The Well of Loneliness is a path-breaking novel. Published by Radclyffe Hall herself in 1928, it was immediately banned in Britain due to its lesbian theme and was allowed in the United States only after a long court battle. Once it was available, The Well of Loneliness sold more than 20,000 copies its first year and paved the way for other works with lesbian themes. The novel concerns a girl born into a wealthy English family at the turn of the century and named Stephen by her father who desperately wanted a boy. Practically from birth, Stephen is described as different, yet while Radclyffe Hall delivers the powerful message that lesbianism is natural, she also asks the reader to have pity on Stephen Gordon, for, along with the popular psychoanalysts of her day, Radclyffe Hall describes lesbianism as an inversion. The terrible mark of Cain" compels Stephen to forsake the woman she loves to protect her from a life of ostracism. This message, along with Radclyffe Hall's portrayal of lesbians in stereotypical butch& and femme roles, caused the book to be written off by feminists in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In addition, many readers today may find the language long-winded and the characters one-dimensional, with the exception of the thinly-veiled portrait of the author as Stephen Gordon. Nonetheless, The Well of Loneliness is worth reading because it shattered the silence of oppression and conveys a message about homophobia and internalized shame relevant to lesbians even today.

TITLE: THE WELL OF LONELINESS

AUTHOR: Radclyffe Hall (with commentary by Havelock Ellis)

PUBLISHER: Blue Ribbon Books (Garden City, New York)

YEAR: 1928

PAGE #’s: 506

GENERAL CONDITIONS: Very much intact!

PAGES CONDITIONS: See photos - Excellent. No rips, tears, or signicant creases. Pages show some minor and typical use of a book that is almost 100 years old. 

FRONT/BACK COVER CONDITIONS: See photos - Significant scuffing. Corners show some bending. Spine is faded from exposure to sun. Spine has some small disintegration toward top and bottom. Despite this, the boards are very sturdy and intact.

BINDINGS: See photos - Firm. No pulling away or visible weak spots.  Pages, binding, and attachments are intact and firm.

SPECIAL NOTES: Front inside cover has some words written in pencil. Back inside cover has a sketch drawn in pencil. See photos for both!