''A Marriage Below Zero'' is a novel by

Alan Dale Alan Hugh Dale (born 6 May 1947) is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale enjoyed theatre and rugby. After retiring from the sport, he took on a number of occupations, before deciding to become a professional actor at age 27. Dale subsequentl ...

. Published in 1889, it has been described as the first English-language novel portraying a romantic relationship between two men. It is a

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

told from the point of view of a young woman who realises her new husband has been in a long-standing affair with another man.

Plot

The book is told from the point of view of Elsie Bouverie, a pretty, frivolous English girl who falls in love with handsome, quiet Arthur Ravener. They marry, and Elsie gradually comes to realise that she has competition for Arthur's affection in the form of Captain Dillington, Arthur's male lover. Elsie engages a private detective who provides her with an address in

Notting Hill Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Road M ...

; she goes there to find Dillington and Arthur together. Elsie and Arthur leave London for New York City. While there they attend a service given by a clergyman who preaches against

sodomy Sodomy () or buggery (British English) is generally anal or oral sex between people, or sexual activity between a person and a non-human animal ( bestiality), but it may also mean any non- procreative sexual activity. Originally, the term ''sodo ...

. This affects Arthur to such an extent that he leaves Elsie. Some years later, Elsie travels to Paris where she believes Arthur and Dillington have become involved in a homosexual scandal. She goes to the hotel where she believes Arthur is staying, only to find him dead in his room.

Major themes

The book is notable for its portrayal of a gay romance at a time when mainstream fiction avoided this topic. It is the first English-language gay-themed novel,''Encyclopedia of Gay Histories and Cultures'', p482 and establishes the pattern of gay novels ending in death: especially suicide. Its melodramatic format is closely linked to its author's occupation as a New York drama critic at a time when the primary American theatre form was

.''The Cambridge Companion to the Fin de Siècle'', p65 Its publication roughly coincided with the

Cleveland Street scandal The Cleveland Street scandal occurred in 1889, when a homosexual male brothel and Love hotel, house of assignation on Cleveland Street, London, was discovered by police. The government was accused of covering up the scandal to protect the names o ...

, a case that had been developing for years involving a London gay brothel.''College Literature'', p60

Publication history

* 1889, USA, G.W. Dillingham, Paperback * 2012, USA, Nabu Press, Paperback (reprint) * 2017, USA, Amazon Digital Services (Kindle edition) * 2017, Canada, Broadview, Paperback

Reception

The book met with mixed reviews. An anonymous reviewer in ''Bedford's Magazine'' described it as ''"A saturnalia in which the most monstrous forms of human vice exhibit themselves shamelessly"''; while an approving review in the ''New York World'' described it as ''"Absolutely unconventional"''.''Victorian Review'', p27

References

Bibliography