Maurice Verdal is restless. He’s dapper, charming, and endlessly curious about the world, and right now, he’s bored of Paris. So, on a whim, he leaves for London, eager to immerse himself in the city’s social scene. Written by Xavier-Marcel Boulestin and originally serialized in Akademos in 1909, Maurice in London is a witty, observant, and gossipy tour of pre-World War I London’s queer subcultures. Maurice, a well-dressed and well-connected Frenchman, floats through high society and artistic circles, mingling with theater actors, aristocrats, and eccentric socialites, all while dissecting the oddities of English life with his sharp and often sardonic humor.

The writing is lively, drenched in irony, and full of razor-sharp observations about people who desperately want to be noticed. Maurice’s narration is both indulgent and self-aware, which makes him a fascinating character to follow. Take, for example, his interactions with the flamboyant and ever-dramatic Reggie de Vere, who declares, “I adore acting like a tart; I have tendencies in that direction.” Maurice doesn’t judge him outright, he simply watches, amused, and lets Reggie’s behavior speak for itself. This is a common pattern in the book: Boulestin doesn’t hammer his points home. Instead, he trusts the reader to catch the subtle digs, the unspoken hierarchies, and the absurdities of social posturing.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its vivid portrayal of a particular time and place. This is London after Oscar Wilde’s trial, where the old-school aesthetes are fading, and a new wave of modern, queer intellectuals are reshaping the scene. Maurice navigates it all with an outsider’s keen eye. Whether he’s dodging bills in fancy restaurants, watching actors compete for attention, or attending an over-the-top house party that ends in scandal, his experiences feel authentic. The dialogue is snappy, often hilarious, and full of lines that would fit seamlessly in a modern social satire.

I feel like the story is less concerned with the plot than with experience, and that makes for a lot of scenes where people simply talk, gossip, and revel in their own cleverness. It’s entertaining, but some moments feel like they exist purely for the sake of capturing a mood rather than moving the story forward. The final chapters, in particular, lean heavily into these social vignettes.

Maurice in London is perfect for readers who love social satire, historical queer literature, or novels that thrive on wit and character dynamics. Fans of Oscar Wilde, Evelyn Waugh, or even The Great Gatsby will find much to love here. It’s a novel filled with lavish settings, scandalous characters, and dialogue that still sparkles over a century later.

ISBN : 9781590217849