Originally published in Europe in the 1950s to avoid prosecution for obscenity, The Gaudy Image is one of the most important "lost" gay novels. Set in New Orleans and featuring a colorful cast of louche but lovable 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. This beautifully written story is both elegant and caustically humorous, erotic and sympathetic.