Queer Lit. The Good Kind.

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Thanks to the anon that recommended this when I asked about queer lit.

It was a rare thing to read about a man who lives in 1910 as a socialite in British high society who doesn't get horsewhipped for being himself. A subject manner that Foster goes into with some pretty deep thinking and grace. Sad to have found out Maurice was published one year after his death, when he actually wrote ten years prior. I can see where Downton Abbey got their ideas for their Thomas Barrow character. They pretty much copied page for page some of the ideas.

But where nowadays every gay man in modern dramas must have some tragic background or scandal surrounding them, especially in historical dramas, (back to Thomas' character as an example, he gets tricked, almost fired, blackmailed, is genuinely hated by everyone else because he is mean, he tried to fix himself with painful and crazy treatments, and then gets beat up badly, attempts suicide, and in the end for all his troubles, they allow him to keep his job and take care of the young child until he pretty much gets old and dies. Goodie) it was nice to read something that just told a story about a man who fully comes to terms with himself, falls in love with a man that doesn't love him back (no homo), a man that loves him back but then breaks his heart (kinda homo) and then an honest fellow whom he properly connects with (very homo).

It was a pleasant read from start to finish and I'm impressed that such a story, that was written in 1904 AND in England, was so interesting and it didn't have any murders, or family break ups, or even a punch to the face by someone's disgust. Just all English banter and witty remarks and just a guy trying to figure how he's going to live his life when people act like ass hats sometimes.

10/10. Would recommend. Onto my next queer lit that someone here also suggested, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street.