1928 The Well of Loneliness

Description

An Important Work, Early Edition, Original Binding, Publishers' Original Binding

In the publisher's original cloth binding.

An early edition of Radclyffe Hall's landmark novel in LGBTQ+ literature. This particular edition is the 1928 Pegasus Press reissue, the third printing, as part of an effort to circumvent British censorship by publishing the book abroad.

The novel centers on Stephen Gordon, an Englishwoman who identifies as an "invert," a term used at the time to describe homosexuality. Whilst The Well of Loneliness portrays homosexuality as a natural God-given state, some readers have criticised the protagonists expressions of shame and self-hatred.

In spite of its lack of explicit content, it was banned in the UK shortly after publication under the Obscene Publications Act of 1857, leading to the destruction of copies and a prolonged absence from British bookstores. 

Marguerite Antonia Radclyffe-Hall, more known under her pen name Radclyffe Hall, was an English poet and author, best known for this particular work. In adulthood, she often called herself John, rather than Marguerite.