The Folding Star - Alan Hollinghurst

Focusing on an episode in the life of Edward Manners in which he emigrates to a Belgian city (unnamed in the text) to tutor students of English, The Folding Star examines the natures of love, lust and obsession. Marketed as a 'gay novel', the novel's numerous graphic and arguably vulgar descriptions of homosexual intercourse contrast starkly with Hollinghurst's otherwise refined, eloquent style and the novel's setting within linguistic academia and the cultured world of portraiture, fine arts and romantic composition. Despite Hollinghurst's obvious talents as a writer, demonstrated in his ... more

After reading The Swimming Pool Library I thought I would try another by the same author........Although I did not enjoy this one quite as much, non the less it is definitely a good read. It is based around Edward Manners who escapes England to go and live in Belgium. Once he arrives there, he starts teaching English to make his living, and falls in love with the seventeen year old Luc Once again like the Swimming Pool Library, Hollinghurst shows us the seedier side of life that he manages to entwine within the expertly written novel. Overall, this was a very enjoyable novel......definitely ... more

i chose to read this book before the swimming pool library. whilst the folding star is certainly a slow paced book it is laced with side stories of pain & death starkly mirrored by the hopes of youth, the graphic depictions of gay sex may be quite strong for many readers and at times though they are integral in bringing out the flaws in the characters. Edward Manner's lack of any responsibility and his love for beauty rather than people as his life becomes strikingly similar to that of the painter Orst in the story. As he begins to fall for the disruptive 17 year old Luc's beauty, the ... more