The Go-Between by L. P. Harley

I read this book several years ago and remembered absolutely loving it, and I wasn't disappointed by rereading it. It's wonderfully beautiful and lyrical, it has a kind of sustained, gorgeous mood that persists throughout the text. The language is rich and poetic, and is for me endlessly satisfying to read. It also reminds me that I need to reread Atonement, since it borrows (steals) a great deal from this novel, but as far as I remember, I definitely prefer The Go-Between. What bothered me when reading it this time is how obviously Freudian it is, which I suppose I either ignored or was oblivious to when I read it first. There's an obvious Oedipal conflict going on between the narrator (Leo) and Ted Burgess (the secret lover of the heroine), in which Leo both admires Ted and is repulsed by him, wants to be him and wants to reject him. He also sees Marian both as mother and love object, etc, etc, I could go on for a while. Suffice to say that I found this dreadful line: 'The rhythmic rubbing half soothed and half excited me; it seemed to have a ritual significance...' (this is about oiling a cricket bat), the symbolism is just too blatant. I feel like there's something underneath this obvious Freudian plot, or at least I want to believe that there is, since I am sick to death of Freudian theory. I'm no expert in Freud, but as far as I understand, according to his theories, all of these terrible incestuous complexes that he posits (Oedipal, Electra, the oral stage, anal stage, etc, etc) lead eventually to a healthy and balanced sexuality, while in this novel, Leo passes through these conflicts and emerges traumatised and unable to have a normal adult sexuality. So maybe this is really an attack on Freud's theories? Or perhaps that is just my wishful thinking as a Freud hater. But psychoanalysis aside, one of my favourite parts of this book is the schoolboy slang of Leo and his friend Marcus, who call each other things like 'stomach pump' and 'insular owl' and talk in a ridiculous mixture of French, Latin and mock-medieval English which is completely hilarious. This is part of the amazing way Harley captures childhood, with all of its vanity, energy, and not-innocent innocence, on the page. I think this is one of the best portrayals of a child's mind I have ever read. This book is overall exceptional for its incredibly real characters and narrative voice.