A Previous Life

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'Elegant, filthy – and quite possibly the queerest thing you will read all year.' - Guardian 'Intriguing and inventive.' - Electric Literature, "Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Book of the Year" 'A dizzyingly enticing and kaleidoscopic take on the spectrum of sexual experiences.' - Publishers Weekly, starred review This daring and humor-infused novel from National Book Award-honored author Edmund White delves into polyamory, bisexuality, aging, and love. Ruggero, a Sicilian aristocrat and musician, and his younger American wife, Constance, decide to break their silence and share their Confessions, having previously avoided discussing their pasts to protect their marriage. As they alternate reading their memoirs, Constance recounts her multiple marriages to older men, while Ruggero reveals his affairs with both men and women, notably his passionate relationship with White himself. Set against the backdrop of a Swiss ski chalet, the narrative expands across Europe and the U.S., challenging conventional notions of sexual orientation. White combines humor and truth to craft his most intricate characters yet, offering a searing exploration of physical beauty and its decline. In this experimental format, where the author appears as a secondary character, themes of love and aging are examined through diverse perspectives. Delightful, irreverent, and innovative, this work reaffirms White's status as a master of American literature.