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Rating: 
Summary: Characters I could relate to
Review: I first read this novel as I was getting over a crush, and about to enter what turned out to be a short but suffocating relationship with some bimbo Adonis. As a gay male, it was refreshing to read about characters that I could relate to, especially the protagonist.The setting was contemporary to my experience as well. I urge anyone who has just come out, and WANTS a stable relationship, to read this book.It offersa variety of relationship types, and it's left to the reader to decide what they want,and what they don't want.Remember never to give up hope, but always keep a belief in fate as well.
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Summary: A Beautiful, Beautiful Book!
Review: I loved this book. David Leavitt writes with such feeling and sensitivity that you really feel you get to know the people in his stories. His portraits of the young gay man coming out, the middle-aged closet case, and the wife who gradually grasps the fact of her husband's secret life, are done with such depth and understanding that we feel for everyone involved. Leavitt does not take a noticeable stance in favor of either side; one of his gay men is a self-involved jerk who evokes little sympathy, though one does pity him, in a way. Leavitt's novel, in short, is about human beings, with all our faults and foibles. This one will stay with you long after you finish reading it. Lovely and heart-wrenching.
Rating:
Summary: Remarkable Novel
Review: I read this book for a class, and enjoyed it much more than I ever expected, especially in retrospect. I think it takes a little time to really get into, especially because Leavitt jumps back and forth between the three main characters and storylines, but once you get into the rhythm of the story, you are drawn in. Leavitt does a great character study of Owen, Rose, and Philip, and by the end of the novel, I felt like I knew them. Leavitt has an accessible wrting style, but the book itself is very literary and complex. For a first novel, especially, I think it's exceptional.
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