Quatrefoil: A Modern Novel
 Cover of the book | |
| Author | James Barr |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
Publication date | 1950 |
| Pages | 321 |
| ISBN | 978-1-78-720064-7 |
| LC Class | PZ3.B2715 Qat |
Quatrefoil: A Modern Novel was a novel about gay men written in 1950 by James W. Fugaté under the pen name James Barr.[1] It is known for being the first modern book to portray homosexuality in a positive way.[2]
The novel has been translated into French[3] and German.[4]
Plot
Quatrefoil tells the story of a banker named Phillip Froelich who is engaged to a woman. While under investigation by court-martial by the Navy, he meets and is assisted by Tim Danelaw in 1946. An affair with Tim causes Phillip to confront his closeted homosexuality.[5] They become lovers. They are masculine and intellectual characters who discuss art and philosophy, and thus are contrasted with behaviors of "the average homosexual" of the time.[3]
The novel presents an example of how gay men kept their homosexuality hidden in the 1950s.[6]
See also
- Quatrefoil Library, which was named for the novel[7]
References
- ↑ Dave Parker (February 19, 2013). "LGBT Literature: James Barr, Quatrefoil". Daily Kos. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ↑ "History". Quatrefoil Library. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- 1 2 Hubert Kennedy (2005). "Barr, James (James Fugaté) (1922-1995)" (PDF). GLBTQ Archive.
- ↑ Hubert Kennedy (2002). A Touch of Royalty: Gay Author James Barr (PDF). San Francisco: Peremptory Publications.
- ↑ "QUATREFOIL by James Barr". Kirkus Reviews.
- ↑ Stephen O. Murray (March 31, 1995). "Hell is other gay people: Quatrefoil". The Tangent Group. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ↑ Adam G. Keim (2008). History of the Quatrefoil Library (PDF). Friends of the Bill of Rights Foundation. p. viii. ISBN 978-0-9668828-2-7.