When you first start reading Sebastian Barry’s daring, epic novel set in 1850s America, you might not initially describe it as a romance novel. Passion, memory and lush European backdrops combine in this tender novel that’s in love with love. Meanwhile, Oliver is in New England thinking of his past with Elio. Organised in four short sections, it starts off with Elio’s father having a chance encounter, before moving to talk about Elio himself and his romance with Michel. While it doesn’t have the heart-wrenching evocation of first love that the original novel does, it does take a bittersweet look at romance throughout our lives, how love ages and whether we ever forget the first person we loved. Naturally, if we’ve got Call Me By Your Name on our list, we wouldn’t want to miss out the 2019 sequel Find Me. Heart-breaking, powerful and riveting, this is definitely one of the gay romance novels you should have read by now! Originally Beijing Comrades was published anonymously on a gay website in China, but has since been translated, losing none of its impact in translation or over time. They spend all their time together, but soon realise that they are not living under a regime that supports their love, and what’s more, Handong is part of that regime. Against this tumultuous backdrop, two young men – one a working-class student, the other a son of Communist party officials – meet and instantly connect. Beijing Comrades (Bei Tong)Ī fascinating novel that vividly depicts China in the late 1980s with its political unrest and totalitarian government. For this reason alone, it’s worth reading this beautiful book. It’s a story of gay romance before this was accepted by society and what’s more, it has a happy ending.
Written in 1913 but published posthumously in 1971, this is a classic masterpiece with piercing insight into human nature. No, we’re actually not describing Lady Chatterley’s Lover, but the book some think was the inspiration for it: Maurice. Their relationship defies the class differences of the time. The depiction of the two boys explore their emotions and their sexuality, as well as the tragic aftermath, is rarely less than heart-rending.Ī tale of forbidden love in early 20 th century Britain: a member of the upper classes begins a passionate affair with an under-gamekeeper on an estate. While the relationship at the heart of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is that of the narrator Little Dog with his mother, the other relationship that runs like a thread through the novel is his first romance with a young white American working on a tobacco farm.
It’s emotionally shattering, it highlights the love and trauma passed down through families, some chapters are essentially poems. This stunning book by Vietnamese-American poet Ocean Vuong might not be what you typically think of when you search for gay romance novels. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (Ocean Vuong) No matter your sexuality, if you’ve ever been in love, this novel will remind you of that time. Oliver’s carefree nature stands in contrast to Elio’s moody introversion nevertheless, there is an undeniable attraction and what follows is a beautiful story of a passionate affair never destined to last.īefore even finishing we were booking a flight to Gay Rome and Gay Florence… Set in Italy in the summer of 1987, Call Me By Your Nameis narrated by Elio as he recalls the romance that blossomed when a doctoral student came to spend the summer with his family to work with his academic father.
The release of the film adaptation of Aciman’s tender novel caused a buzz, so why not go back to the source material? This hazy summer romance perfectly captures the intensity of desire.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (Ocean Vuong).