An intriguing novel, The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst, covers the span of about 100 years, from 1913 to 2008. The book is broken up into 6 parts each covering a different time period and main character (more or less) in each.
It begins with Cecil Valance and his friend/partner George Sawle. Cecil writes poetry including a poem for George's sister Daphne. He then dies in the war, but his poem becomes famous. Cecil's brother, Dudley, marries Daphne, and they both later publish works separately. (For the record, George does too.)
Later on, the novel focuses mainly on Paul Bryant and his efforts to learn more about Cecil to write a biography.
What is interesting about the novel is the way the characters are perceived and treated by the later generations. It is very hard to ascertain the truth of what Cecil was like based on the memories, prejudices and preferences of the characters. It appears to me that the title, The Stranger's Child, derives from the fact that we can never really know a famous person based on what other's say about them, they will always be someone's else child or parent with a coloring that is not necessarily their own.
The book also seems to be a history on the public face homosexuals put on through out that century in England, beginning with a time where gay men had secret affairs but usually got married too. As the book progresses the relationships become more and more open. The story ends in 2008 with many openly gay couples receiving admiration for what they are.
I can't say that this is a book I would normally read. It was a bit of a slog, and I'm always a bit annoyed with literature that presumes that the majority of the people in any setting are homosexual. It feels false when every male character you meet seems to lean that way.
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