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< THE STOLEN KISS > < Girl Trouble > < The Kiss That Counted > < Fortune Is a Woman > < Lethal Affairs > < Word of Honor (Honor (Bold Strokes Books)) > Francine Saint Marie

price： 1695
CreateSpace(2008-06-14)
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customer 's review
(What a roller coaster!)

(A Worthy Finale to this Awesome Series)

The third part of the "Lydia Beaumont Saga" is a veritable thriller. I don't remember waiting for a new book as eagerly as I waited for this one. And when I got it, I wanted to read it all at one go; then I had to let it rest several times because it got too exciting and I had to stop biting my nails and catch my breath!

This trilogy is a tour de force without comparison. Francine Saint Marie's writing is funny, crazy, ironical, clever, deep . . . I could go on infinitely. With her short dialogue flashes she says more than another writer in several pages. Without long descriptions she creates many interesting characters whom we come to love. Without deep analyses we come to understand (and fear) the power of media. And through it all runs the current of love with the wonderful snippets of poetry.

The story? Can't tell you about that - might disclose too much. Do as I did, start from the beginning. It's certainly worth it!
Ms. Saint Marie - I take a bow. This was brilliant!

Francine Saint Marie's third novel in the "Secret Keeping" series is wonderful, and it brings this worthy saga to an appropriate ending.

As you may know, the second novel, "Fortune is a Woman," left the reader with an awful cliffhanger. This book wraps things up very neatly.

And Lydia Beaumont...the woman who loves two women. Lydia, who loves her wife, Dr. Helaine Kristenson, and Lydia, who is in love with her at-work protege, Venus Angelo. Can we love more than one person at the same time? And how do we live with ourselves in this type of situation? How can things be resolved? Francine does resolve them...but not without some heartbreak, tears, and frustration.

You may want to reread the first two books before you tackle this one. And yes, we do have several new characters: Marcus, Mariah, Li, and Nien. And we have the return of Sharon Chambers, the woman we all love to hate.

Kudos, Francine, for a job well done.
THE STOLEN KISS...SOME THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T BORROW.(From the publisher: Saint Marie's debut novel, THE SECRET KEEPING, was a finalist for the 2007 Goldie Award for best dramatic fiction; a semi-finalist for the 2007 Independent Publishers Award, and an IPPY Award recipient ofan Honorable Mention. It was also a 2006 LAMBDA Notable Book. THE STOLEN KISS is the final book in the "Secret Trilogy.")
Rerations
< THE STOLEN KISS > < Girl Trouble > < The Kiss That Counted > < Fortune Is a Woman > < Lethal Affairs > freaks

< Outing Yourself: How to Come Out as Lesbian or Gay to Your Family, Friends, and Coworkers > < Now That I'm Out What Do I Do? > < Coming Out to Parents: A Two-Way Survival Guide for Lesbians and Gay Men and Their Parents > < The Way Out: The Gay Man's Guide to Freedom No Matter if You're in Denial, Closeted, Half In, Half Out, Just Out or Been Around the Block > < Coming Out of Shame : Transforming Gay and Lesbian Lives > < Is It a Choice? - 2nd edition: Answers to 300 of the Most Frequently Asked Questions About Gays and Lesbian People > Michelangelo Signorile

price： 260
Fireside
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customer 's review
(excellent guide - go at your own pace)

(Still a classic!)

(Don't waste your money)

(Excellent book)

(Still in!)

