A Domestic Animal

Synopsis

Antonio Valli, a brilliant and charismatic Italian philosopher in his thirties, leaves his wife and children in Florence to spend a year conducting research at an English university. Handsome, charming, and seemingly irresistible to both men and women, Antonio quickly becomes the center of attention. Among those captivated by him is Dick Thompson, a successful middle-aged novelist from whom Antonio rents a room.

For Dick, the attraction develops into an intense and consuming love. ButAntonio's flirtations, manipulations, and refusal to offer the kind of commitment Dick desires gradually turn his affection into jealousy and emotional turmoil. Published in 1970, A Domestic Animal is a witty, poignant, and psychologicallysharp novel about desire, love, jealousy, and the complicated ways people can hurt one another.

About the Author

Francis King (1923–2011) was an English novelist, critic, poet, and short-story writer. Born in Switzerland and raised partly in India, he studied atOxford before joining the British Council, where he worked in Italy, Greece, Finland, and Japan. He returned to England in 1966 to become a full-time writer and published more than fifty books. His work earned the Somerset Maugham Award, the Katherine Mansfield Short Story Prize, and the Golden PEN Award for a Lifetime's Distinguished Service to Literature. He was twice nominated for the Booker Prize and served as President of PEN International. This edition includes a foreword by Rumaan Alam.

Publisher
McNally Editions

Publication Date
January 13, 2026

Format
Paperback with flaps

Pages
256

Subjects
Literary Fiction · LGBTQ+ Fiction · 20th-Century British Fiction · Queer Fiction · Love & Jealousy

ISBN
9781961341708