Arts: Literary Reviews

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

LIAM ANTHONY ELVISH | LITERARY REVIEW EDITOR

When the Liberal politician Jeremy Thorpe infamously invited his male lover Norman Scott back to his mother’s house for a night of passion back in the early 1960s (a time when homosexuality was still an illegal offence in Britain), it was Giovanni’s Room he suggestively placed as reading-matter on the bedside cabinet for his meek companion. The novel had seemingly, in the space of a few short years of its publication in 1956, become something of a surreptitious sensation across both sides of the Atlantic, particularly among gay and bisexual circles, already gaining some prominence prior to the swinging sexual revolution of the ensuing decade. James Baldwin’s work details the exploits of David, a young American man residing in Paris and seemingly undertaking a period of soul-searching as he discovers a side of himself hitherto suppressed by his conventional upbringing. Baldwin details the seedy underground of the Parisian homosexual circuit, with all its nighthawks, drifters and decadents, prone to activity that is best left behind closed doors in the early hours. Amongst such a miscellaneous cohort, David meets Giovanni, an attractive Italian bartender whose sultry looks beguile the protagonist. The two become intimately acquainted, resulting in David escorting Giovanni back to his small, cheaply rented room; something the latter notes as beyond any question ‘when it is perfectly obvious to both of us what is going to happen’. The complexities of David’s life become clear with the distant presence of his girlfriend Hella, who has gone to visit Spain to consider marriage with David and with whom he is in constant contact via letters. That such a relationship is offcial and consummated does not deter David from frequenting the bar regularly and continuing his liaisons with the youthfully exciting Giovanni. Increasing frustrations is the presence of the salacious Jacques, an older man who favours the company of handsome younger men, and who mockingly foresees much of the emotional turmoil David shall endure upon meeting Giovanni. The correspondence between bisexuality and an underlying indecisiveness is powerfully conveyed in Baldwin’s prose, as David stands perpetually conficted between his dual affection for both Giovanni and Hella. The author masterfully exhibits his grasping of the tenderness of the individual human being, a passion he articulated in person as well as in print (if anyone be in any doubt then do go online and watch his superb speeches given at the Oxford Union or interviews on The Dick Cavett Show for further clarity). Signifcantly, all the characters are Caucasian; if Baldwin’s ethnicity as an African-American writer in the 1950s provoking reaction from hostile quarters was something of an inevitability, then his own homosexuality being added to the mix and garnering opposition was an unquestionable certainty. For this novel, he thus bravely concentrated on the latter, and left the former aside for separate projects, later confessing that he ‘could not handle both propositions in the same book. There was not room for it.’ Giovanni’s Room is the prototype for the modern gay romance; fervent, engrossing, and tender. It is a novel that combines the sensuality of D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover, with many of the closeted insecurities presented in E.M. Forster’s Maurice, showcasing a passionate relationship between two male beings, circumstantially caught up in a covert environment that sets up for a heart-wrenching denouement as the reader approaches its fnal tragic chapter.

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Three Romance Books to Read This February

XANTHE MCCRACKEN | CONTENT WRITER

With February being the month of love, it seems only right to immerse ourselves in a romance novel. Here are my top three favourite romances for the perfect February.

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a frm favourite amongst romance readers because of its comforting storyline, but we have often found ourselves asking what might have become of Mary Bennet, the overlooked, awkward sister. Hadlow takes a deeper, sympathetic glimpse into Mary’s temperament, drawing on elements of the original novel. As her mother criticises her looks, her father makes a favourite of Lizzie and her sisters pair off, Mary is left alone. When the sisters marry and the Bennet’s experience a family death, Mary must begin her own journey. After leaving for London, Mary drastically grows as a person, learning a balance between knowledge and emotions and opening herself up to love. Hadlow keeps us turning the pages, desperate to fnd out if Mary chooses her own path to happiness.

If You Were Me by Sheila O’Flanagan

The urge to take a trip to a warm climate among these cold days in England has all crossed our minds; by reading If You Were Me, you can do exactly that. Carlotta O’Keefe has a wedding to plan with her fancée Chris, but when she is called to Seville on a work matter, her life begins to turn upside down. In Seville she encounters her frst love, Luke Evans, who broke her heart a long time before, but now has grown into a mature and intriguing man. Carlotta must decide on her own romantic path to happiness. O’Flanagan’s fawed and relatable characters make this novel an enjoyable, easy read. If you’re looking for a romance that will leave you in a reverie of love, this is it.

