The Unlit Lamp (1924) is a novel by Radclyffe Hall. After
publishing several collections of poems, Hall turned to fiction in
1924 with two successful novels. The Unlit Lamp is the story of a
young woman with an unhappy home life who falls in love with an
older teacher and dreams of moving to London to become a doctor.
Despite her independent spirit, Joan struggles to escape the
clutches of her controlling mother. "Mrs. Ogden put her hand up to
her head wearily, glancing at Joan as she did so. Joan was so quick
to respond to the appeal of illness. Mrs. Ogden would not have
admitted to herself how much she longed for this quick response and
sympathy. [...] There were times, growing more frequent of late,
when she longed, yes, longed to break down utterly, to become
bedridden, to be waited upon hand and foot, to have arresting
symptoms of her own, any number of them." Unhappily married to the
Colonel, a cold and distant man, Mrs. Ogden depends on her
daughters for emotional support. As Joan and Milly draw closer the
age of independence, however, their mother begins thinking up ways
to keep them at home, stifling their personal interests and
desires. When Elizabeth Rodney, a governess, arrives to teach the
sisters, Joan develops not only an attraction to the older woman,
but a desire to move with her to London, where she dreams of
becoming a doctor. Tragic and psychologically piercing, The Unlit
Lamp is a story of friendship, family, and desire that continues to
be recognized as a groundbreaking work of lesbian literature. With
a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript,
this edition of Radclyffe Hall's The Unlit Lamp is a classic work
of British literature reimagined for modern readers.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!