The CharioteerAfter enduring an injury at Dunkirk during World War II, Laurie Odell is sent to a rural veterans' hospital in England to convalesce. There he befriends the young, bright Andrew, a conscientious objector serving as an orderly. As they find solace and companionship together in the idyllic surroundings of the hospital, their friendship blooms into a discreet, chaste romance. Then one day, Ralph Lanyon, a mentor from Laurie's schoolboy days, suddenly reappears in Laurie's life, and draws him into a tight-knit social circle of world-weary gay men. Laurie is forced to choose between the sweet ideals of innocence and the distinct pleasures of experience. Originally published in the United States in 1959, The Charioteer is a bold, unapologetic portrayal of male homosexuality during World War II that stands with Gore Vidal's The City and the Pillar and Christopher Isherwood's Berlin Stories as a monumental work in gay literature. |
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Common terms and phrases
Alec Alec's Andrew asked Aunt Olive better blackout Bridstow Bunny Charlot Childe Maurice cigarette cold course dark Dave dear divan door drink Dunkirk everything expect eyes face feel gave gone hair half hand happened heard Hello hospital Jeepers kind knee Lanyon laugh Laurie felt Laurie knew Laurie looked Laurie realized Laurie remembered Laurie saw Laurie thought Laurie's light mean mind minutes mother moved never nice night noticed Nurse Sims Odell once opened pause Phaedrus Ralph looked Reg's Reginald Barker Sandy Sandy's seemed shut silence sitting sleep smile someone sorry sound Spud Spuddy stared stood stopped Straike suddenly suppose talk tell thanks there's thing thought Laurie told tonight took trying turned voice waited walked ward watching wondered worry