The Towers Of Trebizond

[alidoc]

I've just read this curate's egg of a book under the apparent misapprehension that the narrater Laurie was male. Does it categorically state in the book that this is the case as it obviously makes a difference to the plot as I presumed Vere was a woman only to read that he wasn't.! Perhaps the answer is in the text but I may have missed it as I did skip some of the longer religious expositions.

[margie04]

Long ago I read this book twice - and then again - trying to establish this very fact. I think now that Rose Macaulay must have made the point deliberately ambiguous.

[atalanta]

I did the same as margie. Drove me mad trying to sort out male/female/lesbian/gay/straight. Seeing that the 'lover' who is referred to has an ambiguous name ( Vere, isn't it ?) I decided the author must be winding up the reader/s.
Very brilliant and funny book, but this ambiguity spoils it all in the end.

[margie04]

I've now checked Wikipedia's account of the book, which believes firmly that Laurie is a woman. Wiki must have seen something that we three haven't.

[jno]

Vere isn't a woman's name, is it? That'd be Vera.

Very famous first line.