Nocturnes for the King of Naples

Nocturnes for the King of Naples is a 1978 novel by Edmund White. The novel is written as a series of letters addressed to a nameless former lover of the anonymous narrator.

Nocturnes for the King of Naples
AuthorEdmund White
PublisherSt. Martin's Press
Publication date
1978
Publication placeUSA [1]
ISBN0-312-57653-6

The cover of the first paperback edition was illustrated by Mel Odom. It was Odom's first illustration for a book.[2] The original drawing, titled 'Smoke', appeared at auction in June 2019 at Sotheby's for an estimate of $4,000 - $6,000.[3]

White includes an exert from W. B. Yeats's poem 'Meditations in Times of Civil War' before the first chapter.

Summary

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The plot takes the form of an anonymous narrator exchanging letters with a deceased lover, recounting their affair.[4][5] The narrator remembers the pleasure they shared as well as the sorrows which can no longer be resolved due to his friend's death.[6] Often the book touches on the theme of time and memories and how the narrator attempts to hold on or let go of these aspects of love and relationships.[6]

Literary Significance

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Stacy D'Erasmo described the setting of the novel as "1970s gay male nightlife at New York’s old rotting piers, a twisted, rusting, metallic ruin of anonymous sex and unexpectedly sublime tableaus."[7]

Writing in The New York Times, John Yohalem described the novel as "a set of delicious, affected prose poems by a writer of great talent and high art."[8]

White explores similar themes in A Boy's Own Story.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Signed First Edition". AbeBooks.
  2. ^ Gentes, Brian (2019-01-19). "A Mel Odom Retrospective, Carmen Maria Machado's Upcoming Memoir, and More LGBTQ News". Lambda Literary. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  3. ^ "BENT Auction". Sotheby's.
  4. ^ "Edmund White | Biography, Books, A Boy's Own Story, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  5. ^ "Apostrophes to a Dead Lover". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  6. ^ a b Bridges, Karl (2007-09-30). 100 Great American Novels You've (Probably) Never Read. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-59158-165-9.
  7. ^ D’Erasmo, Stacey (2009-10-02). "Glory Days". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  8. ^ "Apostrophes to a Dead Lover". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  9. ^ "Edmund White". Oxford Reference. Retrieved 2023-08-29.