A young writer of radically religious tendency is invited to spend the first weekend of the New Year at a country house in the company of other creative or talented individuals who have been earmarked, unbeknownst to themselves, for participation in a unique experiment in connection with a certain revolutionary museum,whose contents are even more sublimated than the relationships that artificially develop between guests and patrons both before and after their enlightenment. A deeply philosophical novel by John O'Loughlin, which creates and sustains an atmosphere at times bordering upon the otherworldly.
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By John O'Loughlin
Sep 23, 2011
"Concerning SUBLIMATED RELATIONS" A young religious writer named Timothy Byrne accepts an invitation from Lord Handon, an aristocratic admirer of his work, to spend New Year's Eve in the company of a select gathering at Rothermore House, Handon's country retreat, and he winds up first dancing and then falling in love with one of his fellow guests, who happens to be an opera singer. Much debate and festivity take place before Timothy discovers, in conjunction with the other guests, that the real motive for their presence there is to learn of and offer his services to the 'Voice Museum', an extraordinary project situated in London's Piccadilly which houses voice recordings of famous people in soundproofed booths where, for a small sum, the public can sample words of wisdom and/or folly at the touch of a button. Thus it is that Timothy Byrne agrees to allow his voice to be recorded for future use by the museum's principal director, Girish O'Donnell - as, of course, do each of... More > the other guests, all of whom are either established or budding talents in the Arts. Meanwhile Lord Handon has been attempting to conduct a low-key relationship with Sarah Field, the opera singer, though with little success in view of her preference for Timothy and knowledge of the viscount's secret - a secret which has more than a little to do with the strange nature of his relations, necessarily sublimated, with women. Equally unsuccessful are Handon's attempts to subvert Byrne's spiritual standing as a self-styled guru through his daughter, Geraldine; though, unbeknownst to anyone else, the writer has already undermined it himself through Sarah and has no need of further seductions! Another of John Oloughlin's philosophic-turned-romantic novels, SUBLIMATED RELATIONS is nevertheless much bolder and freer than the others, and repays close study.< Less