This book is excellent. I wish I had found it 10 years earlier - it could have saved me a lot of agony. It explains the various levels and stages of coming out rather than making it seem like one huge thing you have to do all at once. It breaks it down into sections like acknowleding to yourself that you are gay and becoming more comfortable with that as well as coming out to friends, family, co-workers, the world at large, etc. I think most gay people will see themself in this book probably several times over. By the time I read it, I had already worked my way through several of the steps on my own but it was nice to realize that others went through similar stages and that I had made more progress than I had thought. What I loved most about this book is that you can read just the sections that concern you or the whole book but that it helps you to progress at your own pace through the various stages. It reminds you that everyone's time scale is different and that you should only move on to another step when you feel ready to do so. There are practical suggestions and stories of other people's experiences. I would recommend this book to anyone who is gay whether they are just realizing that they are or even if they figure they are already out. I highly recommend this book.
This was one of the first coming out books on the market in the 90's when gay self-help started exploding! Even today this is a great book as a first step and initial read to the coming out process. While not a psychotherapist, Signorile understands the psychological effects of the political arena suppressing us as gays and lesbians and keeping us in the closet.

Perhaps the best thing about this book is purchasing it in your local bookstore and experiencing the clerk and those around you watching you buy it. That might just be a good first step to "outing yourself".

I recommend to my heterosexual students that they do this very thing and see what it is like to go to a bookstore and purchase a book about "outing yourself" and risking the clerk and those around you think that you are gay. An excellent way to look at your own homophobia!

Don't waste your money! To come out, sit your mom, dad, friend, or whomever down somewhere where the two of you can be alone for a few minutes, then just tell them. Then ask that they not tell anybody else until you have told the people you wish to tell personally. You will find that most people already knew or suspected, don't care, and love you just as much. Even those for whom it's a surprise will most likely not be bothered and love you just as much. If there is anybody it does bother, well, best to know now. This book is third rate psychobabble, don't waste your money.

I like the way this book deals with homophobia, with patience and understanding, instead of anger. I wish I'd had this book earlier, before coming out to some of my friends, I wouldn't have taken their rejection so personally.
I found this book extremely helpful...it gave me some good points about who to come out to first and when to come out. I am very much still in the closet but reading this book has helped me to understand how much my life will change once I do come out to more people and especially when I come out to my parents!
No matter how much you prepare, coming out as gay or lesbian is a difficult, emotional process -- a process that will continue long after the words are spoken and the secret is out. There's no magic formula, butOuting Yourselfby Michelangelo Signorile offers structure, guidance, and straightforward advice to all those:

WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH THEIR SEXUALITY AND UNSURE OF WHAT TO DO

WHO HAVE ACCEPTED THAT THEY ARE GAY BUT ARE STILL AFRAID TO COME OUT

WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES OUT OF THE CLOSET BUT REALIZE THEY HAVE FARTHER TO GO

Signorile's 14-step program -- complete with exercises, meditation notes, and anger checks, as well as the accounts of the coming-out experiences of other lesbians and gay men -- shows how you can successfully handle this life-changing, life-renewing process. A guide for the coming-out journey,Outing Yourselfwill convince all who read it that, in the words of the author, "The stress of coming out will never be as hard on you as the stress of staying in was."
Rerations
< Outing Yourself: How to Come Out as Lesbian or Gay to Your Family, Friends, and Coworkers > < Now That I'm Out What Do I Do? > < Coming Out to Parents: A Two-Way Survival Guide for Lesbians and Gay Men and Their Parents > < The Way Out: The Gay Man's Guide to Freedom No Matter if You're in Denial, Closeted, Half In, Half Out, Just Out or Been Around the Block > < Coming Out of Shame : Transforming Gay and Lesbian Lives > freaks

< A Private Affair > < Looker: A Novel > < Right Side of the Wrong Bed > < In Love with a Thug (Strebor on the Streetz) > < My Man My Boyz > < The DL Chronicles: The Complete First Season > Mike Warren

price： 480
Life Changing Books(2007-05-15)
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customer 's review
(GBM BOOKCLUB INC - SEX, LIES,FRIENDSHIP&MORE SEX)

(SHOCKER AND PAGE-TURNER 'TILL THE END)

(Absolutely wonderful)

(Still Looking For A Few Good Men!! (token))

(A Very Real Portrayal of the "DL" Lifestyle)

If you ever needed a reason why the military would enforce a rule such as "don't ask, don't tell", then you definitely need to read, Author, Mike Warren's latest, too hot to hold book, "A Private Affair". We do have to warn that this book will leave you turned on and turned out.

