Olivia
Published in 1949, Olivia is a sapphic fiction novella by Dorothy Bussy. The story is set in Paris, France. Key subjects include lesbians, coming of age, teachers and teacher-student relationships.
Open Library readers give it an average of 4.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, and 71 more have it on their want-to-read list. It has been published in 27 editions across 3 languages.
It runs to roughly 121 pages — 2–3 hours of reading at an average pace.
About Olivia
“Considered one of the most subtle and beautifully written lesbian novels of the century, this 1949 classic returns to print in a Cleis Press edition. Dorothy Strachey’s classic Olivia captures the awakening passions of an English adolescent sent away for a year to a small finishing school outside Paris. The innocent but watchful Olivia develops an infatuation for her headmistress, Mlle. Julie, and through this screen of love observes the tense romance between Mlle. Julie and the other head of the school, Mlle. Cara, in its final months. “Although not strictly autobiographical, Olivia draws on the author’s experiences at finishing schools run by the charismatic Mlle. Marie Souvestre, whose influence lived on through former students like Natalie Barney and Eleanor Roosevelt. Olivia was dedicated to the memory of Strachey’s friend Virginia Woolf and published to acclaim in 1949. Colette wrote the screenplay for the 1951 film adaptation of the novel. In 1999, Olivia was included on the Publishing Triangle’s widely publicized list of the 100 Best Gay and Lesbian Novels of the 20th Century. “Dorothy Strachey (1865-1960) was the sister of the novelist Lytton Strachey and a prominent member of the Bloomsbury Group…….Olivia, originally published under a pseudonym, is her only novel.” --
Quick answers
Who wrote Olivia?
Olivia was written by Dorothy Bussy and first published in 1949.
What genre is Olivia?
It is usually shelved as Lesbian & Sapphic Fiction.
How long is Olivia?
The median edition has 121 pages, about 2–3 hours of reading at 250 words per minute.
What books are similar to Olivia?
Readers who like it often enjoy Nightwood, The Well of Loneliness and Regiment of Women.
Books like Olivia
Nightwood
Djuna Barnes
- FREE
The Well of Loneliness
Radclyffe Hall
- FREE🎧
Regiment of Women
Clemence Dane
Adèle
Mary Flanagan
As You Desire
Madeline Moore
Heartscapes
M. J. Williamz
First tango in Paris
Shelley Thrasher
Black Girl in Paris
Shay Youngblood