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The Well of Loneliness Kindle Edition

4.3 out of 5 stars 954 ratings

First published in 1928, ‘The Well of Loneliness’ is a timeless portrayal of lesbian love, written by Radclyffe Hall, an English poet, and author. The thinly disguised story of Hall's own life, the novel was banned outright upon publication and almost ruined her literary career as the subject was that of an obscenity trial and forbidden at the time in England.
The novel tells the story of Stephen, an ideal child of aristocratic parents—a fencer, a horse rider, and a keen scholar. Stephen grows to be a war hero, a bestselling writer, and a loyal, protective lover. But Stephen is a woman and is attracted to women. As her ambitions drive her, and society incarcerates her, Stephen is forced into desperate actions. Although Gordon's attitude toward her own sexuality is anguished, the novel presents lesbianism as natural and makes a plea for greater tolerance. It became an international bestseller, and for decades was the single most famous lesbian novel.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Hall (1880-1943) was legendary in her own time--or infamous, some might say--for her fifth novel, The Well of Loneliness (1928). The book was banned for obscenity because its main character is a lesbian, and it subsequently became a notorious best-seller, thrusting Hall into a literary rogues' gallery of fame. Cline uses previously unexplored material to create a biography of the now largely forgotten author that portrays the dense interrelationship of her writings, her childhood, and her friends and loves. Hall called herself by three names: Marguerite, the name with which she had been christened and which she hated, given as it was by the mother she despised; John, her chosen name, which she used among her associates; and Radclyffe, her pen name. The three often enigmatic selves these names indicated formed her public and private personae. The roots giving rise to her international lesbian best-seller are traceable to her early adolescent loves as well as her affairs with married sculptor Una Troubridge and many others--matters that Cline presents in a lively and readable style. Whitney Scott

From the Publisher

First published in 1928, this timeless portrayal of lesbian love is now a classic. The thinly disguised story of Hall's own life, if was banned outright upon publication and almost ruined her literary career.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09WJ3VSGQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ DIGITAL FIRE
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 25, 2022
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.8 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 549 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-9354992308
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 954 ratings

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Radclyffe Hall
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
954 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book easy to read and beautifully written, with well-developed characters and fascinating insights. Moreover, the material stands the test of time, and one customer notes it's a classic of gay literature. However, the story receives mixed reactions, with several customers describing it as sad.

27 customers mention "Readability"27 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable and fulfilling, with one customer noting it's important literature that everyone should read.

"It was fabulous, much more impressive than when I read it a few years ago...." Read more

"...Wonderful, and painful, and still relevant even today." Read more

"One of my treasures. I love the book and the price was more than fair." Read more

"This is a fantastic book! Set in England in the early 1900's, so I keep imagining the Downton Abby cast." Read more

24 customers mention "Writing quality"21 positive3 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it beautifully and interestingly composed, with one customer noting it's an important contribution to 20th century English literature.

"...From a technical standpoint, this book is well-written, well-paced, and absorbing...." Read more

"Historically important, easy to read, easy to dismiss for its flaws, but was a "breakthrough" book, and really important...." Read more

"Excellent story Stands the test of time" Read more

"The Well of Loneliness is an engaging story that shows the challenges, indignities suffered and, yes, the loneliness of being gay,..." Read more

7 customers mention "Insight"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and fascinating, with one customer describing it as a great discussion piece.

"This is a fascinating, well-written, in fact superbly written, story of lesbianism that follows a young girl through adulthood into the twenties...." Read more

"...This is a novel written with passion, insight and truth; with an intimate understanding of what it is to be something that is very different from..." Read more

"...for especially the lesbian coming out, very descriptive, and a fascinating person, Radclyffe Hall, makes me want to know everything I can find out..." Read more

"...sick to have graduated college, I think this book would be a great discussion piece in some of the literature/ sexual identity classes I took...." Read more

5 customers mention "Genre"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's genre, with one describing it as a classic book on female homosexuality and another noting it as a classic of gay literature.

"...This book triggered my interest in lesbian literature, and so far Annemarie Schwarzenbach has been the only competitor to Radclyffe Hall's..." Read more

"A classic of gay literature -- examining the life of a lesbian woman before the "L" word was breathed in "polite" society...." Read more

"This is a fascinating, well-written, in fact superbly written, story of lesbianism that follows a young girl through adulthood into the twenties...." Read more

"This book is a classic lesbian novel and I was thrilled to get it on kindle." Read more

5 customers mention "Material quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the material quality of the book, noting that it stands the test of time, with one customer highlighting its contemporary relevance.

