In Thrall by Jane DeLynn

by Jane DeLynn

So the sixteen-year-old Lynn writes her thirty-seven-year-old English teacher a letter, and they embark on one of the funniest-- and saddest-- love affairs you'll ever read one shrouded in secrecy and guilt. For this is the early sixties, years before Gay Liberation, when all Lynn knows about "lezbos" is that they wear their hair in crew cuts, buy suits like her father's, and sprout mustaches over their upper lips. Lynn, in her desire to appear "normal", continues to make homophobic jokes with her girlfriends, neck with her boyfriend, and play the innocent with her parents, even as she checks the mirror each night for the telltale signs of her "perversion". Here is a story about the kind of seduction that is every parent's nightmare. In this profound, witty, poignant, and highly charged novel, Jane DeLynn proves herself a writer of the first rank.

Genres: Fiction, Queer, LGBT, Lesbian, Novels

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Jane DeLynn is the author of the novels Leash, Don Juan in the Village, Real Estate (a New York Times Book Review “Notable Book of the Year”), In Thrall, Some Do, as well as the collection Bad Sex Is Good. Authors she’s been compared to include Proust, Salinger, Jane Austen, Rabelais, Swift, Oscar Wilde, Proust, Helene Cixious, and Edgar Allan Poe, Aristophanes, Euripedes, & Woody Allen. She was a correspondent in Saudi Arabia for Mirabella and Rolling Stone during the Gulf War, and has published articles, essays & stories in a number of anthologies & magazines in the US & abroad, including The New York Times, Mademoiselle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, The Paris Review, and The New York Observer. Her musical theater works have been performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Encompass Music Theater, and Theater for the New City. . Her work has been translated into German, Norwegian, Spanish, Japanese, and French. She splits her time between New York City and Long Island.

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5, rounded down.

The MC in this surely autobiographical novel has been called a female Holden Caulfield, and it's an apt comparison. 16-year-old Lynn (surely a clever clue, given the author's surname?) is a high school senior, living in NY with her somewhat stereotypical Jewish family, and discovering her nascent lesbianism through an affair with her 37-year-old-English teacher Miss Maxfeld (we never learn her first name) in 1964.

Although never terribly graphic in the details, it DOES pretty much center around that one topic - but it's fascinating to view the subject from the triple perspectives of today, in 1982 when it was written, and the earlier setting (the details of which are spot-on). We've come a long way ... (baby). The foreword by Colm Tóibín puts this all in perspective, and it's (pardon the expression) an enthralling book to have been rediscovered and reissued.

[Rosamund Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 1982, this is a frank depiction of a relationship between a 16-year-old student and her 37-year-old female teacher. Lynn, the main character, is very bright but dissatisfied, attending an all-girls school in New York City, and living with overbearing parents. Lynn is constantly thinking about her English teacher, Miss Maxwell, and their connection grows when Miss Maxwell starts to regularly invite Lynn over to her apartment for tea. Lynn is terrified that she may be a lesbian, but also unable to stop seeking out Miss Maxwell's company.

The novel is dated in some ways -- particularly because Miss Maxwell is less concerned that she's sleeping with a minor than she is that she's 'teaching' Lynn to be a lesbian, while she believes it would be better for Lynn not to know her sexuality. There is also some casual racism, and Lynn is very homophobic towards gay men. These details can make the book objectionable to read at some points. The author, Jane DeLynn, uses a lot of dialogue in her storytelling, to the point where she seems to become lost in long, circuitry conversations. Casual dialogue is also often used at the expense of exploring a character's interiority.

But while this is flawed, it's also an interesting, and intimate, portrait of the 1960s in New York City, and how it felt to be a young woman at the time. It's remarkably frank about sex, and about sexuality, and the contrasts between Lynn and Miss Maxwell are an interesting demonstration of the differing attitudes created by time and age. It's worth reading if the subject matter appeals to you.

[Fleur Booth · Rating 3 out of 5]

amazing how unsexy this was

[Cat]

thought this book about a smart-aleck lesbian who falls in love with her high school teacher would be a riot, but it's thin and vinegary and wearying. you know almost nothing about what draws the characters together — any real emotion is kept at bay by ceaseless banter. parents are naggy, teacher is ugly, student is a brat, other family members are closeted ... is there anyone here having a good time?

