[Hedylus] is a poet's novel, rich in metaphor and meaning.

Set in the classical world, the story explores the predicament of Hedylus, the young son of the beautiful Hedyle and, indeed, her mirror image; he is dazzled by her presence, yet longs to find his own identity. She stands for the intellect and Athens; he is for the imagination, Alexandria, India. The psychological tension between the pair can be resolved only by their separation, deathly though this will be to Hedyle. Inevitably, events are precipitated by a young girl (in some ways, the theme parallels Sons and Lovers) but the mother's antagonism seems certain to blight the match. Enter a stranger, Demion—a god, a lost father, perhaps simply a free man—who gives Hedylus the courage to take his independence.

A stylish piece of prose, the writing achieves that clarity and precision so prized by H. D...