But this book isn’t just about this summer, we know that Natalie had a summer of madness many years earlier and as the tale of a different more murky natural pool, the setting for adolescent life in the 1985. The mystery is what does this long ago summer have to do with anything, except the haunting of Natalie as she relives her actions from that time. A lighthearted, conversational history, with emphasis on the challenges women once faced just getting in the water, and the “swimming suffragettes” who defied genteel disapproval to claim the right to do so. This swimming session is specifically for ladies only aged 16 and over. Where possible, female lifeguards are present at these sessions. Stroud might have been terminally inhibiting for the young Hollinghurst, but he escaped. At eight his "aspirational" parents took the curious decision to send him to prep school as a boarder. "Neither of my parents had been to boarding school, but they thought it was important," he says vaguely. From there, he went to Canford public school in Dorset, also as a boarder, and it proved an artistic awakening. "Being in a beautiful and interesting old house made a profound impression on me at an early stage." The decision to send him away was to be the making of the young aesthete, as well as the beginning of the remarkable voice.

Swimming Sessions - Lane Casual Adult, Child and Family Swimming Sessions - Lane Casual

Macdonald, Moira (11 July 2003). " 'Swimming Pool' seduces with a dip into surprising, erotic waters". The Seattle Times . Retrieved 23 August 2021.

PWTAG Swimming Pool Water Erratum

Hollinghurst's large flat, spread over three floors, overlooks the southern edge of Hampstead Heath. He lives alone – he generally has, though there have been "periods of experiment" with live-in partners – and the flat feels monastic. "I'm not at all easy to live with," he says. "I wish I could integrate writing into ordinary social life, but I don't seem to be able to. I could when I started. I suppose I had more energy then. Now I have to isolate myself for long periods. It's all become more of a challenge. I find writing novels gets harder and harder, which is not what I thought would happen. I thought you'd learn how to do it." The Swimming Pool is a novel that oozes summer. Everything from the rising temperatures to the decreasing inhibitions of the main character makes Louise Candlish’s novel one that is best enjoyed sitting on a beach with the sun beating down and the sound of the surf roaring nearby. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it now we’ve moved to the other side of those heady days, either. Take away the summer glamour and The Swimming Pool becomes a dark and chilling thriller about hazy judgements and their inevitable fallout, which is certainly worth your time and attention. Whether you're looking to swim alone or with your family, we have sessions running in our pools across Edinburgh. One question he refuses to engage with is whether he is still pigeonholed as a gay writer. This was the canard that followed him on his promotional tour for The Line Of Beauty, when interviewers asked whether his gayness defined him as a writer and every news piece was headlined, "Gay writer wins Booker". "I have a feeling it's changed," he says. "I spent 20 years politely answering the question, 'How do you feel when people categorise you as a gay writer?' and I'm not going to do it this time round. It's no longer relevant." The Swimming Pool is an easy but intelligent read. The plot is well constructed, the characters believable and the gradual ratcheting up of tension is impressive.

Books Alan Hollinghurst: Sex on the brain | Books

The narrator, Natalie, is one of those people that make you wonder whether she's actually a nice person or not. Though she's not part of Lara's gang of high class, incredibly rich socialites, she really, really wants to be. She seems to look up to them so much, and this desperation, coupled with the way she treats her family and friends in trying to get closer to Lara, makes people turn against her. We also learn about a chequered past many summers ago, and though Natalie seems the most remorseful of the two, she's certainly no angel. Natalie and Molly though at the start of the summer make friends with the far more glamorous Channings, who were instrumental in the re-opening of the lido, and turn into key players in this whole story. The majority of the story takes place over a three month period of the summer, and the time line does jump around slightly. Will continues reading Charles's diaries. On the way to a boxing club financially supported by Nantwich, Will has an unpleasant encounter with a working class boy, who offers him sex for money. Will refuses; there are undertones of fear and violence.I'm not going to lie, I skipped chunks of this because otherwise I would've just given up. The whole story just dragged on so much and was so boring. Yeah, there were some okay plot twists but nothing worth putting up with the rest of the story for. I didn't even like the characters or the setting. The whole thing was a bit of a disaster to me really. At the Corry, Will is attracted to Phil, a young bodybuilder. Despite his physique, Phil is shy and a sexual novice. Will suspects that Phil is the man with whom he had sex in the cinema.

The Swimming Pool: From the author of ITV’s Our House The Swimming Pool: From the author of ITV’s Our House

Book online or via ‘Swim Bookings’ on the app. Bookings open 4 days in advance at 9pm for Swim Members and 3 days in advance at 9pm for non-members. Sensationally sexy. This queer classic is really a historical snapshot of 20th century homosexuality in England. Hollinghurst masterly uses an amusing cast of characters to explore issues of class, wealth, race, identity and sexuality and its bit of a mystery and quite a lot of fun discovering how connected their lives are.At Better, we believe that swimming should be fun and exciting for all the family. With sessions like Family Fun Swim, Aqua Splash, Toddler Splash, Swim for under 5s, Aqua Play and Swim for Families, there’s something for kids of all ages – and parents and carers too – to enjoy.