After graduating from 16 weeks of military training, Private Sean Matthews tackles a long awaited opportunity of being a family man to his son Khalil and wife, Venus, when he is permanently stationed at a base in Ft. Meade, Maryland, twenty minutes from his hometown of Baltimore. Things seem to be going smooth at first when Sean's life takes a drastic turn when he unexpectedly befriends his flamboyant, sexy, and flirtatious gay roommate, Cameron, who also has a die-hard crush on him, which he does not hide.

Though Sean is a little hesitant at having anything to do with a person like Cameron, they soon start to develop a special brotherly bond as they get to know each other. This finally sets the stage for Sean's curiosity to kick in when Cameron takes him out to a gay club and introduces him to his world and see how the other team plays. Unfortunately, Sean is definitely convinced he is strictly for the "ladies" after an experience with a man goes sour.

In a weird twist of fate, Sean surprisingly finds himself sexually drawn to Cameron's abusive, yet charming ex, Dule Thomas, who is also married. Things really start heating up when Sean finds himself manipulated into a seductive, sexual encounter, orchestrated by Thomas, which ignites many more private affairs to come. Sean and Thomas' intense affair soon develops on a dangerous level as they become like crack-heads, looking for their next hit, not caring when and where they do it; whether it's at the base where the rest of their comrades were stationed or during a party where they were right under both of their wives nose's.

Unfortunately, when rumors about Sean's sexuality start to surface by a mysterious person, it threatens to put both his marriage and career in jeopardy. As Sean undergoes an embarrassing investigation by the military and tries to salvage what he still has with his wife, who is already suspicious, he comes to another realization: he has fallen in love. Now Sean finds himself left with a few burning questions that must be answered in order to completely make sense of his own dangerous lifestyle: "How could I let this happen?", "Who is trying to sabotage my life?", and "Am I really gay, even though I don't feel gay?"

We absolutely loved Mike Warren's raw and no-holds barred story of a sex-crazed, down low married man struggling with his sexuality and the pressure and challenges he faces as an officer of the military. Mike Warren makes sure he leaves no dull moment as you turn every page. In-fact, he delivers such very descriptive and explicit storytelling, that almost every chapter makes you feel as if you just personally experienced a sexual encounter with the characters as well. As answers are slowly revealed it only leads to bigger questions, leaving the story at such a perfect cliffhanger, you truly hope it's not the end, but just the beginning of yet another private affair.

I read all kinds of books without discrimination. This book was definitely a page-turner. I read it in only a couple of hours. Hopefully there will be a part II because the ending was left too open. Wonderful debut book.
Mike Warrens debut book, A Private Affair, had me captivated from the very first page. The story was interesting with several twists that I did not see coming. It was a quick read and definitely left me waiting and wanting for more. Great job.
The military have their BIG secrets and then they have their lil secrets w/in the soldiers. Sean Matthews a private in the U.S. military have a good career, wife, and a child that lives off base, then there's Sean's roommate who lives on base who comes fully out of the closet w/his sexuality. It's not only Sean's roommate there's others on base that have their own lil secret. Sean gets introduced to homosexuality from a roommate's lover, through his lover, to another.......(yeah and it don't stop there). Private Matthews gets more and more involved, but still can't come to terms or figure out his own sexualtiy. Sean goes in as a tough guy, but amounts to a soft caterpillar transforming into a butterfly. Sean has a stalker that's following him and putting him in danger, while all along his wife begin to question his sexuality, and if discovered Sean's career can come to a halt. Can Sean keep his sexuality under raps and keep his marriage and career on track? You'll have to read this Private Affair to see if he can reclaim control over his life, while at the same time keeping in step.

