From Publishers Weekly
Miles Tattershall tutors at Cambridge. He is writing a book on Burton's The Anatomy of Melancholy; he is also 33 and a virgin. His only attachment in life is to his sister Francesca, a concert pianist. But when he acquires a new student, Benjamin Underwood, life begins to change for colorless and careful Miles. Benjamin leads him to bed, stirring up a riot of conflicting responses in Miles, who warily invites the boy to visit his home over the summer vacation. They are alone there, deliriously happy until Benjy's sister Olivia appears. Olivia also seduces Miles, who is then summoned to New York where Francesca, on tour, has had a nervous breakdown. To his surprise, Miles survives, even relishes, Manhattan and returns with Francesca to England with a new confidence, able to confront his suspicions about Benjy and Olivia's relationship and take an active part in shaping his own life. Subtle and graceful, this first novel treats blooming sexuality and the growth of love with a sensitivity untinged by sentiment.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Miles Tattershall is a repressed academic in his early 30s teaching English at Cambridge. Afraid of women and somewhat uneasy with himself, Miles has few friends and has never known love; the most significant influence in his life is his sister, Francesca. As the novel unfolds, Miles becomes infatuated and eventually physically involved with Benjy, an alluring male undergraduate he is supervising. Through this sexual awakening, Miles undergoes a metamorphosis, his personal and social life blooming as he begins making up for "lost time." But his affair has its darker side, drawing him into a menacing triangle with Benjy's mysterious sister Olivia. The story is simple yet replete with human drama: homosexual yearning, incest, a touch of the supernatural, a tragic death. In her first novel, Arnold imbues her characters with depth, wisdom, and sensitivity. Kimberly G. Allen, Supreme Court Lib., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
