 First edition cover | |
| Author | Mary Renault |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | War novel Gay literature |
| Publisher | Longman |
Publication date | 1953 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | hardback |
| Pages | 399 |
The Charioteer is a romantic war novel by Mary Renault (pseudonym for Eileen Mary Challans) first published in London in 1953. Renault's US publisher (Morrow) refused to publish it until 1959, after a revision of the text, due to its generally positive portrayal of homosexuality. The Charioteer is significant because it features a gay protagonist and romantic story with a happy ending, the first book traditionally published in England to do so. It quickly became a bestseller – particularly within the gay community,[1] and remains a cult classic.
- ^ Slide, Anthony (2003). Lost Gay Novels: A Reference Guide to Fifty Works from the First Half of the Twentieth Century. Routledge. p. 152. As it was published in 1953, The Charioteer, though briefly mentioned (p. 152) is not actually discussed in this book.