Mike Warren debut novel "A Private Affair" is a good book, especially if one is dealing with their own sexuality. The book comes out in the open, characters were developed and he told a great story. Mr. Warren you did a fantastic job and I'm anxiously waiting for the sequel to drop.
Mike Warren's masterful novel, A Private Affair, opens brilliantly with the scripture, Leviticus 20:13, which declares: "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death. Their blood will be on their own heads." This epigram not only highlights a biblical quote Christians have used to support their views against homosexuality, it also sets the tone for the powerful narrative that ensues. In the Social Realist tradition of John Steinbeck and James Baldwin, Warren presents to us the story of a man who grapples to discover himself despite the circumstances that have conditioned him to detest who he truly is. Vividly, the author paints the picture of a society that has produced men, like Sean, the protagonist of A Private Affair, who believe they must conceal their homosexual desires at any and all costs. While reading the novel, one cannot but feel the weight that Sean feels: the weight of being married to a woman while struggling with his sexuality, the weight of being a responsible parent to his child, the weight of being in a military that professes it wants its soldiers to be all that they can be, however, ironically, enforcing a "don't ask/don't tell" policy which hinders its gay and lesbian members to be "all that they can be." Through Sean's trials and tribulations, Warren illustrates the pathos of what has been popularly classified as the "DL" 'Down-Low' culture. In one memorable scene, Thomas, Sean's secret lover, states: "I want someone that I can be intimate with, without having to explain why I gotta go home. You would understand that. And I don't think you're looking for someone who's a threat to your marriage, because I know I'm not. I'm married, and I wanna stay married, but I'm a niggah that likes to get his urges satisfied." Here, the author sums up the mystery which shrouds men who live on the "DL" and why they have chosen that path. Ultimately, A Private Affair is a cautionary tale. Even though there are graphic sex scenes in the novel, the author uses this to show the depths of Sean's sexual addiction. "I didn't want to stop it. I had become an addict," Sean professes during a turning point of the story. As well, amidst his infidelities, he becomes completely demoralized. Sean starts being physically and verbally abusive to his wife and blames her for his indiscretions. When all is said and done, Mike Warren does a wonderful job of showing the beautiful ugliness of life and how complicated we can make our lives. After reading the narrative, one has to draw his/her own conclusions. At certain points, you feel sorry for Sean because he, like Bigger Thomas in Richard Wright's Native Son, is a victim of his circumstances. During others, you hate his guts. Nevertheless, in the end, you have to lay aside all judgments and reconcile within your own self the choices you have made that have hurt others and were not in your best interests. And just to think I started reading A Private Affair as a form of entertainment to get away from myself and all the pressures of life to only be brought into full awareness of the aspects of myself from which I have been hiding....

Sean is a muscle bound private in the military looking for an exciting change in his love life. As he searches, his bedroom becomes a revolving door; from his wife, to his lover, to his sexy new roommate. But eventually the door will swing wide open to reveal his erotic alternative sex life. He soon gets caught in a triangle of love, lies, deceit, and wild weekends, which will sway him in the wrong direction, and his exotic path will give the military a new reputation. He enters a world where his sexual interest has reached its peak, but the interest is out of the ordinary... Let s just say he will Be All That He Can Be. Will Sean get the best of both worlds or just simply turned out?
Rerations
< A Private Affair > < Looker: A Novel > < Right Side of the Wrong Bed > < In Love with a Thug (Strebor on the Streetz) > < My Man My Boyz > freaks

< Only The Ring Finger Knows Volume 3: The Ring Finger Falls Silent (Yaoi Novel) > < Only The Ring Finger Knows Volume 2: The Left Hand Dreams of Him (Yaoi Novel) (Only the Ring Finger Knows) > < Only The Ring Finger Knows Volume 1: The Lonely Ring Finger (Yaoi Novel) (Only the Ring Finger Knows) > < JUNJO ROMANTICA Volume 1: (Yaoi) (Junjo Romantica) > < Only the Ring Finger Knows (Yaoi) > < Little Butterfly, Volume 3 > Satoru Kannagi,Hotaru Odagiri

price： 895
Digital Manga Publishing
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customer 's review
(only the ring finger knows volume 3: the ring finger falls silent)

(Must read it)

(If you've come this far, there is already no turning back: Resign yourself to this book.)

