Members Lucky Posted January 29, 2012 Members Share Posted January 29, 2012 Edmund White's latest novel is Jack Holmes and His Friend, a story about two men, one gay, one straight. Obviously the gay guy longs for the straight guy over a number of years. The NY Times Book Review quotes this passage on how gay men and straight men differ when dealing with an ex-love. The gay men keep them as friends, the straights don't- or at least that is the case here. What do you think? Jack says to Will, “Straight people, as soon as they’ve broken up, it’s off with their heads.” “And gays?” “We stay friends. Why invest so much energy and time in another person and then just cut him out of your life forever? That’s the nasty, brutish way straights behave.” “But it doesn’t mean anything to you gay guys — it’s all just a joke for you.” “Not a joke,” Jack insists. “We’ve invested so much — ” “Invested! But you’re defending your investments like a dry goods merchant.” “And why do you straights gladly throw over everything you’ve achieved?” “Love . . . isn’t an achievement. It’s like a sonata. Once you’ve finished playing it, nothing remains. Not even sounds in the air.” “There are marks on the page someone else can follow,” Jack says. The Review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TotallyOz Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I was a sophomore in high school when A Boy's Own Story came out and I saw it in a book store. I bought it and hid it from my family and read it at night after all had went to sleep. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it gave me a sense of hope that I was not alone in the world. IMHO, the author is a fabulous story teller and I look forward to reading his new book. Thanks for the heads up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EXPAT Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Edmund White's latest novel is Jack Holmes and His Friend, a story about two men, one gay, one straight. Obviously the gay guy longs for the straight guy over a number of years. The NY Times Book Review quotes this passage on how gay men and straight men differ when dealing with an ex-love. The gay men keep them as friends, the straights don't- or at least that is the case here. What do you think? Jack says to Will, “Straight people, as soon as they’ve broken up, it’s off with their heads.” “And gays?” “We stay friends. Why invest so much energy and time in another person and then just cut him out of your life forever? That’s the nasty, brutish way straights behave.” “But it doesn’t mean anything to you gay guys — it’s all just a joke for you.” “Not a joke,” Jack insists. “We’ve invested so much — ” “Invested! But you’re defending your investments like a dry goods merchant.” “And why do you straights gladly throw over everything you’ve achieved?” “Love . . . isn’t an achievement. It’s like a sonata. Once you’ve finished playing it, nothing remains. Not even sounds in the air.” “There are marks on the page someone else can follow,” Jack says. The Review Thanks for that review. I've been looking for a new novel to start once I finish "11/22/63" by Stephen King which is excellent by the way. This one sounds really interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
