![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
The Swimming Pool Library
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 09:52 amThe Swimming Pool Library, by Alan Hollinghurst, takes place London during the early eighties before the AIDS epidemic; the main character, Will Beckwith, is a privileged heir to a viscountcy in his mid-twenties. Blond, gorgeous, and mostly idle, he spends much of his time hanging out at the Corinthian swimming club (which is frequented by many gay men) or going to night clubs. One day, he happens to save an elderly man has a heart attack while cottaging in a rest room. Serendipitously, this man, Charles Nantwich, is a titled lord who takes it into his head that Will should write his biography, though Will himself is ambivalent. However, Will's best friend James, a doctor (and also gay) urges him to take on the project, so Will pages through Charles's diaries, while discovering correspondences and connections between his life and that of the older man, in the context of the history of gay life in Britain. (Especially the author Ronald Firbank)
At first, this novel proved quite uninteresting, perhaps because I found Will himself unentertaining. Looking through the Amazon reviews, I found that some readers felt that Will was unlikable or irritating; however, I tend not to mind this as much in characters. But the main problem was that Will's life isn't very interesting. He has some sinecure job where he occasionally writes articles, but otherwise he devotes himself to his personal life. However, I found his relationships with both Arthur and Phil to be less interesting than his odd friendship with Charles, and Charles's diaries, which appear mostly in the second half. James is probably the most likable character, so I also wish we saw more of him.
( commentary involving spoilers )
At first, this novel proved quite uninteresting, perhaps because I found Will himself unentertaining. Looking through the Amazon reviews, I found that some readers felt that Will was unlikable or irritating; however, I tend not to mind this as much in characters. But the main problem was that Will's life isn't very interesting. He has some sinecure job where he occasionally writes articles, but otherwise he devotes himself to his personal life. However, I found his relationships with both Arthur and Phil to be less interesting than his odd friendship with Charles, and Charles's diaries, which appear mostly in the second half. James is probably the most likable character, so I also wish we saw more of him.
( commentary involving spoilers )
