ParhelionRecensioni

Like a snapshot of the past, this story charmed me with its understated descriptions and between-the-lines hints at all kinds of things going on behind the scenes. It is a great description of the 50s and some of the issues and concerns gay men had to deal with at that time.

Jack is young and impulsive, but he is also intellectually curious and able to think on his feet. His love of books, and ability to blend into the bookshop he takes refuge in when the police raid the bar he'd been a customer of, save him from being arrested. He has great fun talking to the bookstore owner, Mr. Cooley, and even the somewhat more intimate scene that soon plays out doesn't interrupt the gentle flow of prose.

If you like historicals that give you a feeling of being 'there', and if you enjoy a bit of intellectual banter as the main character figures out how to save himself from the police and being recognized a 'subversive', you will probably like this story.



NOTE: This book was provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review.

I liked this one! It reminded me a little of HALLUCINATING FOUCAULT in that it is set in that bleak time between the absolute intolerance of homosexuality that was the past and the present normalization of same sex romance. I'm definitely checking out the author's other stories :)

3.75

3.75

Erastes has written a great review of this story, so I won't repeat what she says.

More than anything, Parhelion has captured the expectations and possibilities available to gay men in the 50's. Remember, sodomy was still illegal in those days. Gay men were reviled as an entity even though individuals may have been accepted by their friends. You know the attitude: "Joe's okay but gay guys in general freak me out."

The same could have been said of black people and muslims in later years.

Some gay men did form lasting relationships, but these were usually in the sophisticated echelons of society in large cities, not in rural US or any country for that matter.

Most gay men never expected to be able to live traditional monogamous lives, so they accepted what they could.

Setting in California in 1935, the book has the atmosphere of a old classic movie in black and white, or, to recall something more recent, of L.A. Confidential. Ray was a night club manager in New York; he was THE good guy, the nice face of the real owner, a mafia boss. Ray was not an unwilling pawn of his boss' play, he knew well what it was happening, but he turned his shoulders to not see what he didn't want to see. At the club he was 'friendly' with Charlie, a man who said himself to be an accountant, but that Ray knew well was an FBI agent; but Charlie had his reason to frequent Ray's club, other than the illicit alcohol and that reason was Robin. So Ray knew Charlie's secret, and Charlie didn't unveil Ray's ones. When Robin was killed and Charlie couldn't do nothing to vengeance his lover, again Ray turned his shoulders to the men who decided to take on the club's propriety and eliminate Ray's boss: in this way, without actually doing nothing, Ray avenged Robin's death.

Three years later, Ray is quietly living in California, but someone is bent upon to disturb his peace. And Charlie reappears: he is in debt with Ray and maybe he is also interested in something more. And Ray, who three years before was still fighting with his 'strange' feelings, maybe now is ready to read in the right way Charlie's friendship offer.

The story is simple in the plot, but very nice in the two characters. There are no conflicts between Charlie and Ray, almost as both of them arrived to the conclusion that being together is unavoidable. Obviously they can't be together in the open, but a buddy friendship on the outside, can hide something different inside the wall of their house. Again Ray and Charles have a mutual agreement, what happens between them remains between them: I do a favour to you and you do a favour to me; there are few smoochy moments, Ray and Charles' relationship is more direct and frankly, there is no need to wooing, but this doesn't mean that there is no tenderness between them, it's only that all the tenderness is restricted inside the bedroom's walls.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VYX7SC/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

The link to my review.

"So Richard Wallace was dead, to start off with... Of course, I didn't know yet that he'd be back."

Since the story starts with these sentences, I will not spoil anything saying that the main heroes of this really strange Christmas romance are a young student living in Pasadena in the '50 and the ghost of his hometown lover Rich. All was against their love: first being openly gay in the '50 was not an option; second Rich was 20 years older than Al and with a big secret hidden in his past; third Al now lives in Pasadena and Rich still in Bradlow, and Al has no money to come back home. So when Al receives the news of Rich's death some days before Christmas, he accepts an odd three day job to gain some money to go to Rich's wake: spending the weekend in a supposedly haunted house to prove that it's all a myth.

Al and Rich's relationship is strange, and I mean that it was strange even before Rich's death. True, from Rich's point of view he can't help to refuse Al's love: he ran away from another scandalous affair and he can't allow himself to be involved in another one. But also Al's behavior is strange; he didn't plea for love, he explained his love as a matter of fact, feigning little interest in Rich's reply; probably there are two obviously reasons: first he fears Rich's refusal and second, in the society of the time, all their life are undertone, lead without drama, always trying to be as unnoticeable as possible.

Anyway, this not so short story (47 pages with small types) is more an Halloween type of story than a Christmas romance, but I like the style of this author, since it's really a style: dry, somber, almost in black and white.

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/466814.html