'Internationally recognized as a socially important work of gay literature' Roger Austen. Originally published in Europe in the 50s to avoid prosecution for obscenity, The Gaudy Image is one of the most important 'lost' gay novels. Set in New Orleans and featuring a colourful cast of louche but loveable characters, the story follows Titania aka Thomas Schwartz through the backstreets, bars and club of the French Quarter in search of the perfect lover – the Gaudy Image. A beautifully written story that is both elegant and caustically humorous, erotic and sympathetic