THE TEMPLE

by Stephen Spender ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 1988

A welcome cult item, originally written by the poet in 1929, put aside, sold to a university archive in the early 60's, and now resurrected in revised form. Spender's hero Paul leaves Oxford for a summer's vacation in Germany during the 20's, a time when the licentious Weimar Republic stood as something of a naughty playground for Brits fleeing censorship and homophobia. A failed attempt to court an Oxford jock, and a general air of aloofness and dissent, send Paul on a mission to Hamburg to stay with a wealthy young German, Ernst Stockmann. Ernst proves to be a bore, but provides the all-important function of introducing Paul to his bohemian friends--who in turn introduce the wary but ever-so-eager visitor to the full spectrum of Weimar culture: nightclubs that mix transvestites with businessman and sailors, Bahaus, an obsession with physical fitness, what one character describes as ""an understanding of the value of living. . ."" Originally written, naturally, without knowledge of the Third Reich, Spender's novel captures a Weimar generation on the brink of collapse, oblivious of the repression that lay ahead. The autobiographical elements here are plain from the first arrival of Paul (Spender), through to a truly hilarious portrait of W.H. Auden, which, combined with Spender's account of the Weimar twilight period, make this one a find.

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Grove

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1988

Categories: FICTION