The Exploration of Innocence in The Go-Between
The Go-Between , written by L.P. Hartley and edited with an introduction and notes by Douglas Brooks-Davies for Penguin Modern Classics, is a powerful exploration of a young boy's loss of innocence. The book opens with the familiar line, "The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there." During a long, hot summer, young Leo stays with a school friend at Brandham Hall. There, he becomes a messenger between Ted, the farmer, and Marian, the beautiful young woman at the manor. As he becomes more deeply involved in their dangerous game of deceit and desire, his role leads to a shocking and premature revelation. This gripping story of a boy's encounter with the secrets of the adult world also memorably delineates the limits of Edwardian society.
About the Author Leslie Poles Hartley
Leslie Poles Hartley (1895–1972), born in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, was educated at Harrow and Balliol College, Oxford. For over thirty years, from 1923 onwards, he was a tireless fiction reviewer for magazines such as the Spectator and the Saturday Review . His first book, Night Fears (1924), was a collection of short stories. It was not until the publication of Eustace and Hilda (1947), which won the James Tait Black Prize, that Hartley achieved widespread recognition as an author. Other well-known novels include The Go-Between (1953), which was made into a film starring international stars such as Julie Christie and Alan Bates, and The Hireling (1957), the film version of which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
A Recommendation and Inspiration
If you enjoyed The Go-Between , you might also consider Barry Hines' A Kestrel for a Knave , available from Penguin Modern Classics. The Independent describes the work as "magical and disturbing." A first reading reveals a beautifully crafted account of a young boy long lost to his innocence, while a second reading, with the knowledge of the approaching, inevitable tragedy, becomes far more poignant and painful, according to the Express .