Simply buying our first book by an author who might be gay can feel like a tremulous act of outness. But the process can begin earlier, when a character’s moment of same-sex love discreetly blows our minds. Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway isn’t chiefly remembered for gayness, although her memory of “the most exquisite moment of her whole life” 30 years before, when she is kissed on the lips by Sally Seton, once shook me as it must shake so many sensitive proto‑gays.Read about another entry on the list.
Mrs. Dalloway also appears on Alex Clark's list of the best books set over twenty-hours, Mary Gordon's ten favorite books list, Andrew O'Hagan's six favorite books list, Elizabeth Strout's six favorite books list, Juan Gabriel Vásquez's six favorite books list, Becky Ferreira's list of seven of the best fictional depictions of female friendship, Rebecca Jane Stokes's list of seven favorite fictional shopaholics, Suzette Field's top 10 list of literary party hosts, Jennie Rooney's top ten list of women travelers in fiction, John Mullan's list of ten of the best prime ministers in fiction, and among Michael Cunningham's 5 most important books, Dani Shapiro's 10 favorite books, and Kate Walbert's best books.
--Marshal Zeringue
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