'Toibin studies how a changing world impacted on the lives of people who, on the whole, kept their homosexuality hidden, and reveals that the laws of desire changed everything for them, both in their private lives and in the spirit of their work' - blurb

Interested to read Toibin's perspective on these lives, many brought to ruin because of how the subjects' homosexuality was judged.

A considered and thoughtful look at gay lives, both considered directly by Toibin, through the writings and art of the subjects, and as filtered through the pens of biographers.

Makes you realise how being coy about a whole chunk of your life could be as damaging (limiting, diluting) to an artist (eg Henry James), as being over-exposed to an uncaring world (Oscar Wilde).

Toibin looks at the familiar - Wilde, Thomas Mann, Francis Bacon, Pedro Almodovar - and those known more to the gay world, such as the redemptive work of Mark Doty.

And of Irish interest he looks at Roger Casement, undone by the notorious Black Diaries - faked or not? - with a final chapter on changing Irish attitudes to sex and sexuality.

In the post to ETMadrid - enjoy!

Gosh that was quick! Thank you very much indeed for sending me this, which I'm sure will be a good introduction to this writer that I knew nothing about. I see that he's spent time in Barcelona and written a number of different books. I'll let you know how I get on!

10/08 I've just finished reading it, having picked it up much quicker than I thought I would. I decided it would be a good change of topic between other books set in Algeria, so was much surprised to find myself in the opening pages back in Algiers, this time with Oscar Wilde! The chapters are clearly well researched and for the most part highly analytical in approach. I learnt a lot about people such as Wilde and Francis Bacon (whose house in Essex I lived opposite for a few months) that I should have known already, and till now was only vaguely familiar with. Others, such as Roger Casement and Elizabeth Bishop, I knew only the names. I enjoyed the shorter piece on Pedro Almodóvar, who is the only one of the people he looks at that I knew something about already. I'll be seeking out the music of Chavela Vargas as a result.

Shocking are the results of a survey conducted in Ireland with regard to people's (non)acceptance of homosexuality. It dates from 1996. I wonder whether there's been any shift in public opinion more recently?

I'll be looking out for some of the numerous books mentioned, as Tóibín's focus is on writers, and I only know one of them so far, having seen "The Importance of Being Earnest" on the stage.

My husband will be reading the few pages about Almodóvar before I think about what direction I give it next.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I brought this to my first bookcrossing meetup in London, at the Camel and Artichoke, and it was taken by someone new to bookcrossing. I hope it's read and continues its travels :)