingpool library, begins on the central line and ends in the subterranean showers of an underground swimming pool. Alan hollinghurst s most recent novel, the sparsholt affair, was published in 2017. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 1989 somerset maugham. Find information and tickets about an evening with alan hollinghurst today. Alan hollinghurst s hypnotic and exquisitely written novel tells the story of edward manners, a disaffected 33yearold who leaves england to earn his living as a language tutor in. In 1983 london, will, a privileged, gay, sexually irresistible 25yearold, saves. Alan hollinghurst s most popular book is the line of beauty.
This book seals it alan hollinghurst is currently my favorite author. Join alan hollinghurst in conversation with liverpool literary festival director, professor dinah birch, for a discussion of his latest novel, the sparsholt affair. He initially set out to be a short story writer, but quickly found his feet as with longerform fiction. Free download or read online the line of beauty pdf epub book. Daphne sawle, a key figure in the book, whom we follow. Shop the latest titles by alan hollinghurst at alibris including hardcovers, paperbacks, 1st editions, and audiobooks from thousands of sellers worldwide. Alan hollinghurst is a gloucestershire novelist, poet and short story writer with numerous awards to his name, including the somerset maugham award, the james tait black memorial prize and, in 2004, the man booker prize. Despite the fact that this book is about a controversial topic, homosexuality, i believe that it should be judged by its quality, which is outstanding. The swimmingpool library is a 1988 novel by alan hollinghurst plot introduction. There are many models of beauty and as old saying goes beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Alan hollinghurst is the author of the novels the swimmingpool library. Jun 17, 2011 o ne line from alan hollinghursts new book, the strangers child, is lodged in my head as i arrive at his hampstead flat. Alan hollinghurst is among britains most highlyrated literary novelists, whose bestknown book the line of beauty 2004, winner of that years man booker prize, is a tourdeforce.
Alan hollinghurst author of the line of beauty goodreads. Its a milieu he turns to his advantage in his fiction, where the middleclass female world is observed with a tone that cyril connolly described as demure malice. The main characters of this fiction, lgbt story are. The sparsholt affair may 03, 2018 hollinghurst, alan. O ne line from alan hollinghurst s new book, the strangers child, is lodged in my head as i arrive at his hampstead flat. His acclaimed first novel, the swimmingpool library 1988, gives a vivid. 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. Peter bessell, once thorpes closest ally, and andrew newton, the comic book incompetent hired to. In alan hollinghursts latest, a hazy sex scandal looms over. The sparsholt affair finds truth somewhere between. 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. We hope you are able to join us for this special event.
Hollinghurst was born in stroud, gloucestershire, the only child of james. As he was working on his sixth novel, alan hollinghurst, who describes. Alan hollinghurst s new novel traces a war poets legacy. Alan hollinghursts most popular book is the line of beauty.
The swimmingpool library by alan hollinghurst waterstones. The line of beauty, winner of the 2004 man booker prize and a finalist for the national book critics circle award. British novelist alan hollinghurst won the prestigious man booker prize for fiction in 2004 for his fourth novel, the line of beauty. We personally assess every book s quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. There is a classic definition of the line of beauty depicted by hogarth in his work analyse of beauty, its a sshaped double curve, though for nick, the main protagonist of alan hollinghurst. Daphne sawle, a key figure in the book, whom we follow from a poetically. To comply with the wikipedia quality standards, this book. The folding star was, in my opinion, one of the best books i have ever read. Sensibility overwhelms narrative in this story of homoerotic obsession, a second novel from the british hollinghurst the swimmingpool library, 1988. Stephen smith meets booker prize winning author alan. 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. Two young men are attracted to a new man david sparsholt observed and encouraged by a fellow student, freddie green. He is the author of the novels the swimmingpool library, the folding star, the spell and the line of beauty which won the 2004 man booker prize, and was adapted for bbc2 by andrew davies.
The fictional scandal named in the title of alan hollinghurst s new novel. 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. A century of social and sexual change with alan hollinghurst tickets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the line of beauty. Alan hollinghurst, 3 january 20 forster was an only child whose father died when he was one, and he was raised by his mother in an atmosphere thick with aunts. The booker prize winning british author alan hollinghurst has chronicled wealth and controversy at the heart of the establishment during the.