Noodlot
1891
Louis Couperus
Amsterdam : Elsevier
Dutch
Novel
192pp
Gay Men
For he was as fate had made him. He was a craven, and he could not help it. Men called such an [sic] one as he a coward: it was but a word. Why coward, or simple and loyal and brave, or good and noble?
Summary
Literally, "Fate." A novel of estrangement and jealousy in marriage. Bertie, the friend, and Eve, the wife of Frank, are in turn envious of each other over Frank's affections. Bertie hides Eve's letters, causing the Frank to believe she no longer loves him; when Frank discovers this, he kills Bertie and is imprisoned. After his release, the married couple eventually commit suicide.
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Content & Trigger Warnings
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Editions
Amsterdam: Elsevier (1891)
London : Heinemann (1891) 272pp. Tr. Clara Bell as Footsteps of Fate.
New York : Appleton (1892) 272pp. Tr. Clara Bell as Footsteps of Fate with introduction by Edmund Gosse. Cover and title page seen at Elysium Press.