Title: The Go-Between
Author: L. P. Hartley
Genre: Classic/ Modern Classic
ISBN: 978-1509843176
Publisher: Macmillan Collector's Library
Publication Date: 1953
Publisher Description: An invitation for young Leo to join a school friend at Brandham Hall – a world of privilege far removed from his own – for the scorchingly hot summer of 1900 appears innocuous, but Leo soon finds himself drawn into a dangerous, deceitful world of adult intrigue when asked to act as a go-between for two illicit lovers. The tragedy that ensues will reverberate for decades to come.
A haunting novel about the strange journey from childhood to adulthood, The Go-Between is a truly unforgettable classic.
Leslie Poles Hartley was born in Cambridgeshire in 1895, and was educated first at Harrow and then Oxford. His career as a writer began with short stories (his first collection Night Fears was published in 1924) and ran alongside his work as a prolific and highly regarded reviewer of fiction, writing for such magazines as the Spectator and the Sketch. His first full-length novel was The Shrimp and the Anemone (1944) and was followed by a succession of novels, including The Hireling (1957) and his final work Love-Adept (1969). While the majority of L. P. Hartley's work is now, sadly, out of print, The Go-Between remains the most enduringly popular and timeless of his novels, rightfully claiming its place as a classic.
Literary Atelier Review: The Go-Between had been unread on my bookshelf for far too long. I had been fascinated by it ever since I watched the beautiful BBC dramatisation years ago. Because I am well aware that the book is almost always far better than the screen adaptation I knew I was going to love this classic. L. P. Hartley creates such a vivid world of characters caught at the crossroads of the modern twentieth century coming and the rules of the Victorian and Edwardian age about to be left behind. Watching the events of the story through the eyes of twelve year old Leo, who with his thirteenth birthday around the corner is also on the cusp of a new age, makes the experience all the more heartwarming and full of pathos. This book is so beautiful and deserves its place in the literary cannon as a classic. It is especially worth reading if you are interested in understanding the ways in which class distinctions have such a strong hold on English society, even to this day.