The Charioteer
First edition cover | |
| Author | Mary Renault |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | War novel Gay literature |
| Publisher | Longman |
Publication date | 1953 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | hardback |
| Pages | 399 |
The Charioteer is a romantic war novel by Mary Renault (pseudonym for Eileen Mary Challans) first published in London in 1953. Renault's US publisher (Morrow) refused to publish it until 1959, after a revision of the text, due to its generally positive portrayal of homosexuality. The Charioteer is significant because it features a gay protagonist and romantic story with a happy ending, the first book traditionally published in England to do so. It quickly became a bestseller – particularly within the gay community, and remains a cult classic.