SHAKESPEARE ET GIDE EN CORRECTIONNELLE? (Shakespeare and Gide on Trial?): by Daniel Guérin. In French; published by Les Editions au Scorpion. Paris, France; 1959. In this little volume Daniel Guérin, a well-known French sociologist and historian and, since 1955, sexologist, has presented a collection of unrelated essays which when considered as a whole raise a very interesting question. The author states in his forword that homosexuality does not, or should not, constitute any special problem unto itself. Homosexuality is but one of many variants of the overall phenomena of love and erotism. The real problem, he says, is that of sexual liberty—or, to be even more precise, just plain personal liberty.

In the first essay the author, drawing upon the sonnets themselves, attempts to prove that homosexuality is the central theme of Shakespeare's love poetry. He states that the sonnets have all too often been misunderstood and badly interpreted, and he points out that in his spiritualized expression of one of "love's variants," Shakespeare rose to the heights of universal poetry. This little study is beautifully and critically written.

In the second essay Guérin attempts to defend Gide, the man, the writer, and the homosexual, against those of his critics or admirers who have tried either to apologize for Gide's sexual tendencies, minimize them, or even deny that Gide was what Gide himself proclaimed.

In a few subsequent pages. Mr. Guérin strikingly describes the "drama of homosexuality" in terms of the psychological tortures which the taboos of our society impose upon the individual. In following essays the author considers the criminal aspects of homosexuality. In one he makes an analysis of the Wolfenden Report on Homosexuality in England. Then, he considers the history of homosexual legislation in France and describes in detail the provisions and operations of the French penal code which have been in effect since 1945.

The volume contains, finally, a short eulogy of two recently deceased sexologists, Alfred Kinsey and Wilhelm Reich.

Mr. Guérin's book is objective, scientific and well written, and should be read with interest and respect by either supporters or adversaries of the various points of view which Mr. Guérin presents. The following essay on "The Suppression of Homosexuality in France" has been translated especially for readers of ONE.

the

SUPRESSION

of homosexuality in france

by daniel guerin. translated by marcel martin

one

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