"...That said, the book is still an outstanding read. It makes a good case that being a lesbian is something one is born with...." Read more

"...I have read it three times. I am now 70 and find the material staggeringly contemporary...." Read more

"Even though the book wasn't new, it was in very good condition . I read this book when I was 13, and over 40 years ago and it's still relevant...." Read more

"A well sensitive well written book that stands the test of time." Read more

4 customers mention "Pace"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with one noting it reads at a different pace and another mentioning it is ahead of its time.

"...From a technical standpoint, this book is well-written, well-paced, and absorbing...." Read more

"Very well written, ahead of its time, a must read for especially the lesbian coming out, very descriptive, and a fascinating person, Radclyffe Hall,..." Read more

"This book reads in a very different pace than most people today would be accustomed to. Wonderful, and painful, and still relevant even today." Read more

"This book is slow, and there is alot of exposition about the scenery of Morton, which I guess if fine if your into that...." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, describing them as beautifully drawn.

"...The characters are drawn with a fine eye for detail and examples of the author's own good heart are found in dialogue with the animals, of all..." Read more

"...is a classic so I'm not going to go into the plot or the beautifully drawn characters...." Read more

"...The characters are pretty well developed." Read more

15 customers mention "Heartfelt story"10 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the emotional content of the book, with several finding it sad, while one customer describes it as an emotional-packed novel that uncovers ageless feelings and motivations.

"...Her words painted pictures, setting moods as well as scenes. Really bringing the feel of the characters to life...." Read more

"A classic that I finally got around to read. A sad book but it shows what the human spirit/body is willing to endure for love." Read more

"This story tells of the inner thoughts, feelings and doings of a woman in the early 1900s, in both England and in Paris...." Read more

"...There is a timeless story of inner understanding in a world that does not want to have anything to do with a person's truth...." Read more

Received a USED copy when I paid for a NEW copy
3 out of 5 stars
Received a USED copy when I paid for a NEW copy
I added a new copy of the book to my cart but upon delivery received a USED copy. It is obvious that the book is used as the back cover is bent and there was what looks to be a sticker removed from the front cover. There is a sticker on the back claiming the book as New. LIES!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2017
    The Well of Loneliness is an engaging story that shows the challenges, indignities suffered and, yes,
    the loneliness of being gay, particularly at the time this book was written.

    Imagine growing up with people judging you and condemning you because you are some not-quite-definably
    kind of different? This difference is nothing you did; it isn't the result of any decision or choice
    you made; it is simply the way you are. People talk about you in whispers as you pass; they snicker.
    Often, they quite obviously reject you and condemn you because they are like the majority whereas you
    are not.

    The story does a very good job of making you feel the ostracizing by society just because you are not
    like others. This ostracizing begins long before sexuality comes into play. And, by the way, there is
    no sex in this book other than kissing. And yet the book was condemned as obscene simply because the
    kissing was between two women.

    Stephan, the protagonist, likes to ride horses and finds riding side-saddle dumb. She takes up fencing
    and lifting weights because she enjoys the physicality. She feels foolish wearing dresses. Are any of
    those things truly outrageous and deserving of condemnation? She makes a wonderful friend with a young man
    who she feels close to because he treats her exactly the same as he would a man. That she recoils in horror
    when the young man declares his love for her was not her decision; it was simply her reaction. When she
    forms a relationship with another woman with kissing involved and eventually declares her love for the woman
    only to have the woman recoil makes her feel just how alone and different she is. Stephan thinks she must
    be the only person to be this way. She is unaware that others exist. She experiences multiple snubs and
    rejections because of how she is.

    Stephan makes an important and, I think, irrefutable point somewhere in the book:
    "We exist. Like everyone else, We were made by nature. Therefore we are natural."

    I think this book should be read by heterosexuals. I am not so foolish as to think that the scales would
    fall from the eyes of those blinded by prejudice. But, I would hope that many people would find the mile
    walked in another's shoes to be a reminder to be kinder and much more tolerant of others. It needn't be
    limited to those in sexual minorities but also racial, religious, nationalities or any other kinds of
    different.

    From a purely literary point of view, I also found the writing to be interesting. Occasionally, I would
    have to reread a sentence to understand it but then I found that I enjoyed the non-standard (perhaps only
    by modern standards?) phrasing to be interesting.

