The Charioteer by Mary Renault
First published in the USA in 1959 “The Charioteer” is an important novel because it deals with gay themes in an open manner at an early date. (The Stonewall Riots were in 1969).
The main story is of Laurie “Spud” Odell a soldier wounded and evacuated from Dunkirk and the choice he makes between two men; Andrew, an orderly who is a Quaker and unaware of his sexuality and Ralph a mentor from Spud’s school days.
It is the story of his journey from innocent homoeroticism to accepting and being comfortable with his homosexuality and the choices he must navigate between the ideals of perfect friendship and the pleasures of experience. By inter-linking Spud’s story with symbol of the Charioteer referred to by Plato in Phaedrus, the author Mary Renault side-steps the twentieth century issues of anti-gay prejudice and religious moral views and concentrates on the larger issues of the nature of love and being true to one-self.
Mary writes of men’s relationships in a sympathetic manner which gave her a wide gay following however she was also suspicious of primarily identifying a person with their sexual orientation. This discomfort with being totally identified by one’s sexual orientation comes through in the character and story of Spud
The style of writing reflects the era in which Mary wrote and at times may seem cumbersome and difficult to follow to readers of the twenty first century, however this is an important novel portraying homosexuality during World War II. It is a reminder of our history and the journey we all take in learning who we are and our potential.
Mary Renault’s ‘The Charioteer’ has just been re-released.
David Kernohan
