The Spell

Authors: Hollinghurst, Alan
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
BISAC/Subject: FIC027020, FIC019000, FIC011000
ISBN: 9781440621536, Related ISBNs: 0140286373, 0670883565, 1440621535, 9780140286373, 9780670883561
Classification: Fiction
Number of pages: 272,
Audience: General/trade
Synopsis: "The "spell" of the title is both the power of drugs, at the heart of the book, and the "sex-magic" that variously possesses - but then deserts - each of its main characters." -- The Guardian

Discover this ‘sparkling celebration of sexual intrigue’ (Telegraph, London) from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Line of Beauty.


The Spell is a comedy of sexual manners that follows the interlocking affairs of four men: Robin, an architect in his late forties, who is trying to build an idyllic life in Dorset with his younger lover, Justin; Robin's 22 year old son Danny, a volatile beauty who lives for clubbing and casual sex; and the shy Alex, who is Justin's ex-boyfriend.

As each in turn falls under the spell of romance or drugs, country living or rough trade, a richly ironic picture emerges of the clashing imperatives of modern gay life. At once lyrical, sceptical and romantic, The Spell confirms Alan Hollinghurst as one of Britain's most important novelists.
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