“Edward Taylor is a man torn between his honourable facade and his forbidden carnal desires. Outwardly a proper Victorian family man, Edward secretly craves pain, and lusts after men. Isaac Sinclair is a struggling writer forced by poverty to supplement his income with less savory pursuits, including discreetly inflicting ‘professional punishments’ upon wealthy gentlemen. When Edward catches Isaac in an act of petty theft, the chance meeting seems to offer an ideal opportunity for both men. Neither man, however, is prepared for escalation of social and personal risk occasioned by falling in love.” – Behind Locked Doors, by Nicholas Kinsley, via goodreads.
Recently, I began reading this short novel for the second time. I wanted to read something soft and moving after the frustrated disappointment I experienced when attempting to read The Spanish Sting previously, and Behind Locked Doors was the first choice that sprang to mind.
I’d like to dive in to what made me come back for another read-through.
Setting
Behind Locked Doors is set in Victorian London.
Instantly, I knew it would be an interesting read when I first discovered the novel on Amazon several months ago. Personally, I believe there are few things more fascinating than reading about repressed Victorians succumbing to their sexual urges.
But there are other factors to take into account when discussing setting.
Victorian England was notorious for laws forbidding homosexuality, and the practice of sodomy, which was once considered something that heterosexuals would never lower themselves to engage in. It was a practice believed to belong to homosexuals alone. The existence of these laws adds another dimension to the overall story; one that inspires heartache and compassion for Edward and his lover (Isaac).
Not to mention all the other innocent men affected under those cruel and hateful laws.
Additionally, there are the sharp divisions between classes to consider and the frequent glimmers of socio-political unrest peppered throughout the novel.
Combining these elements created a charged atmosphere that saturated the pages as I dived into the novel and fell in love all over again.
Characters
Naturally, the characters that stood out the most were Edward and his family, and the man he loves.
Edward Taylor
Edward is a complicated character.
He is the natural product of his upper-class upbringing, and thus questions the persistence of impoverished radicals rioting and protesting in the streets of London. He doesn’t realise that his own existence as a homosexual is a radical act in itself. He shies from perceived weaknesses – such as his son (Peter) showing an effeminate side – because he is terrified that his sinful natural could prove to be an inherited trait.
He would never wish his own criminalised existence upon Peter.
But there is so much more to him than that.
Mostly, Edward is a good man. When he inherited the cotton factory, he did his best to improve working conditions for the men under his employ, and later went further: he intended to give the men a raise before he was ever petitioned to do so. When he caught Isaac in the middle of stealing, he purchased the bread himself instead of alerting the authorities and then offered himself as a new client because Isaac needed the money; that it serves his own needs as well is just one piece of the puzzle.
He hates the situation that those hateful laws have trapped him in. He hates deceiving his wife (Marie) and committing adultery, but that choice was taken from him when he first started being attracted to other men as a child. He can’t be open and honest about his interests when the merest whisper in the wrong ear would bring the police down upon him and Isaac.
He wishes he could love Marie as she deserves. But he can’t. His internal wiring doesn’t work that way, and that isn’t his fault. It isn’t his fault that expectations were placed upon him from the moment he came into the world – that he would marry, and continue the line. He was forced to make the best of a terrible situation.
Those are the reasons I love Edward.
What irritated me was his fervent belief that Peter hates him. Peter is a child: his love for Edward is a given at the tender age of six. The problem is that Peter is a perceptive child – as children often are – and he can tell that something is wrong, and that has a natural effect upon the relationship Edward has with him.
Marie Taylor
Marie is an absolute gem.
She is warm and kind and intelligent. Her appreciation for deep discussion is fiery, and that is highlighted several times throughout the novel – both in flashbacks and in the present. She is a fervent believer that circumstances of birth should have no bearing upon present social standing, that her husband shouldn’t have to put on a certain attitude to be welcomed in certain circles. She believes the impoverished deserve better from society, from the workplaces and government alike. She has no issue with Edward having acquaintances from the lower classes. She also has no issue with purchasing music boxes and other trinkets for Peter, though their social circles would deem such a thing too effeminate for him.
