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book_lizard42's review
5.0
I think I may have found the book of the gift-giving season. Oh, my gosh. Hilarious, heart-breaking, nothing short of brilliant, with flashes of melodrama worthy of Dynasty. It's one of those rare books that I NEED a physical copy of so I can sleep with it under my pillow.
slammders's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Broke my heart a million times but also made me laugh constantly. I adored the characters and loved their voices
kirstencc's review
4.0
5 ⭐️ for writing, 4 for overall plot. This is one of, if not the, wittiest books I’ve read. A beautiful story of all things gay, in the best possible way. And being unapologetically yourself. I highly recommend.
jimothymax's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
ndizz87's review
3.0
This novel took me far longer to finish than I had anticipated. If I have to pinpoint the moment I stopped reading and put the book down for at least a month and half, I would say it was the glaring preposterousness that became the hallmark of Nate and Farrell’s relationship. When I selected the book I figured that it would be yet another gushy romance, and while that’s somewhat the case, there came a point where the suspension of disbelief broke and I just couldn’t buy it anymore. I put it down, but rallied and resolved to finish what I started. While on the whole it never completely sold me, it did manage to gain back enough ground to give it a three out of five stars in the end.
The story centers around a lower middle-class New Jersey Jewish kid, Nate, experiencing college in the big city he’d always dreamed of, 1970s Queer New York City. While there, he inexplicably begins a relationship with one of the most attractive and wealthiest fellow student, Farrell Covington. Farrell has decided, without much thought, that the two of them are immortal lovers, destined to spend the rest of their lives with one another. As the years progress, they are stereotypically pulled apart, but always manage to come back together. Their relationship never truly falters no matter what life throws at them through failed off-Broadway plays, attempts to steal inheritances, Hollywood and its Queer doublethink back in the day, years (and I do mean years…even after they’ve reunited) of being separated, and of course…the heralding of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.
My biggest issue is with the relationship itself. Nate is written well, but presented as rather ordinary, my guess is, in order to make Farrell pop off the page as much as he does. And boy, does he pop. Farrell is a larger than life character and this novel wants you to know that. The way he speaks is quite assured and extremely ridiculous, though it ends up growing on you. The way these two meet, doesn’t make any sense. Farrell has the entire world at his feet and he goes for the awkward kid in a bear fur coat randomly in the library one day. And there’s no questioning it. Nothing the novel throws at their relationship gives you even the slightest indication that there could be potential for the reader to question the longevity of their relationship. After Farrell’s father passes away, the most salient roadblock gets quickly snuffed out. Everything after that is just them doing life for another twenty or thirty years…which, okay, sure, I guess. After the most dramatic element of the novel magically resolves itself, I found a majority of what comes after a trifle boring.
The one thing that this novel has going for it is wit and humor. Most of what comes out of Farrell’s mouth is nearly always hilarious and with a certain sharp, Oscar Wilde-esque wit that is highly quotable. This quality in Farrell both makes him a memorable character yet gives this reader no real sense of the human that I suspect Farrell was. Even as I read the final section of the novel, I never really felt like I knew the character. It was as if the author made every effort not to allow me to. The story is very much from Nate’s perspective but I couldn’t help but continue to feel as though Farrell was this amusing thinly-veiled caricature.
As a reader, I simply couldn’t connect with the Shakespearian love story that feels preposterous and somewhat boring. The novel spans fifty years and this reader felt time at certain points slow to an agonizing crawl. The characters, while memorable for their wit and humor, are still out of focus. Their blurred characterizations strain an already tenuous logic for why these two feel they’re even meant for one another. Even so, it’s undeniable that this novel was well written and the witty humor jumps off the page more often than not. That alone was a saving grace. It is made apparent that style does, in fact, have its limits.
The story centers around a lower middle-class New Jersey Jewish kid, Nate, experiencing college in the big city he’d always dreamed of, 1970s Queer New York City. While there, he inexplicably begins a relationship with one of the most attractive and wealthiest fellow student, Farrell Covington. Farrell has decided, without much thought, that the two of them are immortal lovers, destined to spend the rest of their lives with one another. As the years progress, they are stereotypically pulled apart, but always manage to come back together. Their relationship never truly falters no matter what life throws at them through failed off-Broadway plays, attempts to steal inheritances, Hollywood and its Queer doublethink back in the day, years (and I do mean years…even after they’ve reunited) of being separated, and of course…the heralding of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.
My biggest issue is with the relationship itself. Nate is written well, but presented as rather ordinary, my guess is, in order to make Farrell pop off the page as much as he does. And boy, does he pop. Farrell is a larger than life character and this novel wants you to know that. The way he speaks is quite assured and extremely ridiculous, though it ends up growing on you. The way these two meet, doesn’t make any sense. Farrell has the entire world at his feet and he goes for the awkward kid in a bear fur coat randomly in the library one day. And there’s no questioning it. Nothing the novel throws at their relationship gives you even the slightest indication that there could be potential for the reader to question the longevity of their relationship. After Farrell’s father passes away, the most salient roadblock gets quickly snuffed out. Everything after that is just them doing life for another twenty or thirty years…which, okay, sure, I guess. After the most dramatic element of the novel magically resolves itself, I found a majority of what comes after a trifle boring.