It was awesome!!!!!!!! i loved it! at was like new when i go it. and it was one of the best books i ever read. it wasn't actual manga 'cause it not a comic but it was just like reading a manga as far as plot and stuff. and the art was fantastic.
I like this books because it thaks me in. I'm not a big reader but I read it in 2 days. The story flows and I want to know what happens next.
A good advise read it!!!
Volume three of the Only the Ring Finger Knows novel series, The Ring Finger Falls Silent, suffers many of the same problems that its predecessor, The Left Hand Dreams of Him, did. Again it is translated by Duane Johnson, and again it suffers many instances of awkward sentence structure, and particularly very confusing dialogue and unquoted or even not so much as clearly defined thoughts. It is however an improvement in quality over the last volume (did DMP perhaps read my previous review and take notes? Too much to hope for, I know...), which was almost laughable for its many typographic and grammatical errors. There were also a number of instances of hyphens attached to the word "in" and a word to follow it, that seemed very out of place (was I the only one drawn to this?).

Odagiri's illustrations are again beautifully drawn, but of course, as in volume 2, they are out of place. Each of them seem to be several pages late in this volume, and in a few of the more pivotal moments, the allure that would have been added to the scene is lost and the scene has changed focus by the time the reader gets to experience the illustration. Very unfortunate.

That aside, this installment doesn't hold quite as much emotional power as the previous two installments. As the loyal readers, which if you have followed these awkward DMP localizations you must be to plow through a third book, we get our Yuichi/Wataru fix satisfied. Their love is as strong for each other as ever, but always at a difficult price. Their relationship is only known to a few, and the number of people who know and do not approve is on the rise, as we discovered in volume 2. Shohei in particular makes his intentions and reasonings behind his attitude towards his younger brother's relationship known and he hatches a plot to drive a wedge between them in part 2, Your Confession in Both Hands. For his part, Asaka in part 1, also makes his intentions, long suspected by Yuichi, and us, known to Wataru as well with some forward and desperate, and ultimately hopeless, actions. Don't worry though, everything, like it always does to fill our hearts with warmth reading the books of this wonderful series, works out just fine for our boys in the end.

The Ring Finger Falls Silent is quite a bit longer that the second novel, which itself was quite a bit longer than the first novel (about 50 pages increased each volume) and therefore took me an extra hour or two to get through. More for your money I suppose.

The love scenes are more descriptive in this volume, for those who are interested in the graphic romantic bits, but there are fewer scenes of Yuichi an Wataru's physical relationship. Instead of being merely flowery some actual spacial detail is provided, though it still retains the beauty of Kannagi's poetic style.

The afterward by Kannagi herself is probably the most hopeful part in the whole book, though. Within those few pages we are revealed that this storyline is not quite done with and we can look ahead to more novels from our fair author and her loyal illustrator chronicalling the deep love and bond of our heroes, Yuichi and Wataru, in the coming years.
After all the studying he did for his exams, sacrificing time with his boyfriend Yuichi, Wataru gets a measly C-average on his summer prep test. Yuichi's college classmate Asaka offers to tutor him, and he eagerly accepts. Wataru finds Asaka's cool beauty and attitude strikingly similar to that of Yuichi's, and subconsciously becomes vulnerable to his advances. For the first time in their relationship, Yuichi becomes enraged. Will they be able to overcome this new obstacle?!
Rerations
< Only The Ring Finger Knows Volume 3: The Ring Finger Falls Silent (Yaoi Novel) > < Only The Ring Finger Knows Volume 2: The Left Hand Dreams of Him (Yaoi Novel) (Only the Ring Finger Knows) > < Only The Ring Finger Knows Volume 1: The Lonely Ring Finger (Yaoi Novel) (Only the Ring Finger Knows) > < JUNJO ROMANTICA Volume 1: (Yaoi) (Junjo Romantica) > < Only the Ring Finger Knows (Yaoi) > freaks

