x dismiss this message
Did you know you can edit this page?
-
Sign Into Shelfari
-
Choose something to edit
-
Save your contributions
see page history
Description edit
Alan Hollinghurst’s first novel in seven years is a magnificent, century-spanning saga about a love triangle that spawns a myth—and a family mystery—across generations. In 1913, George Sawle brings charming, handsome Cecil Valance to his family’s modest home outside London for a summer... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Characters/People edit
- Mr. Cecil Valance: young poet
- George Sawle: Friend of the famous poet
- Daphne Valance: Sister to George
- Paul Bryant: A bookish young bank- clerk, who is struggling with his homosexuality. He feels lonely and isolated in his lodgings, and misses home. At the same time, he is keen to meet people and start living! He escorts his boss home one summer's evening, and meets the family, Corrina, Mr Keeping's wife, her mother Daphne and Jenny Ralph. He is captivated by their cultural superiority and becomes a part of their lives. However, young Paul becomes a famous biographer and is on the trail of Daphne's brother George and his relationship with the famous poet, Cecil. That famous poem was supposed to have been dedicated to old Daphne, but was it really dedicated to George? Paul starts asking awkward questions and Daphne wont give up her secrets that easily.
- Peter Rowe: teacher at Corley Court
- Mr. Wilfrid Valance: son of Daphne and Deudley
- Dudley Valance: Husband of Daphne
- Corinna Keeping: daughter of daphne and Dudley
- Freda Sawle: mother of George and Daphne
- Robin Gray: Add a description of this character.
- Madeleine Sawle: wife of George
- Hubert Sawle: older brother of Daphne and George
- Mr. Harry Hewitt: family friend to Daphne and George's family, single and middle aged
- Mrs. Eva Riley: interior designer
- Jenny Ralph
- Jonah Trickett: young servant boy at Daphne and Georgia's home
- Sebby Stokes
- Wilkes
- Jennifer
- Corley: Name of the manor that Cecil and Dudly grew up in
- Sue Jacobs
- Clara Kalbeck: good friend of Daphne and george's mother a widow, german
- Mrs. Keeping
- Raymond
- Mark Gibbons
- Eva
- Geoff Viner
- Elspeth
- Julian Keeping
- Louisa Valance
- Granny Sawle
- Wilfie
- Desmond
- Little Veronica
- Tilda Strange-Paget
- Jake
- Sebby
- Milsom
- John Betjeman
- Clara
- Bobby Bannister
- Lord Tennyson
- Georgie
- Heather Jones
- Neil McAll
- Emmy Destinn
- Debbie
- Colthorpe
- Nanny
- Lord Pettifer
- Sandra
- Donaldson
- Edwin Valance
- Barbara
- Terry
- Norman
- Mrs. Sorley
- Paul Jones
- Mr. Barstow
- Lara
- Arthur Nikisch
- Jon Stallworthy
- Marston
- Gerald Berners
- Linette Valance
- Ruth
- Jean Shrimpton
- Giles Brookson
- Margaret Ingham
- Harold Macmillan
- Mike Rawlins
- Mary Gibbons
- Dr. Nigel Dupont
- Jerry Goldblatt
- Little Jack
- Jack Reeves
- Sarah Barfoot
- Sloane
- Uncle Leslie
- Mr. Revel Ralph
- Lytton Strachey
- Mrs. Leland Aubrey
- Flo
- Hector Chadwick
- Miss Cobb
- Martin
- Mavis
- John Dawes
- G. F. Sawle
- Susie Carter
- Edith Sitwell
- Dorothy Dawes
- Peter Blanchard
- Hannah Gearing
- Alfred
- Leslie Keeping
- Trevor Riley
- Karen
- Aunt Corinna
- Gareth
- Mrs. Marsh
- Rob Salter
- Wagner
- Frank
- Andrea
- Caroline Messent
- Sprague
- Gillian
- Birgit
- Mrs. Cow
- Rupert Brooke
- Bill Sorley
- Mrs. Copeland
- John Keeping
- Greg Hudson
- Winton Parfitt
- Staunton Hall
- Granny V
- Swinburne
- CECIL TEUCER VALANCE
- George curtly
- Olive Watkins
- Peebles
- Cook
- Mrs Jacobs
- Mrs Sawle
- Huey
- Mr Hubert
- Senta
- Roger
- Bliss
- Uncle Sebby
Setting & Locations edit
- London
- Cambridge
- Wantage
- France
- Harrow
- England
- Stanmore
- Germany
- High Ground
- Worcester
- Revel
- Park
- Corn Hall
- Wealdstone
- Paddington
- Oxford
First Sentence edit
She’d been lying in the hammock reading poetry for over an hour.
Table of Contents edit
"Two Acres"
Revel
"Steady, Boys, Steady"
Something of a Poet
The Old Companions
Series & Lists edit
This book is in 2011 Published Books. (community list)
This book is in Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2011. (authoritative list)
Authors & Contributors edit
- Alan Hollinghurst (Author)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Knopf
Country: Add the country of publication.
Publication Date: 2011
ISBN: 0307272761
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Knopf
Country: Add the country of publication.
Publication Date: 2011
ISBN: 0307272761
Page Count: 448
Awards edit
- Man Booker Prize (Finalist, 2011, Longlist)
- Lambda Literary Award (Finalist, 2012: Gay General Fiction, Shortlist)
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 813
Subjects edit
Popular Tags
See all 50 tags
We’re hiding the errata, movie connections, books that influenced this book, books influenced by this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.
