Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Chorus of Witches (Valancourt 20th Century Classics)
Chorus of Witches (Valancourt 20th Century Classics) | Paul Buckland
6 posts | 3 read | 6 to read
A thrilling rediscovery - a lost gay classic about a traveling drag show in 1950s England As far as Eric and Gertrude Ford know, their teenage son Colin is off at art school. So imagine their shock and horror when they attend a show at the Palace Theatre and see him take the stage - wearing a dress and wig! Chorus of Witches is the story of Colin, sexy but heartless, and the two men who love him: Jock, a rough but tender-hearted Scotsman and Alan, a refined older gentleman. It's also a fascinating look at backstage life at one of Britain's earliest drag shows, with an unforgettable cast of bitchy queens like Josie, Netta, and Tessa, whose bickering and banter is as fresh and funny as any modern-day drag queen reality show. First published in 1959 and never previously reprinted, Paul Buckland's Chorus of Witches is an exciting rediscovery, one of the first novels about drag queens and a rare example of an early gay novel with a happy ending.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
BookmarkTavern
post image

@Reggie I just dropped this in the mail for you!

Thank you everyone for such a fun round of #LMPBC ! #Round20 #GroupQ @Bookzombie @psalva

Bookzombie @BookmarkTavern I‘m sorry to be a bother, but do you mind if I send your book out to you later in the month? Basically we closed on a house and it ended up being a lot more work than we thought. Now I‘m cleaning the rental we were in. It just hasn‘t led to a lot of sitting and reading time. I‘m so sorry for always taking so long. FYI @Reggie @psalva 2mo
BookmarkTavern @Bookzombie You are not a bother at all! I completely understand that life happens! You take your time, and I look forward to reading everyone‘s notes. And congrats on the house! 🎉🎉 2mo
54 likes2 comments
review
BookmarkTavern
post image
Pickpick

Backstage of a 1950s drag show, there‘s banter, romance, jealousy, and community. And the lives of a veteran, an artist, and a performer intersect in ways no one anticipated.

This was such an unexpected delight. I loved the banter between all the queens, & their support even as they heckled each other. There‘s a lot of POV hopping that works for the most part. & a twist on all of my expectations, with a satisfying resolution. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

BookmarkTavern Chapter 5, brief mention of spousal murder 2mo
See All 6 Comments
Kenyazero This sounds neat! Is it all told in one night? 2mo
BookmarkTavern @Kenyazero No, it takes place over a few weeks mostly. (edited) 2mo
Kenyazero @BookmarkTavern Very cool! 2mo
69 likes2 stack adds6 comments
blurb
BookmarkTavern
post image

It arrived yesterday! And the packaging matches the cover! 💖

@Bookzombie #GroupQ #Round20 #LMPBC

60 likes3 stack adds
review
psalva
post image
Pickpick

I really enjoyed this read. It‘s one of those books that wasn‘t on my radar at all, and I‘m thankful to @Reggie for picking it for #LMPBC. The characters were all loveable, even the unlikeable ones/ones who had very little page time, and I found the ending so charming. I also found the writing extremely insightful about aspects of gay life, particularly the clash between “respectability” and public or open lifestyles. ⬇️ #catsoflitsy

psalva I think I may bring this to one of my local queer book clubs at some point. @BookmarkTavern 4mo
psalva @Bookzombie This is in the mail as of today. So sorry I‘m getting it out to you so late! My life these past two weeks has been messy. 4mo
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 4mo
See All 6 Comments
Bookzombie @psalva That‘s totally okay. 🙂 Your cat is so sweet! 4mo
Reggie lol, I loved the part where Colin and Jock got in a fight and I just thought, right before the knife throwing show?!!! I‘m glad you liked it, Peter. 😊 4mo
Bookzombie I got the book a couple of days ago. 🙂 4mo
22 likes6 comments
blurb
psalva
post image

My Saturday morning coffee read. I‘m about halfway through, and I‘m hoping to finish it this weekend. #LMPBC #GroupQ

Reggie Hope you like it! 4mo
BookmarkTavern I‘m so excited! 4mo
18 likes2 comments
review
Reggie
post image
Pickpick

@psalva This is on its way to you. Should be there Monday they said. Written in the UK during the 1950s we follow a young Colin who goes around performing in a drag troupe and his two suitors. This was better than I expected and all the feelings and attitudes are still relevant today. Pick!

vivastory Not book related, but have you watched Immaculate or Late Night With The Devil? Considering going to see one of them this weekend. I have heard great things about both. 5mo
Reggie @vivastory I have not even heard of Late Night but I totally want to see that. I have Monday and Tuesday off so that‘s where I‘ll be. Thanks, Scott. 5mo
vivastory I've heard several people I trust say that it's going to be one of the best of the year 5mo
See All 6 Comments
psalva @Reggie I just retrieved it from the mailbox. I‘m excited to get to it! 5mo
Reggie @vivastory so I just came back from Late Night with the Devil.lol, and I loved it. Have you watched the V/H/S anthologies? The last couple have taken place back in the 90s and 80s and it just felt like an elongated episode of one of the short stories that make up those movies. It has a good pace and just good stuff. 5mo
vivastory @Reggie I hope to see Late Night etc in the next couple days. Glad to hear your endorsement! I have seen most of the V/H/S anthologies. I remember really liking the one set in '85 with the swimmers who come back for revenger. I also really liked the segment in '94 towards the end where the extremist group planned on using the vampire as a weapon 5mo
67 likes2 stack adds6 comments