< The Perfect Boy: Silent Genocide > < Thinking Straight > < Caught Running > < Dead Het Boys > < No Going Home > < The God Box > Mark A. Roeder

price： 179
AuthorHouse(2008-03-04)
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customer 's review
(Highjinks in Blackford)

(Roeder Does it Again!!!)

Mark Roeder continues his tales of some pretty interesting characters in Blackford, Indiana. My favorite, the British singer and general mischief maker Cedi (short for Cedric) goes on tour with Phantom and becomes a rock star, has an affair with Ross (no surprise there). We do discover that Ross carries a torch for Jordan (again, no surprise; someday, Mark is going to realize that Jordan carries one for Ross as well, not Ralph). Roeder also continues to develop several characters from previous stories: Toby (delightful kid) and Daniel Perralta, and finds boyfriends for each, each in a surprising person. Roeder also throws in a ghost that adds an interesting dimension. The book deals with the theme of what is the appropriate response to high school bullies. It doesn't answer the question as well in this one as Roeder does in other of his books, but it is thought provoking on the subject and DOES imply some responses that are NOT appropriate, even in dealing with bullies. Worth a read, especially for those who have read other of Roeder's books; better than some of his others, and Cedi is an outstanding character! His mischief, his sense of humor, his talent, his self-image and self-confidence all make him a good role model for gay teens. Go for it.
I have just literally finished The Perfect Boy, and Roeder has done it again. He has created a novel that will pull you in and keep you there up until the last page. Just like his past novels this one is definately a keeper and should be placed on your bookshelf for life. The Perfect Boy is another winner!!!!
A specter from the past haunts the halls of Blackford High School, terrorizing anyone who preys on the weak. Rumors say that a Goth/skater boy controls the ghost, but can the rumor be true? A mysterious new boy catches the eye of Toby and his new friend, Daniel Peralta as well. The new boy seems too perfect to be real. Is he or will be become the boy of Toby's or Daniel's dreams?

Cedi is living his fantasy-touring with Phantom, the most popular band in the world. Cedi can't quite forget Thad, the older, mysterious novelist he's left behind, but is quickly pulled into a world of concerts, autograph signings, and press conferences. Cedi takes an interest in Ross. Ross has his own demons, however, that may forever prevent him from loving anyone but the man of his dreams.
Rerations
< The Perfect Boy: Silent Genocide > < Thinking Straight > < Caught Running > < Dead Het Boys > < No Going Home > freaks

< Dorm Porn: Steamy Tales of Boys on Campus > < Dorm Porn 2: More Steamy Tales of Boys on Campus > < Fratsex: Stories of Gay Sex in College Fraternities > < Every Frat Boy Wants It > < The Tin Star > < The Back Passage >

price： 351
Alyson Books
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customer 's review
(4 and a half stars!)

(Unadulterated Fility Fantasy....YEAH!!..Ya' Gotta' Love It !!)

Gorge on college boy sex. I don't think that I'll read anymore anthologies dedicated to college boys. Trust me, this is all you'll need, however some of us are greedy gluttons, so if you're still hungry check out Fratsex.
This is a totally fun and sexy read. The boys are hot, the sex is hot, the situations are hot, the imagery is hot, and these stories will leave you hot, heaving, and hopefully, heavy handed. This anthology is a KEEPER. Candidly, I decided to read only one short story at a time, rather than complete the book in one or two sittings. Why?. Well, I wanted the purient anticipation for the next story to enhance the "delivery of the goods", so to speak. Have a towel or tissue handy, "cuz" you will most assuredly need it!

