The Folding StarEdward Manners - thirty-three, disaffected, in search of a new life - has come to an ancient Flemish city to teach English. Almost at once he falls in love with one of his pupils, the seventeen-year-old Luc Altidore, recently expelled from school for some mysterious offense. Condemned to a mounting but incommunicable obsession with the boy, Edward becomes involved in affairs with two other men: one a heartless but seductive fraud, the other a young drifter with a deeply possessive streak. Then Edward is introduced to the world of the enigmatic and reclusive Symbolist painter Edgard Orst. Gradually he is drawn toward an understanding of the artist's own obsession with a famous actress, drowned off Ostend at the turn of the century, and of the ambiguous circumstances of Orst's own death under Nazi occupation. |
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Agustino Alejo Allemonde already Altidore Arctic Prince asked beautiful breath called Cherif cock couple course dark Dawlish Dawn door drink Echevin Edie Edward eyes face father feel felt Flemish folding star front fucking gave gaze girls glanced glass gone Gordon Bottomley grin hair hand head heard Hermès imagined kind kissed knew later laugh light lips looked Luc's Marcel Matt Matt's minutes Mirabelle mother Museum never night nodded oddly Orst Orst's painted Patrick Paul Paul's perhaps picture Raleigh rebels realised remembered Rex Stout round seemed seen sense shoulder Sibylle silent smile someone sometimes St Narcissus stared stood street sure Symbolist T. S. Eliot talk tell thing thought told took town turned waiting walked wanted watched whilst window wondered young