Jonathan Kemp

"London Triptych" tells three tales of male hustlers, starting way back in the late 1800s with a young rent boy named Jack Rose who befriends Oscar Wilde a short time before his infamous trial. Fast forward to the 1950s where we meet Colin, an aging artist who finally gets his inspiration back thanks to his model Gore. The third story follows David, writing letters from prison to the man he loved -- a hustler much like himself. All three tales meditate on gay life in London and what defines love and pleasure. (The stories also interweave with one another as you read farther into the book, which wasn't totally unexpected.) Each story perfectly presents its time period, giving us a taste of the difficulties gay men endured just to be with like individuals and showing that the times haven't changed too much. It's each character's reaction to the time and to the circumstances that make this an interesting read, especially viewing Victorian London through the eyes of Jack and the impression that Wilde makes on how he begins to view the world.… (plus d'informations)