The Far Side Of A Kiss

by Anne Haverty

When William Hazlitt published Liber Amoris , his “book of love”, in 1823, scandal rocked the literary world. He had chosen as the object of his grand Romantic passion, a mere serving maid, and she had disillusioned him by proving just as tawdry as all the rest. But what of Sarah Walker, the victim of Hazlitt’s unfortunate obsession? In this magnificent work of imaginative empathy, Anne Haverty rescues her from silence and obscurity to tell her side of the story. Sarah is an unforgettable character full of silliness and wisdom, unhappiness and vivacity, naiveté and intelligence.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1900

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A harrowing tale of inequality and injustice to a yearning, kind-hearted serving maid. I enjoyed the clear, engaging prose, as well as the vivid historical detail and the raw emotion evoked by Anne Haverty. Despite being assigned reading, this was certainly a joy to find and read. Would definitely recommend. The only reason I did not give it five stars was because of the agonisingly frustrating William Hazlitt, who I hated more in this than in Liber Amoris.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent feminist re-imagining of the 19th century critic William Hazlitt and his obsessive love for Sarah Walker, daughter and waiting-girl of the London boarding house to which he moved in 1820.

'The Far Side of a Kiss' is a work of restorative fiction; restoring Sarah's dignity, her humanity and her rightful place in history. Retrospectively, Haverty allows Sarah to finally have a say on the scandal that changed her life forever.

[Cate Coen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written and wonderfully evocative of 1820s London. However, the callous sexism ok misogyny that women are subjected to is pretty shocking.

[Agnes Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This took me ages to read. Although I found it interesting to hear the other side of this historical event I just felt it dragged out.

[Dottie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A response in a sense to Hazlitt's Liber Amoris. Rather like Grendel is to Beowulf.