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Alexander's Choice  [message #68241] Sun, 05 January 2014 11:47 Go to next message
Ian John Copeland is currently offline  Ian John Copeland

Toe is in the water
Location: South East
Registered: December 2012
Messages: 33



I have now finished reading Alexander's Choice by Edmund Marlow and commend it to all as a rollicking good read set in the refined world of Eton, where the charming Alexander falls into serial relationships with first an older boy and then more controversially with one of his teachers.

Firstly the author is at pains to stress that he will not reveal the possible models for Alexander so some have been speculating around the names of Boris Johnson (totally implausible in my view as Boris even then had about as much sex appeal as the exhaust pipe of the number 11 bus) and David Cameron, well both are impossible because it is set in a different period according to Marlow.

What I enjoyed was the almost impenetrable world of Eton itself although I certainly do not remember slaving away for academic excellence at any time of my school career.  Putting that to one side, perhaps the sections trying to justify the impossible relationship as a Grecian ideal might put some people off. However, for me it was a good read on the whole even if the concluding part conforms to the norms albeit written in a most effective manner. I did wonder whether the reaction of the school had it been discovered earlier would have been as described though.

Anyway, I wondered whether others have read this book and come to similar views?

Ian

[Updated on: Sun, 05 January 2014 11:48]



Visit my Blog: http://thepaintheagony.blogspot.co.uk/
Re: Alexander's Choice  [message #68252 is a reply to message #68241] Mon, 13 January 2014 11:05 Go to previous messageGo to next message
timmy

Has no life at all
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13751



Where does one find this tale?


Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
Re: Alexander's Choice  [message #68265 is a reply to message #68252] Wed, 15 January 2014 01:51 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ian John Copeland is currently offline  Ian John Copeland

Toe is in the water
Location: South East
Registered: December 2012
Messages: 33



Whilst I originally came across this via a review, One has to go to the 'usual outlets' ie Amazon and pick it up from there, but it is available as an ebook.

I hope some of you will support Edmund Marlowe in his publishing venture, it is well written and a fascinating (if to my mind slightly unbelievable) insight into the super elite world of Eton.  The section on the social mores of Eton and nascent homosexualist behaviour is fascinating!

Ian


Visit my Blog: http://thepaintheagony.blogspot.co.uk/
Re: Alexander's Choice  [message #68536 is a reply to message #68241] Mon, 14 July 2014 12:48 Go to previous message
Thinkpositively is currently offline  Thinkpositively

Getting started
Location: Seattle
Registered: July 2014
Messages: 4



I am happy to say that I read Alexander's Choice.  Then my wife, and my sons read it too.  We have many varied comments on the book, not all positive.
As for my own, I was really interested in the culture of Eton.  That educational system intrigues me a lot.   As for myself, I went to an American private school that seemed to be an accidental transplant of Eton and their method of raising young boys to become men.  Though, I remember my school to be more educationally demanding.
As for the controversial subject material...I was not surprised.  I do not, in general, abide by Man/Boy sexual relations, especially Teacher/Student onces.  But I did like, in this book, the friendships of the boys; even the harsh relationships were entertaining.  I enjoyed how compassionate and understanding the boys were when given the chance.
I would recommend this book to others.  It opens a window to a type of love that we seldom see or hear of unless it's on court news.  The tragedy of it is that the most loving and memorial relationaships I have ever had were those when I was 12.  I have never enjoyed love like that since.

Another book I would recommend is Loving Sander by Joseph Geraci
It too stretched my understanding and tolerance in this topic.  
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