Romantic Genius: The Prehistory of a Homosexual Role

Between Men-Between Women: Lesbian and Gay Studies

by Andrew Elfenbein

Surprisingly little has been written about homosexuality in British Romantic writing, and, similarly, little discussion has emerged about homosexual themes in the lives and poetic careers of the major Romantics. In Romantic Genius, Andrew Elfenbein explores the correspondence between the stereotypes applied to the "genius" and those applied to the homosexual, showing the centrality of disreputable desires to the works of Romantic male authors―from William Beckford to Samuel Taylor Coleridge to William Blake―as well as to the writings of lesser-known but equally significant female authors of the period.

Genres: LGBT, Nonfiction, History

288 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 1999

Reviews

[Julie Bozza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in love with Elfenbein's writing. My only complaint about this book is that it lacks the subtle lovely humour of his Romanticism and the Rise of English - but seeing as one can't really expect such things in a scholarly tome, I shall not deduct stars for that! :-)

This book discusses issues surrounding homosexuality and genius in the writings and lives of various Romantics. As with the other book, Elfenbein is even-handed in dealing with male and female creators, the well known and the lesser known. As the women are generally the lesser known, I really appreciate Elfenbein's unfussy approach to helping address the imbalance. And as a result of this approach on other issues as well as gender, the reader ends up feeling that a wide - even panoramic view of the period has been opened up for their viewing pleasure. A truly sublime landscape spread before our feet...

I love it.

I'll definitely be reading Elfenbein's Byron and the Victorians. (Alas, my heart and soul have long belonged to Keats, who is perhaps the 'straightest' of the Romantics, and so I don't suppose we'll ever have a book or even a whole chapter from Elfenbein on him! Oh well, I shall have to make do with all these other riches...)