{"product_id":"9780349020747","title":"PRE-ORDER NOW The Charioteer : A Virago Modern Classic by Simon Russell Beale","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e PRE-ORDER NOW - Published: 04\/06\/2026 \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe Charioteer remains compelling both as a snapshot of a particular - and particularly fascinating - cultural moment, and as a deeply romantic story of love fulfilled against the odds. It has all those qualities that make Mary Renault so memorable as a novelist: craft, subtlety, intelligence, and a terrific natural sympathy with the intricacies of honour and desire' SARAH WATERS'An explosive and courageous book' SIMON RUSSELL BEALEFirst published in 1953, The Charioteer is a tender, intelligent coming-of-age novel and a bold, unapologetic portrayal of homosexuality that stands with Gore Vidal's The City and the Pillar and James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room as a landmark work in gay literature.   Injured at Dunkirk, Laurie Odell, a young corporal, is recovering at a rural veterans' hospital. There he meets Andrew, a conscientious objector serving as an orderly, and the men find solace in their covert friendship. Then Ralph Lanyon appears, a mentor from Laurie's schooldays. Through him, Laurie is drawn into a tight-knit circle of gay men for whom liaisons are fleeting and he is forced to choose between the ideals of a perfect friendship and the pleasures of experience.   'Emotionally intelligent, beautifully written and deeply moving, it transcends categorisations' Telegraph \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eBinding: Hardback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56367976644981,"sku":"9780349020747","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/products\/9780349020747","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}