London Triptych

By Jonathan Kemp

Three men, three lives and three eras sinuously entwine in a dark, startling and unsettling narrative of sex, exploitation and dependence set against London's strangely constant gay underworld.Jack Rose begins his apprenticeship as a rent boy with Alfred Taylor in the 1890s, and finds a life of pleasure and excess leads him to new friendships -- most notably with the soon-to-be infamous Oscar Wilde. A century later, David tells his own tale of unashamed decadence while waiting to be released from prison, addressing his story to the lover who betrayed him. Where their paths cross, in the politically sensitive 1950s, the artist Colin Read tentatively explores his sexuality as he draws in preparation for his most ambitious painting yet -- 'London Triptych'.Rent boys, aristocrats, artists and felons populate this bold debut as Jonathan Kemp skilfully interweaves the lives and loves of three very different men across the decades.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Myriad Editions
• Release date: May 16, 2011
• ISBN: 9780956792693

Reviews for London Triptych

[ocgreg34 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"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.

[annebrooke · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Mediocre and pretentious, with three nasty main characters, unfortunately. It was a relief to finish. However, the writing does have potential.

[wrichard_22 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book has an engaging and unusual story covering a period of 100 years with very good charachterisation. I read this book with a smile on my face, as the voices were so immediate and fresh. Highly recommended.

[neildalley · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was disappointed by this book. Given that it was in the Green Carnation prize shortlist and was a "Recommended read" from GTW bookshop I was expecting more. The original idea behind the book of exploring the relationship Oscar Wilde had with Alfred Taylor's "renters", who by testifying against him in court were his downfall, was by far the most interesting aspect of the book. The other two parts of the "triptych" didn't seem to add very much and I certainly didn't warm to the characters.