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The Go-Between
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Go-Between is a novel by L.P. Hartley (1895 – 1972), published in London in 1953. The novel begins with the famous line: "The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.'
The plot has striking parallels to that of a classical Danish novel, Brudstykker af en Landsbydegns Dagbog ("Fragments from a Parish-Clerk's Diary") by Steen Steensen Blicher (1824).
Hartley's story begins with the reminiscences of Leo, an aging man, looking back at his childhood with nostalgia, a theme found in abundance throughout the novel. The older Leo who narrates the book is nothing like the vivacious, courageous Leo in the story.
The greater portion of the text concerns itself with Leo's past, particularly the summer of 1900, spent as a guest at Brandham Hall, the home of his schoolfriend Marcus. Here the young Leo, on holiday from boarding school, undergoes his process of maturity through experience, at first acting in ignorance as a messenger between Marian, the daughter of the wealthy host family, and a nearby tenant farmer, Ted. Later he acts as an interceptor, and occasional editor, of the messages, realising the true carnal state of the affair between the two. His actions have disastrous consequences, especially the tragic end of the affair which leads to Ted's suicide and a permanent psychological scar upon Leo's life.
It may be said that Hartley was a brilliant thematic writer, in that many deliberate themes and metaphors may be found in his work. Within this novel, themes such as the innocence of childhood and its loss, family life (or a lack of such), class and gender distinctions, and education are to be found.
In 1971, The Go-Between was made into a film directed by Joseph Losey with the same title. The cast included Julie Christie, Alan Bates, Margaret Leighton, Michael Redgrave, and Edward Fox, among others. The screenplay was written by Harold Pinter, the third of his collaborations with Losey.
