In the 1950s John Wilmot, an attractive teenager, has come to the capital looking for the success and wealth it can offer to those from the provinces. He is courted by Oliver Cambourne - an older man and an established artist - and, despite not perceiving himself as homosexual, John appears to reciprocate Oliver's feelings, eager for the opportunities that may arrive through his status as Oliver's lover. The developing relationship is skilfully and deftly drawn, as it becomes evident that Oliver's passion is consuming, unlike John's, and that John has invested in an image of himself as a novelist of genius, and needs Oliver to confirm and develop this idea. The themes of love, deception (and self-deception), betrayal and religious experience are interwoven into this scenario and through a typically ingenious Benatar narrative structure.
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