The Switch by Beth O’Leary

Leena Cotton hasn’t been herself since the death of her sister and after a panic attack during a work presentation, her boss insists she takes a two-month sabbatical. Leena and her grandmother, Eileen, are particularly close. Eileen, who is soon to be 80 and is on the lookout for a new romance after her husband left her, is tired of rural Hamleigh where there are very few suitors. The two women concoct a plan to switch houses: Leena will move to rural Yorkshire and take care of Eileen’s duties in the town, while Eileen stays in London. In London, Eileen realises how much she had missed out on her marriage, she begins the dating game and adapts to the city. Leena begins to reconnect with herself and her past, while also being a little distracted by the frustrating and handsome school teacher. The Switch is as much about communication and reconnecting with oneself as it is about romance. O’Leary’s witty and relatable writing is sure to provide a cosy and comforting read this February. Aciman’s artistic masterpiece maintains a strong sense of humanity and depicts the continuous infatuating nature of desire. Through each sentence of Call Me by Your Name, one can feel the magnitude of the poetic craft and how it intends to simultaneously encapsulate and embrace our beings. Aciman almost honours the reader by allowing them to spectate, concurrently both preserving and exposing the privacy of Elio’s and Oliver’s relationship. The unexpected blossoming affection between Elio and Oliver creates a touching image of the pair, also demonstrating the 1980s contemporary struggles of bisexuality. However, whilst it is somewhat evident that their interest will eventually transform into love, their connection initiates from a friendship. Aciman effectively highlights the gentility of human nature and uses sensuality to convey the emotions of physical yearning and sentimental longing. By doing this, he discusses the idea of the intertwining fate of two separate individuals as well as the unifying quality of religion. Despite Aciman’s focus on Elio’s and Oliver’s developing physical relationship and poetic thoughts of colliding bodies, he also uses the Italian scenery to enhance their romance. His detailed descriptions of the Italian landscape are not only factually accurate but can psychologically transport the reader on an immersive artistic journey. Call Me by Your Name is the embodiment of the widely craved fantasy of a secret summer love that many wish to experience. Aciman manages to capture that initial excitement of the encounter and prolongs it through the six-week plot, causing the readers themselves to fall in love with the characters and the sense of the never-ending artistic vision. Aciman’s novel is the book that flls you with endless amounts of joy and voyages you to a faraway land regardless of the season or circumstance that you are reading it in. It is also one of the essential ornaments of one’s bookshelf and an almost immediate go-to choice when in need of a birthday gift for a fellow reader or a close friend. Call Me by Your Name is both heart-wrenching and heart-warming, but also a story with a sense of perfection and a strong feeling of love that will remain with you.

Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman

VIKTORIA PRACZKO | CONTENT WRITER

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TikTok Sensation: The Love Hypothesis

‘Fear not. It will come. At least I hope it does. And when you least expect it. Nature has cunning ways of fnding our weakest spot.’

André Aciman’s 2007 coming-of-age novel, Call Me by Your Name, follows the tender, blooming romance between 17-year-old intellectually gi ed and inquisitive Elio and the older visiting American scholar, Oliver, in the 1983 Italian Riviera.

REBECCA WEIGLER | CONTENT WRITER

Anyone familiar with the ‘Booktok’ world, or the presence of books on social media in general, has undoubtedly come across Ali Hazelwood’s infamous The Love Hypothesis. It seems to have reached the top of reading lists all over the world, bursting to fame after being merely a Wattpad story based on fanfction. With increasing popularity, comes increasing interest to give this little rom-com a try.

The Love Hypothesis follows Olive, a wistful and chaotic Biology graduate student at Stanford University. Desperate to set up her best friend Anh with her exboyfriend Jeremy, as unusual as that premise may seem, Olive initiates a ‘fake dating’ relationship with the most hated faculty member at her university: the unlovable and unforgiving Adam Carlsen. Presented as grumpy and disrespectful to almost every graduate student that crosses his path, this partnering is the epitome of an unlikely match. The novel sees the personal growth of both Olive and Adam, as they learn to navigate an awkward relationship neither of them want but can’t seem to escape. It is overfowing with cringe-worthy moments, emotional dialogue, and of course, complicated drama. What more could you possibly want in a bestselling romance? Olive seems to encounter obstacle after obstacle in what seems like an impossible pursuit of a pictureperfect (hypothetical) relationship, yet it is the awkwardness of such events which supplies the comedy needed to capture young adult readers. While it is undeniably predictable in places, as most ‘romcoms’ are, The Love Hypothesis succeeds at fltering in surprises for the reader along the way. It makes it both stereotypical of romance novels and unique for its combination of eccentric characters and plots. The reader may fnd themselves surprised not by the journey of Olive and Adam’s relationship, but by the little moments which happen in-between. Hazelwood weaves together comedy and relatability to construct a quick read of both likeable and very unlikeable characters in unfortunate circumstances. It is easily classifable as a pageturner, hitting the mark on the popular tropes of ‘fake dating’ and ‘grumpy sunshine’, both of which are currently soaring through the book market. The Love Hypothesis will make you laugh, and cry, and although there are some moments of almost complete stupidity, it is certainly a ftting companion for February reading lists, or hypothetical ones.

Source: The Storied Blog

CREATIVE WRITING SUBMISSIONS Note to a Stranger

XANTHE MCCRACKEN | CONTENT WRITER

Sonnet (on CW)

LIAM ANTHONY ELVISH | LITERARY REVIEW EDITOR

Blossom

LIAM ANTHONY ELVISH | LITERARY REVIEW EDITOR Our liabilities are also our advantages –to hear what is not being said –to notice what another does not notice –

Stranger, lover, heart’s desire, Wherever you may be, Waiting for the train or watching the wild sea, Know that my heart waits for you in dire need. Reader, giver, kindredspirit, Lost among the busy crowds, Waiting for the unexpected moment to think out loud, Know that I shall cherish every minute. The vision of your face, too sweet to seem So real, gave cause for me to warrant praise; Six months I dreamt, and yet You were no dream But true as fesh upon my eager gaze. Within one moment came a thousand sighs Born from the frame beneath that sand-kissed hairA human entity with angel eyes, A walking, blinking Somnia so fair. Could soil restrain the truth of tears as I Beheld oneric gift in your design? –The meadows and the skyline passed me by, Such was the power of your form Divine. Shall lulling patience reap ethereal prize? Not so – I wake; too stunned to hypnotize. All that we know is that we know nothing

[and everything that there is to know ] ***

I feel myself yearn for it; the spring time. Aching for the good, the air. breaths of cool lavender and which are a portal back to You –that blossom which enraptured me those years ago when I had Awakened from that frst becoming –