But Marie has her faults as well. She has a noticeable temper and it does make an appearance when she discovers the truth about Edward. Her anger was understandable to a certain degree. What bothered me was that she refers to homosexual acts as a sin during the heat of her anger.
Fortunately, she takes time to reflect on matters before speaking to the men as an equal and has a pivotal role in turning the scandalous affair into a negotiated situation. She brings the ethics back into the situation that Edward and Isaac are trapped in.
Marie is an admirable woman.
Peter Taylor
Peter is a quiet boy, but perceptive. He questions whether Edward loves Marie and doesn’t seem convinced when Edward claims to. Though his bond with his mother is stronger, he loves both of his parents. He loves his father enough to keep secrets when asked – even though he doesn’t know how dangerous the situation is. Nothing is more important than secrecy, where Edward and Isaac are concerned. Peter doesn’t have much of an issue with Edward kissing Isaac – when the situation is explained to him later – and is walking proof that no one is born with prejudice in their hearts.
Prejudice is learned.
Peter is still growing, still blossoming, and I have no doubt that he’d reach his full potential as a progressive at some point in the future. With a mother like Marie Taylor, that outcome is almost a foregone conclusion.
Isaac Sinclair
This man is a joy, and far more palatable than Edward overall. Isaac is quick to smile and quicker to offer a kind word. He has a passion for creativity, and is a professional dominant out of necessity, but he is also just a wonderful human being in general.
Isaac would be a revolutionary, but for the fact that he has fallen in love with a man without meaning to and it would endanger him. He wanted to be at the protest with the rest of the impoverished and couldn’t be because political action could bring a spotlight down upon his clandestine relationship with Edward.
Neither of them can afford to be discovered.
When it comes to his writing, Isaac refuses to be cowed when an editor informs him that his writing is too immodest for publication. He won’t make his art suffer for the delicate sensibilities of others. I have to admire the strength of will it takes to stand up against that sort of pressure.
Isaac harbours a distinct distaste for the factory, though not because of how Edward treats the men working there. He detests it because its presence in the world is a continuous sign of the times he and other impoverished men live in – a sign of poor men working hard to make rich men wealthier; an unfortunate side effect of classism that continues today, though now we call it capitalism.
Isaac is a man born for better things and forced to make do with what he has.
Plot
The fact that the novel is set in Victorian London drives the entire plot.
Unfortunately, the setting necessitates deceit and secrecy, and the presence of adulterous affairs: not all people of that time would be as willing to reflect and discuss the situation as Marie was when she learned the truth about her husband and his relationship with Isaac.
Most people of that time wouldn’t be and that continued to hold true for a long time.
In the world of today, the feminist movement and the LGBTQ communities in numerous countries have made an impressive amount of progress and I’m so grateful for that. I have freedoms that those who came before me didn’t have and the same will be said of future generations born after me and others like me.
There are fewer marriages born of convenience and arrangement and more marriages born of love and genuine tenderness. There are fewer marriages where heterosexuals must act as societal beards for their spouses in order to keep them safe from harm. Coming out of the closet has become easier for many, though the forward march for our rights and freedom has not relented in the slightest.
There are open marriages.
In the London of today, the plot of Behind Locked Doors would be far harder to carry, because we have made so much socio-political progress. We are being more open about who we are and who we love. We are more open for discussion and learning, and we are striving for a world that is more welcoming, though sometimes we feel like the pursuit of freedom has no end.
The Writing Itself
I have few issues with the writing itself.
The author handled tension well and developed the romantic relationship between Edward and Isaac at a good pace. The novel never felt rushed and it didn’t drag on forever either: it sat somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.
There were a few instances where I felt the phrasing didn’t flow quite as easily, but those instances were negligible and didn’t detract much from the overall feel of the novel.
Final Rating
I loved the novel. I could read it again and again. But I also wish I could have learned more about the characters:
4.5/5
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