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

so immersed in the period that it basically reads like a historical document, particularly in its focus on lesbianism as a sort of intersex condition. very funny at points (lynn’s ‘tragic hero’ essay is hysterical). deeply depressing in a way that validates the catcher in the rye comparisons. queer anti-coming of age - all the glitter and comfort stripped out

[P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished reading this book this morning. It wasn't what I expected it to be like, which is good in this case. I think I was enthralled by the book itself (cheesiness not intended)! There were a lot of parts where I found myself relating to Lynn in ways that actually scared me, to be honest. But that too, was also a good thing, I guess. I love the relationship that Lynn has with her teacher because it IS funny and sad (as the blurb claims) but also because it's so different in an unpredictable, somewhat poignant and interesting way. All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and I especially love some of the quotes in it. I wish there were more books out there like this.

[Talia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly sad and funny, but also Lynn (hmm..) had a wildly unrealistic friend group. Never thought I would feel bad for a 16 year old who fell in love with her English teacher. 4.5 if I could give half stars, just because the characters are so vague at times.

[Catalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
i liked this a lot!! had a lot of poignant things to say about growing up queer in a time where that was not allowed. also did not go for cheap shock value, and did not lose sight of the message, which i appreciated.

[Bee B · Rating 4 out of 5]

after some reflection, i did really like this book. it was somewhat slow (though I tend to gravitate towards intense scary books) but still compelling. I've seen reviews say the main character is unlikeable but I think she reads as an honest depiction of a scared, confused kid. Also, I think it's realistic that there are so many closeted gays around her. It might be cliche but there tends to be more gay people around than you'd ever think when you're young and insecure.

[Sofía · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't really say what about this book attracted me so much. Objectively, it's nothing so original, and it is at times tedious, and poorly edited, but I liked it so much. I literally couldn't put it down. Maybe I was just so charmed by Lynn and her honestly and observations and cynicism. Made me very glad to not be a teenager anymore.

[ira · Rating 5 out of 5]

really loved this . Very grateful I did not know it existed as a teenager . Here is my minor gripe: the paper is entirely too thick in the new semiotexte edition. No need to make us carry around a cuneiform tablet when a mass market paperback would do just fine

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting! get it?

[Sarina Uriza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated this coming of age novel about a young woman’s first queer “love” experience during a far less welcoming era in American society.

The main character, Lynn, battling hormones, high school cattiness, parental strife, along with anxiety and depression comes off as a mix between Holden Caulfield and Veruca Salt. On the surface, Lynn’s inner turmoil and outward abhorrence to everything, seemed to be due to conflicting feelings about her sexuality - which was so black and white. She was either gay or straight. A lesbian or a “normal” woman. A hermaphrodite or “normal” human being. However, Lynn’s turmoil was a result of various relationships in her life.

It’s disheartening to remember that during this time, so many struggled with the necessity to define their sexuality and, to more often than not, have to hide it, because they knew society would not approve. Lynn was so bent on finding a scientific reason or a childhood event that caused her to be attracted to women, and the only resource she could obtain was a medical book on hermaphroditism (which) she unfortunately tried to apply to herself. I think it’s refreshing that today, there is the acknowledgment that one doesn’t need to define their gender or sexuality and that a person can be many genders and fluid in their sexuality. Although, society isn’t perfect today, and its certainly seeming to begin to move backwards into recognizing only two sexes, it is comforting to know that there exist still, access to literature and communities for those struggling with finding their identity.

It was hard to view the relationship between Lynn and Ms. Maxfield as romantic and fully consensual, not just because of their age gap but also because of Ms. Maxfield’s undeniable position of power. Further, Ms. Maxfield mentioning that this was not her first rodeo with a minor student, marred my perception of this relationship in a positive light. Due to these factors, as much as I wanted to immerse myself in the story, I found myself drawn a back.

Another negative - racist references to Chinese, Latinos, Blacks, and class. I come to expect that I may find this when reading pieces written during certain periods in time, but it’s still jarring when I come across it. For me, it exposes a facet of the character’s personality (and the author sometimes) that makes it hard for me to sympathize or connect with.

Not a bad read but not one that I would call a “masterpiece” or “dazzling” as some critics have said.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had to grow on me as I continued to read it. It takes a little while to see things as Jane DeLynn wants you to see them. It is important to keep in mind the era in which this book is set. I ended up being very fond of this book and this story.

Lynn really rubs you the wrong way when you first meet her. In fact, her friends are awful too. She is a know-it-all despite having big and deep fears, she’s petty, she’s judgmental, she’s stubborn. She is a 16-year old girl trying to figure out who she is and what she wants. As we have all been before. I think I disliked her so much because I saw my own traits inside of her. She is deeply insecure.

