I keep finding myself awed by Neil Bartlett's mastery over the ever-evolving narrative found in his work. "Mr Clive and Mr Page" is mysterious, tender, gripping and oddly playful; though, of course, despair is the emotion that haunts every page. It's dissected by the narrator and split unevenly between the two protagonists. Moreover, the emotion is heightened by the style Bartlett uses to carry out the procedure. It mimics the indistinctness of memory, as well as the fretful way in which we yearn to gather the scraps of a dream shortly after waking up. But as more and more time passes, logic begins to waver, and the more guarded the person recounting the dream seems. What an artistic achievement! ( )

Mr Page looks back from the 1950s to the mid 1920s when he was twenty going on twenty one, the time when he met Mr Clive. Mr Clive who shared much with Mr Page; they might have been mistaken for identical twins, they were the same age and shared the same birthday, and they were both gay. But there were differences too, humble Mr Page worked at Selfridges, Banking, while being exceedingly wealthy Mr Clive did not need to work.

Following their chance encounter, Mr Page weaves an intricate and mysterious account of their subsequent meetings over the following months and of the beautiful white haired youth Mr Clive takes on as his servant while at the same time postulating on what really might be going on with Mr Clive and imagining his defence should there be an arrest for homosexual activities. The result makes for a fascinating read made even more interesting as Mr Page often re-evaluates his perception of events.

Being written about a time when homosexual actives were a criminal offence, and seen from a time when that was still the case it provides a good insight into the life of gay men at such times. The book is then pervaded by a defensive air of stealth, as if for fear of discovery, adding to its allure. But what make this a truly enjoyable read is the exceptional quality of the writing. ( )

This was strange meandering novel, switching back forth through time period and point of view from chapter to chapter, paragraph to paragraph. It was never linear, and would hint at people and events before the fact, only to explain them pages, even chapters later. It was not easy reading by any means, but it was rewarding. The way it all unravelled and came together so perfectly, so beautifully in the end made it all worth while.

ETA Sept 2010: Just finished re-reading. It was possibly even better the second time because 1)I was prepared for the dense prose and slowish pace, and the way things got referred to before they happen. Also 2) since I knew the twist, I could see all the hints. And yet, I forget the biggest part of the twist, so I was still blown away by that. What an amazing crafted novel. ( )

This was strange meandering novel, switching back forth through time period and point of view from chapter to chapter, paragraph to paragraph. It was never linear, and would hint at people and events before the fact, only to explain them pages, even chapters later. It was not easy reading by any means, but it was rewarding. The way it all unravelled and came together so perfectly, so beautifully in the end made it all worth while.

ETA Sept 2010: Just finished re-reading. It was possibly even better the second time because 1)I was prepared for the dense prose and slowish pace, and the way things got referred to before they happen. Also 2) since I knew the twist, I could see all the hints. And yet, I forget the biggest part of the twist, so I was still blown away by that. What an amazing crafted novel. ( )

Neil Bartlett is easily one of my favorite writers. He has this amazing ability to let his characters be open and vulnerable to the point that you feel as if when (not "if") you meet them in real life, if you were to put a hand to their chest, it would sink through the skin and you would be able to cradle their heart in your palm. It's hard for me to read his works - I get so moved by the characters' stories and emotions that it takes me a while to get functioning in the real world.

Mr Clive & Mr Page is at times confusing - we're not sure what is dream, what is fantasy, and what is pure speculation. What we do know is that it's all real. To Mr Page, it's realer than real, it's his life. Some of the authenticity comes from Bartlett's research of the times and some from his specialty, which is telling a story in the first person about the second person characters. He did this to the extreme in Ready to Catch Him Should He Fall and to a lesser extent here. This hearsay voice gives the impression that you're being told a true story; the narrator is not omniscient and he can only guess as to what really happened - like any real person trying to make sense out of any real events.

It's like a troubled friend has decided to write you a letter and you feel honored that he would trust you enough to confess things, some of which he openly admits he's ashamed of. Maybe that's it - it feels like it's a story that is written for you and for you alone. It's your responsibility to keep its secrets safe. ( )