Raunchy, irresistible gay erotic stories about college boys!

Sean Fisheris the entirely fictional name of a guy who was so busy in his dorm room he barely graduated from college.

Rerations
< Dorm Porn: Steamy Tales of Boys on Campus > < Dorm Porn 2: More Steamy Tales of Boys on Campus > < Fratsex: Stories of Gay Sex in College Fraternities > < Every Frat Boy Wants It > < The Tin Star > freaks

< The Folding Star: A Novel > < The Spell > < Swimming Pool Library > < The Line of Beauty: A Novel > < Call Me by Your Name: A Novel > < The Gathering (Man Booker Prize) > Alan Hollinghurst

price： 478
Bloomsbury USA(2005-09-15)
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customer 's review
(Close to perfect)

(Good, but doesn't quite live up to all of its' ambitions...)

(A love's merging of language and lust)

(An Sprawling and Admirable Epic)

(A tale of obsession for the youthful beauty)

This is an excellent book. The writing is fluid and engaging and the storyline reveals insights into memory and the passing of time in very unexpected ways. It stays with you long after you read the last page.

I lived in the Flemish part of Belgium for a couple years and the author certainly has captured the endless rainy days, the feeling of permanence that only comes with multiple generations living in the same place, and the nuances of the culture's tension between the old and the new.

I found the book to be a bit uneven in places and in need of some ruthless editing. The frequent tangents and micro-details about the (fictional) Orst paintings were particularly distracting, for example. Had Orst actually existed, the descriptions of his work might have been interesting and relevant, but since it was all fictional, it seemed secondary (even tertiary) to the narrative. I found myself skimming over descriptions of art works that never existed.

But I still rate this book very highly. Where the writing is good, it's incredibly good. The section when the narrator returns to England is remarkably touching, and made me empathize with the narrator in ways I didn't think possible. And the last part of the book was perfect -- an ending that allows each of us to fill in our own conclusions.

This is the first Hollinghurst book I have read, and I plan to read more.
I was a bit more impressed with Hollinghurst's technical skills here than engaged by the actual story, which revisits aspects of Thomas Mann's DEATH IN VENICE in far more sprawling fashion.

Hollinghurst is a nearly-brilliant writer, though the very lush prose I found to be a touch distracting. But it may be entirely approriate in a tale of an infatuated, youth-worshipping tutor slowly sliding into a highly inapproriate affair with a cherubic student who ultimately turns out to be not quite as angelic as he first would seem to be.

Hollinghurst's tale poses a number of questions which are left hanging: foremost among them would be the youth-obsessiveness in Western culture generally, and gay culture specifically. One is left wondering what the dead end of such a sensibility would be, and as this ethereal and atmospheric epic winds down, that question remains in the air, with a frustrating lack of further elaboration.

-David Alston
THE FOLDING STAR tells the story of Edward Manners, a sentimentally detached man who leaves England to earn his living as a private language tutor in a Flemish city. The exquisite prose of this 1994 release delineates a man's aching melancholy and longing for love despite his odd sexual economy during the few years prior to his arrival in Belgium. Therefore, unlike the most recent, highly-acclaimed THE LINE OF BEAUTY, the novel affords a plot no more than Edward Manners's hypnotic fantasy of one of his young pupils. The 33-year-old seems to be at the emotional crossroad: he often smiles at his own sense of anticipation, of being poised for change, and is ready to fall in love. But he is not used to spending so much time with one person that he thinks of a committed relationship dreads him.

It might be love at first sight that no sooner has he met Luc than he takes an intimate fancy of him. The adoration quickly becomes a morbid infatuation that manifests into a pepperoni type of spying on the boy during his weekend excursion. He has no doubt driven Edward mad at times - he feels empty and is aching for him. The boy has affected everything Edward does to the point that he suffers without feeling afflicted. The stream of consciousness reflects Manners's despair over the unfulfilled love and the thumping of the heart. He can only console himself with other affairs to which no sentiment constitutes, other than the minimal trust of two people pleasuring themselves together, without much grasp of friendship or understanding.

