The Charioteer by Mary Renault and Joe Jameson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
After enduring an injury at Dunkirk during World War II, Laurie Odell is sent to a rural veterans’ hospital in England to convalesce. There he befriends the young, bright Andrew, a conscientious objector serving as an orderly. As they find solace and companionship together in the idyllic surroundings of the hospital, their friendship blooms into a discreet, chaste romance. Then one day, Ralph Lanyon, a mentor from Laurie’s schoolboy days, suddenly reappears in Laurie’s life, and draws him into a tight-knit social circle of world-weary gay men. Laurie is forced to choose between the sweet ideals of innocence and the distinct pleasures of experience.
A classic gay novel, so I listened to the audiobook despite it being less fluffy than my usual book choices. And it was beautifully written with great characters. It focussed mostly on being gay in the 1940s in England so it was a bit somber. Narration was good.
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