    Overall, I found this to be one of the best books I've read in quite a while.
    59 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2018
    The archaic language, and the occasional lapse into French, made this book hard to read. Hardly a page went by, without me having to look up a word, or translate a phrase. Reading a few pages went from a half hour diversion, to an afternoon slog. In the end, I still really enjoyed it.
    Hall would spend a page or two, describing something that could easily be summed up in a couple of sentences. Normally I would hate that, but with Hall it worked. Her words painted pictures, setting moods as well as scenes. Really bringing the feel of the characters to life. I just kept thinking, so this is what those other authors were trying to do.
    Hall's quick change in perspective, could get confusing, at times. One minute you're in one character thoughts, the next you're in another's. At a few spots, we got treated to a dog's point of view, on the events, of the story.
    The end was a bit to hard to take, but I wasn't expecting a story book ending, given the time period it was written.
    All in all, I enjoyed the book, and got a sense of accomplishment, when I finished it.
    26 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2013
    I was a young teen the first time I read "The Well of Lonliness", by Radcliff Hall. Soon after I discovered that "Radcliff Hall" was a woman who, due to the times in which she lived, wrote this novel using a male name rather than her own, as I understand, to give it credibility. Even so, this was a first of it's kind writing, as it's subject matter was something that was considered to be wrong; sick even. Not a topic to be mentioned, certainly not to be written about. I believe this book was the first of it's kind. It addressed the topic of lesbianism. She addressed it as it is, or certainly was in that day, and for many more years to come. The lifestyle was experienced by an individual whose sexuality was developing normally, but whose feelings were for the same gender as her own. I would be at a loss to express the profound confusion this would create, and did cause this character. Naturally, "science" knew this predicament exsisted and perhaps as one's experience grew, lay people, knew it exsisted, but it was considered to be both unusual and grotesquely abnormal. This lifestyle was thought actually un-Godly. This because of what many now know to be mistranslated referrences to homosexuality in The Bible.
    This incredible novel takes us through the life and developement of a woman, from childhood through womanhood, who struggles with powerful feelings of which she cannot, in any context of which she is familiar, find a way in which they make sense. For years she thinks she is "the only one". This is a novel written with passion, insight and truth; with an intimate understanding of what it is to be something that is very different from the presentation of oneself that must be presented to others. Even others who love and respect her, as she knows even they would likely turn their back on her if they knew her truth.
    This novel allowed me to see this woman's journey. It allowed me to understand that all these feelings and thoughts that I was experiencing, wher indeed experienced by many. I was not alone.
    I would recommend this book to those who are searching, and who find themselves confused and frightened about who they think they may be.
    10 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2023
    I added a new copy of the book to my cart but upon delivery received a USED copy. It is obvious that the book is used as the back cover is bent and there was what looks to be a sticker removed from the front cover. There is a sticker on the back claiming the book as New. LIES!
    Customer image
    3.0 out of 5 stars
    Received a USED copy when I paid for a NEW copy

    Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2023
    I added a new copy of the book to my cart but upon delivery received a USED copy. It is obvious that the book is used as the back cover is bent and there was what looks to be a sticker removed from the front cover. There is a sticker on the back claiming the book as New. LIES!
    Images in this review
    Customer imageCustomer image
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Paqui
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fidelidad
    Reviewed in Spain on September 25, 2019
    Practicar el inglés
    Report
  • Gabriele Lajtos
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!
    Reviewed in Germany on October 29, 2015
    An amazing book full of emotion and heartache. I've cried so much!!! I love the style and the development of the characters. It is one of the best books i've ever read!
  • Nan
    5.0 out of 5 stars A book to move you.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 6, 2015
    I first read this novel when I was 16 working in a library. It disturbed me then although I did not fully understand anything about homosexuality as it was in the 50's and most of us ignorant about the subject. I saw it on Amazon lately and decided to re- read it ( 60 years later ! ) It was written in the 1920's and immediately banned but in later years available . I knew of the author as she had been in celebrity circles and notoriously dressed and acted as a man. The book is clearly an undisguised semi autobiography but what makes it stand out is the intense description of her own inner feelings as the main character. It is just so sad and heart rendering in how she describes the frustrating situation that in those days such people could not express their natural way of living as everyone else could. Her skill at describing the landscape and countryside is delightful and the plot very good. Reading her description of 1920 Montmartre is interesting. Do read the very helpful history of the book after the finish. I found the photos of her dressed as a man quite terrifying though even if tragic. Worth reading as it is a classic in it's way and you can see how such situations nowadays ,nearly a hundred years later ,have been changed .
  • ALERGANT Bernard
    5.0 out of 5 stars An ageless story
    Reviewed in France on March 17, 2014
    This book offers an analysis of the emotions and experiences of a sensitive, gifted and intelligent woman who is born with too many male genes, and the result of that on her life, on the way she is perceived and treated by her family and by society, and on the choices which she is driven to take in order to protect herself and those she loves. If it is read objectively, it can open one's eyes (as it did mine) to how homosexuals feel, to the fact that they are neither depraved nor despicable per se. They seek to give and receive love as their nature dictates. But, inevitably, they most often face the open or concealed approbrium of others. The message is beautifully told. The writing is exquisite.
  • buyçe
    1.0 out of 5 stars Paramparça
    Reviewed in Turkey on February 8, 2023
    Her tarafı yırtık kitap yollamışlar. İnsanda utanma olur demek isterdim ama çoğu insanda yok maalesef.

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