347 pages
English language
Published April 10, 2003 by Vintage Books.
The Charioteer is a war novel by Mary Renault first published in London in 1953. Renault's US publisher (Morrow) refused to publish it until 1959 due to its generally positive portrayal of homosexuality. The Charioteer is significant because it features a prominent - and positive - gay theme at an early date and quickly became a bestseller - particularly within the gay community.
This was amazing!! Most of the references I see to this book are how great it is as an early openly gay and sympathetic story (no small feat in 1953 England) but it’s also a beautifully written novel. Kinda had mixed feelings about who needed rescuing more but Laurie is the perfect boyfriend.
Whew - I kind of fell hard for these characters. It's all as complicated as you might expect, made more so by tremendously real protagonists.