The one thing that this novel has going for it is wit and humor. Most of what comes out of Farrell’s mouth is nearly always hilarious and with a certain sharp, Oscar Wilde-esque wit that is highly quotable. This quality in Farrell both makes him a memorable character yet gives this reader no real sense of the human that I suspect Farrell was. Even as I read the final section of the novel, I never really felt like I knew the character. It was as if the author made every effort not to allow me to. The story is very much from Nate’s perspective but I couldn’t help but continue to feel as though Farrell was this amusing thinly-veiled caricature.
As a reader, I simply couldn’t connect with the Shakespearian love story that feels preposterous and somewhat boring. The novel spans fifty years and this reader felt time at certain points slow to an agonizing crawl. The characters, while memorable for their wit and humor, are still out of focus. Their blurred characterizations strain an already tenuous logic for why these two feel they’re even meant for one another. Even so, it’s undeniable that this novel was well written and the witty humor jumps off the page more often than not. That alone was a saving grace. It is made apparent that style does, in fact, have its limits.
eb2114's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ahobbitsreadinglist's review
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
adholliday's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
thehommeboii's review
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really wanted to love this one more. From the absolutely beautiful cover and promising book blurb, I was ready to be swept away, only to find myself struggling to get through this book, slogging away at Paul Rudnick's overindulgent style. There were points of sufficient shock that helped to move the plot and the reader forward with a little more momentum before returning to the traffic jam of words that is Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style. Rudnick's strongest writing can be found in his portrayal of the havoc the AIDS crisis wreaked upon the gay community - the brush alight that becomes a forest fire - but it is not enough to salvage what otherwise feels like a failed comedic attempt featuring a couple that doesn't quite inspire belief or rooting for.
Update 3/1/2024: Previously rated 3.25 stars; downgraded to 3.0 stars.
whatwillread's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Never has there ever been a cover design that so poorly represents the contents of a book. The whole time I was so caught up with ‘what were they thinking???’
Despite the design’s flat, goofy, cartoonish flair, this book is kind of serious; dark and heavy at times. I’m glad it goes there and it is expertly written throughout, but it never quite earns the grandeur of the story Rudnick is going for here. Namely, I really didn’t care enough the title character.
The novel starts with great promise, 70s college meet-cute, eccentric group of friends, romantic hijinks, fun fun fun, but things turn quickly as the realities of the world/gay history seep into their safe college bubble. I commend Rudnick for, like his playwright narrator Nate, for trying to capture a gay story about the 70s/80s that pushes against conventions of other gay media depicting that era.
And yet, Nate’s love Farrell, the center of the novel’s universe, brings nothing to the table other than one dimensional witticism, wealth, and beauty. It’s boring, he’s boring, his family story is boring, his life’s work is boring. And the reader is dragged through his entire story.
Now where this novel absolutely shines is in its gayness. This is gay gay gay gay gay gay gay. Unapologetically for gay men. The references, scenarios, drama, couldn’t be gayer. Thinking cinematically, Rudnick even writes cameos that could easily be cast from the long list of gay-obsessed diva icons: Rebekah (the mother of their friend Jess who stars in Nate’s first play), Mrs. Wainlett (the manager of the Covington’s Rhode Island manor), and of course the absolutely divine Mother Gregory, who, as any best supporting actress would, steals the whole book in one scene.
I just couldn’t help but wonder…had the cover design better represented the contents of the book, would I have liked this more???
Despite the design’s flat, goofy, cartoonish flair, this book is kind of serious; dark and heavy at times. I’m glad it goes there and it is expertly written throughout, but it never quite earns the grandeur of the story Rudnick is going for here. Namely, I really didn’t care enough the title character.
The novel starts with great promise, 70s college meet-cute, eccentric group of friends, romantic hijinks, fun fun fun, but things turn quickly as the realities of the world/gay history seep into their safe college bubble. I commend Rudnick for, like his playwright narrator Nate, for trying to capture a gay story about the 70s/80s that pushes against conventions of other gay media depicting that era.
And yet, Nate’s love Farrell, the center of the novel’s universe, brings nothing to the table other than one dimensional witticism, wealth, and beauty. It’s boring, he’s boring, his family story is boring, his life’s work is boring. And the reader is dragged through his entire story.
Now where this novel absolutely shines is in its gayness. This is gay gay gay gay gay gay gay. Unapologetically for gay men. The references, scenarios, drama, couldn’t be gayer. Thinking cinematically, Rudnick even writes cameos that could easily be cast from the long list of gay-obsessed diva icons: Rebekah (the mother of their friend Jess who stars in Nate’s first play), Mrs. Wainlett (the manager of the Covington’s Rhode Island manor), and of course the absolutely divine Mother Gregory, who, as any best supporting actress would, steals the whole book in one scene.
I just couldn’t help but wonder…had the cover design better represented the contents of the book, would I have liked this more???