Henry Henry: ‘Needs to be read right now’ Brandon Taylor

Hal Lancaster is a 22-year-old gay Catholic who is the reluctant heir to the noble House of Lancaster. His father, Henry, the sixteenth Duke of Lancaster, is a half-tyrant, half-martyr who uses passive-aggression, religious guilt, and cruelty to keep him in check. When a grouse-shooting accident makes a romance out of Hal's rivalry with family friend Harry Percy, Hal finds that he wants a life of his own, but his father will not let him escape tradition. Henry Henry is a brilliant recasting of Shakespeare's history plays for the modern era.

Format: Hardback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 02 May 2024
Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Meet Hal Lancaster: twenty-two, gay, Catholic, and a reluctant heir to the noble House of Lancaster. Hal's father, Henry, the sixteenth Duke of Lancaster, is a complex character, half tyrant, half martyr. His investment in his eldest son has turned into an obsession, and he uses passive-aggression, religious guilt, and sometimes even cruelty to keep Hal in check. While Hal floats between internships and drinking sessions, Henry tries to mold him into the perfect heir.

However, everything changes when a grouse-shooting accident turns Hal's rivalry with his family friend, Harry Percy, into a romantic encounter. Hal finds himself wanting a life of his own for the first time, but his father, an Englishman, is determined to keep him bound by tradition. To save himself, Hal must confront not only his own grief and shame but also the wounds of his family's past.

Henry Henry is a brilliant reimagining of Shakespeare's history plays for the modern era. It will appeal to fans of Alan Hollinghurst, Evelyn Waugh, and Saltburn. This book is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers, as it explores themes of family, tradition, and identity in a unique and compelling way.

Weight: 448g
Dimension: 224 x 144 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781787334595