Review of A Gay Century, Volume One

Post by **José Cortez** » 19 May 2022, 11:31

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Gay Century, Volume One" by Peter Scott-Presland.]

4 out of 4 stars

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In recent years, the queer community has gained more rights and recognition over the world, and in most countries, they enjoy the same rights as heterosexual people. This was not so many years ago, and the book; A Gay Century Volume One portrays this fact. Written by Peter Scott-Presland, this book spans sixty-two years and is a collection of ten independent plays on lesbian and gay life.

The book begins with the first story of the dying Oscar Wilde and Queen Victoria, who visits him and has a peculiar conversation. It also includes the story of the lost Irish jewels and the thief that stole them, as well as Carpenter and his lover, Merrill, who inspire Forster, their visitor. Pauli is deceived by Gerald and then abandoned with war looming. Young Philip meets a man at the pier while fishing; he has to obey his mother even though he doesn't understand her strong detestation for the nice man. Eric and Edgar, both lovers and living together, are thrown into a frenzy because of the impending visit of a police officer. Over the years, one thing remains constant; the public ridicule homosexuals face and their desire to be considered normal and be accepted by society.

This book had one negative aspect for me. Some issues were not made clear or real. For instance, the reason Ivor got sent to prison was not stated. Also, in Separate Beds, I found it hard to understand why the policeman abandoned his initial duty of questioning witnesses to follow Eric.

This book had a lot of positive aspects for me. First, this book is a reminder of how far the queer community has come, from an era of secrecy, shame, and public disgrace to a time of equal rights and acceptance by law. Secondly, the book showed me that humans still possess certain characteristics regardless of sexual orientation. For instance, Gerald, an older man in The Berlin Boy, took advantage of a younger unsuspecting boy. Again, I liked how the author added little notes to the plays to help the director in enacting the plays. Also, I liked the subtle infusions of humor and wit in the plays. Finally, this book was exceptionally edited, and I could find no errors.

I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4. I did not rate it lower because the negative aspect mentioned above did not affect anything as regards the overall quality of the book. Also, I gave it a perfect rating because it is an enjoyable book.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in plays. It is recommended for people who enjoy the ones set in the past century. People interested in stories based on the lives of homosexuals in the past century would love this book.

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A Gay Century, Volume One
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Gideon Olomofe · Post by **Gideon Olomofe** » 22 May 2022, 00:33

The theme sounds an ancient event. Also obvious in its cover page.

Blessing E · Post by **Blessing E** » 22 May 2022, 13:37

Superbly written review that explored the core concepts of the novel. I know know whether to read this book or not. A book about homosexuals

nwankwo chibuchi · Post by **nwankwo chibuchi** » 23 May 2022, 03:23

Members of the queer community have increased rights and recognition in today's world, no doubt, and this book basically reiterates the fact. Members of the community will definitely enjoy reading this one.