Good lord, that does sound intense. But if it's from 1934, there might be an obvious reason why the author had to keep it barely subtextual - unless this was published in exile and not in Germany?
(ETA: I mean, I don't know what would have happened if a German publisher post 1933 would have published a novel in which there's a textual same sex romance for National Hero Frederick The Great (tm), but I don't imagine it would have been pleasant. Even before Röhm's death. Otoh, if it's an exile novel, well, Klaus Mann published a gay Tschaikowsky novel in 1935, in Amsterdam.)
It was published in Germany, so if the author did the queercoding on purpose (which I'd kind of assume, based on the... everything of it all) the reason for the "cover up romance" really is obvious. I was more surprised that she started it so late :'D Other works of hers were made into films in the later 30s, so she probably didn't face any problems related to this novel (I haven't found much about her private life though).
My supervisor allowed me to use the book for my thesis, so I'll have some fun pointing out the parallels between Katte's behaviour with Fritz and his behaviour with Mine ^^ He's secretly copied a portrait of Wilhelmine by now, which seems romantic in and of itself, but considering he drew an original portrait of Fritz from memory (that he's obviously very emotional about) because being with him reminds him of how he doesn't fit into society... Well. There's also a lot of talk about being destined to be with Fritz that never happens with Mine and she's constantly described as a ghost and surreal and stuff... I feel insane reading this book. Maybe I'm making all of it up, but boy does it not feel like it! :'D
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Re: New Fictional Katte-trial
(ETA: I mean, I don't know what would have happened if a German publisher post 1933 would have published a novel in which there's a textual same sex romance for National Hero Frederick The Great (tm), but I don't imagine it would have been pleasant. Even before Röhm's death. Otoh, if it's an exile novel, well, Klaus Mann published a gay Tschaikowsky novel in 1935, in Amsterdam.)
Re: New Fictional Katte-trial
Other works of hers were made into films in the later 30s, so she probably didn't face any problems related to this novel (I haven't found much about her private life though).
My supervisor allowed me to use the book for my thesis, so I'll have some fun pointing out the parallels between Katte's behaviour with Fritz and his behaviour with Mine ^^ He's secretly copied a portrait of Wilhelmine by now, which seems romantic in and of itself, but considering he drew an original portrait of Fritz from memory (that he's obviously very emotional about) because being with him reminds him of how he doesn't fit into society... Well. There's also a lot of talk about being destined to be with Fritz that never happens with Mine and she's constantly described as a ghost and surreal and stuff... I feel insane reading this book. Maybe I'm making all of it up, but boy does it not feel like it! :'D