She obsesses over her sexuality and scrutinizes herself so much that she is dissecting everyone else’s sexuality and scrutinizing them, too. Her English teacher takes advantage of her and deflects blame onto her. She feels guilt, she lashes out. What even draws them together?

The last quarter of the book really put it all into perspective for me. I never became a fan of Aunt Lou though.

[Reagan Dennison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d give it 3.5 stars if I could, but I did enjoy reading it. My favorite part was the annoying ass narrator who I think captured adolescence very well and the feeling of everything being the end of the world. I may be a prude but Miss Maxfield is a PREDATOR like wdym you’ve been with 2 other students???? But it was the 60s and she was allegedly ugly. I still enjoyed it even if I didn’t really care for their relationship (aside from the teacher thing, it really didn’t seem ever like love, but maybe that was the point in that she wouldn’t know what love really is at 16?) Either way, thought it was a nice time capsule of queer life prior to Stonewall. A man at a cafe asked me if Stonewall was the author’s other book. That’s all.

[Holland · Rating 3 out of 5]

now listen, this was good. i understand the comparisons to holden caulfield. however, i cannot get over these types of “relationships” being positioned S a type of “life transforming” experiences for young adults discovering their sexuality or sexuality in general. i’m thinking of Der Vorleser/The Reader by Bernhard Schlink. changing the relationship changes the book or story, obviously, but it’s something i can’t get over. does this happen? yes. can i objectively “enjoy” a fiction story about this? apparently not. maybe if it was presented as actually autobiographical, i could accept the truth to this story, but it’s not. it’s presented as fiction. sorry (de)lynn:/

[rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

might be a 4.5 tbh. very wonderfully enjoyable. lynn is so me in high school vibes. it’s jarring to think i was that annoying but i definitely was. SO many quotes that had me laughing and thinking. two favorites:

– “What you know about communism could fit inside your bra.”
– “Something was going to happen, and I would have to say something or do something, and I didn’t know what I wanted to say or do, or what I wanted to have said or done to me.”

[Zach Werbalowsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

quite a solid book with a questionable relationship in the middle and main characters that is seething with so much teenage angst it is comical, the kinda angst and neurosis for a new york jew (i'm jewish) and the kind of family to match with such great lines of dialogue written between them. i was mostly entertained watching our protagonist flounder about, perhaps holden caufield esque? perhaps not

[Madeleine]

i enjoyed this novel and the adolescent contradictions of its narrator who so loathes normal society while wanting to be a part of it. sits in ambiguity without explaining it away. lynn’s heartbreaking longing to be seen surprised me in how it moved me. it would have been an interesting site to further explore power dynamics across class, race, and religion in its setting of NY.

[Karen Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw this reviewed and thought that might be interesting, it is. it captures a time just pre when same sex become mainstream, everyday.

Interesting portrayal of time and place, but too light on detail to make it a great, even good red.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took me an absurdly long time to read for such a short book, and I didn’t dislike it. The protagonist is just prickly in an extremely teenage way that’s realistic but also kind of gets you going ‘oh nooooo, college is going to be good for you’. Which I think is the point.

[maylee marino · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this, i felt it a lot and the writing was wonderful. i would’ve loved more scenes with lynn and miss maxfeld but otherwise it was beautiful. that last line… holyyyy. i loved this, def a 3.7-4 ish.

[Loretta Gaffney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love her later work, but this one doesn’t age well. As a period piece it’s interesting but not enough to carry the story.

[Zoe]

i couldn't enjoy this because the narrator was too annoying and the teacher was too annoying and everyone was acting weird.

[GwenViolet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just like me for real

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. Not my usual thing but a funny, sad and gripping book (if being the first two of those things at once makes any sense).

[Natalie Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anyone else read Lynn in a young Jodie Foster voice or was that just me? Decent enough book I suppose, I feel like there were some moments that were just too vague.

[Gracie Hime · Rating 3 out of 5]

was really looking forward to this and it really just didn’t deliver how i wanted it to. lots of jumps in narrative that didn’t seem like a stylistic choice. was a fun read tho

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quippy!! Better than catcher in the rye but 300 pages is still too long to spend in a teenagers head

[rézi · Rating 4 out of 5]

surprisingly moving and sad, while also managing to be both boring AND also a total riot. jane delynn can do it all! like an irresistible mix of florence king and j. d. salinger.