Palatable Poison

Gender and Culture Series

by Laura L. Doan (Editor), Jay Prosser (Editor)

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. 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.

Palatable Poison gathers together classic essays on Radclyffe Hall's book―beginning with Havelock Ellis and early reviews―as well as pieces by such contemporary critics as Esther Newton, Judith Halberstam, Teresa de Lauretis, and Terry Castle. Providing an understanding of how views of the book have changed over time and covering such topics as race, the nation at war, and melancholy, the collection presents new and provocative ideas about the immense cultural impact of The Well of Loneliness and its unique place in the literature of sexual nonconformity.

Palatable Poison gathers together classic essays on Radclyffe Hall's book―beginning with Havelock Ellis and early reviews―as well as new pieces by such contemporary critics as Esther Newton, Judith Halberstam, Teresa de Lauretis, and Terry Castle. Providing an understanding of how views of the book have changed over time and covering such topics as fetishism, inversion, and melancholy, the collection presents new and provocative ideas about the immense cultural impact of The Well of Loneliness and its unique place in the literature of sexual nonconformity.

Genres: Lesbian, Essays, Nonfiction

432 pages, Hardcover

First published January 15, 2002

About the author

Laura Doan is professor of cultural history and sexuality studies at the University of Manchester. She is the author of Fashioning Sapphism: The Origins of a Modern English Lesbian Culture and editor of Sexology in Culture: Labeling Bodies and Desires, among other books.

Reviews

[Tiki Twoflower · Rating 3 out of 5]

The biographical and historical background on Radclyffe Hall and inversion theory give new insight intoThe Well Of Loneliness. Debates about the book are presented through critics of different perspectives along with some unique readings of the book. I would recommend for anyone more interested in Well, Hall, or lesbian literature in general.