ud , ▁especially ▁through ▁the ▁frequent ▁sexual ▁imag ery ▁cent red ▁on ▁rec urrent ▁references ▁to ▁the ▁ph all ic ▁Post ▁Office ▁Tower . ▁Brad ley ' s ▁possible ▁proxy ▁ad mission ▁of ▁hom osex ual ity ▁is ▁made ▁possible ▁through ▁his ▁seem ing ▁self - ident ification ▁with ▁Shakespeare ▁throughout ▁his ▁narr ative , ▁and ▁in ▁his ▁claim ing ▁both ▁Ham let ▁and ▁Shakespeare ▁were ▁hom osex ual . ▁It ▁is ▁strength ened ▁further ▁by ▁the ▁moments ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁where ▁he ▁finds ▁himself ▁attract ed ▁to ▁Julian , ▁during ▁each ▁of ▁which ▁her ▁gender ▁is ▁made ▁ambigu ous . ▁The ▁final ▁of ▁these ▁is ▁when ▁he ▁finally ▁ach ieves ▁sexual ▁ar ous al , ▁having ▁previously ▁been ▁unable , ▁when ▁Julian ▁has ▁dressed ▁herself ▁as ▁Ham let . ▁These ▁them es ▁are ▁discussed ▁by ▁Francis , ▁himself ▁a ▁hom osex ual , ▁in ▁the ▁Post - Script s . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁notable ▁that ▁the ▁two ▁characters ▁Brad ley ▁has ▁achieved ▁int im acy ▁with , ▁Julian ▁and ▁Christian , ▁are ▁not ▁clearly ▁female ▁in ▁character isation ▁or ▁name . ▁An ▁attempted ▁s edu ction ▁by ▁Rach el , ▁a ▁more ▁tradition ally ▁femin ine ▁character , ▁is ▁described ▁passion lessly ▁by ▁Brad ley ' s ▁narr ative . ▁ ▁Sub t ler ▁An cient ▁Greek ▁influ ences ▁are ▁seen ▁in ▁Brad ley ' s ▁quest ▁for ▁a ▁pseudo - Pl at onic ▁per fection ▁in ▁his ▁writing ▁and ▁his ▁pur port ed ▁As c etic ism . ▁ ▁Awards