THE FOLDING STAR is about the unrequited love that leaves a man constantly longing, without the prospect of ever finding love. The mixed feelings of anxious longing and fear of commitment constitute a poignant air that hovers over the novel. It delivers the message that the course of true love never runs straight. The reading reminds one of the similar sentimental nuances Henry James experiences in Colm Toibin's THE MASTER. While Henry James consciously makes it a habit to keep his affection at bay and secretly longs for the intimate companion of a man, Edward Manners always finds himself marveling at how his sudden burst of feeling has wrongfooted him. Both engage in a somnambulist journey to find love. The former lives in such vessel of loneliness and independence - in a social sphere that is pinned and stifled with rules. The latter leaves his home to escape the same constraints only to find himself trapped by his emotions. That his sex life has well petered out before he comes to Belgium is the impediment to his surrender to commitment.

THE FOLDING STAR is a stoic tale about the quest for love. Edward Manners lives among many gay men not only in the regard of the longing for a relationship but also in the sense of the nervousness, excitement, sensuality, and anxiety. One may think of the novel being made up of snapshots all these contradicting emotions that roam back and forth the character. It exquisitely depicts the nuances of affection, the anticipation for intimacy, and the desire of fulfillment of unconditional needs. Hollinghurst renders with artistry and haunting precision love's merging of language and lust.

THE FOLDING STAR is a sprawling neo-Victorian achievement, full of memorable characters, breathtaking description, and graphic gay sex. At its surface the novel is the story of Edward Manners - a 40ish, drinky, and rather raunchy former academic who relocates to a small Belgian town to work as a tutor. Almost at once Edward becomes infatuated with Luc, a student. His obsession is comic, tragic, and romantic. With this as its core THE FOLDING STAR then begins to reveal a much deeper and more complex reality. The interconnectedness of various lives and histories soon begins to become apparent, with former details gaining greater significance and literary relief in this engrossing epic of obsession and taboo. This is a wonderful book though I found it a bit dry and somewhat cold...it was a book to admire rather than embrace.

Alan Hollinghurst is certainly a crafty wordsmith. This book is beautifully written.

The story is basically that of an aging gay male becoming obsessed with his beautiful young student. Edward Manners becomes the tutor for a wealthy high school aged fellow, Luc. At first Edward sees a thin immature youth but as the story progresses, Edward becomes more obsessed with Luc and the descriptions of Luc change to match Edward's changing perception. This portion of the story is well told and certainly accurately portrays the process of obsession that seduces gradually, obliterating common sense and good judgement.

Edward recognizes that he has lost his bearings when he finds himself continually thinking about Luc, spying on him when he is on holiday with his friends, imagining him having sex with other young men or women, remaining fixated as to whether Luc is gay or straight, and even leaving tutoring sessions to use the bathroom so that he can smell Luc's dirty laundry.

Hollinghurst then begins to break the bubbles or desire that Edward has created. Luc becomes more realistic and less idealized. He becomes more human and more mundane. Eventually all the questions Edward has about Luc are answered, or at least many of the questions are answered. Edward begins the painful process of healing the wounds left by obsession as Luc drifts out of his life.

I found the book to be one of the best descriptions of the natural history of obsession since Robert Plant's The Catholic. Obsession is revealed to be a wounding, out of mind experience, from which we only gradually recover. Hollingshurst caught it well in this well written book.

The 1995 Booker Prize finalist finally back in print.

Alan Hollinghurst’s hypnotic and exquisitely written novel tells the story of Edward Manners, a disaffected 33-year-old who leaves England to earn his living as a language tutor in a Flemish city. Almost immediately he falls in love with one of his pupils, but can only console himself with other, illicit affairs. With this novel, Hollinghurst exposes us fearlessly to the consequences of unfulfillable, annihilating desire.

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