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starnosedmole's review
4.0
A solemn, beautiful gem of a novel. Holleran's protagonist meditates on the nature of grieving, beauty and our relations to others. It was refreshing to read a novel set in D.C.
sunnid's review
2.0
This book fell flat for me in terms of storyline or understanding the characters...or anything OTHER than the detailed descriptions given by the main character as he walks all over Washington DC. He finds a sense of peace and contemplativeness about it. I loved those descriptions because of my own temporary stay in DC.
pattydsf's review
3.0
I picked this up because Paul Monette mentioned Holleran in the essays I read back in June. This was the only book by Holleran that my library had.
I feel like I read this out of context in a few ways. After reading an interview with Holleran, I realized that his characters appear in several books. This is the last book that Holleran has published and it feels like the end of the story. Then there is the fact that I am not a gay man and so I think I miss some of the references. Lastly, this book is eight years old - it seems ancient. We don't live in that time anymore.
The main character in this book has so much to grieve for. It took me awhile to see the grief because it was always there, but Holleran is subtle in portraying it. I think that is what will stick with me from this tale. How grief manifests itself in so many ways.
If you are interested in writers' response to HIV/AIDs this may be for you.
I feel like I read this out of context in a few ways. After reading an interview with Holleran, I realized that his characters appear in several books. This is the last book that Holleran has published and it feels like the end of the story. Then there is the fact that I am not a gay man and so I think I miss some of the references. Lastly, this book is eight years old - it seems ancient. We don't live in that time anymore.
The main character in this book has so much to grieve for. It took me awhile to see the grief because it was always there, but Holleran is subtle in portraying it. I think that is what will stick with me from this tale. How grief manifests itself in so many ways.
If you are interested in writers' response to HIV/AIDs this may be for you.
rsurban's review
4.0
I've loved Andrew Holleran's books from the very beginning. His "Dancer From the Dance" was a pivotal part of my coming out process, opening my eyes to the possibilities of a thrilling urban life of parties, wacky friends and hot, hot sex, yet it was the melancholy disappearance of Malone, the mysterious and insanely handsome cypher at the center of the story, that really grabbed my attention. Then, as the hedonistic 70's gave way to the tragedy of the AIDS era, Holleran's books became increasingly serious and mournful, with "Nights in Aruba" straddling the divide, and "The Beauty of Men" finally descending into bathetic misery and isolation in the wilds of suburban Florida (but it's still beautifully written). With the autobiographical nature of his work being more or less a given, one can assume that Holleran's mood normalized a bit with his short story collection, "In September, the Light Changes", and now, with his latest book, "Grief", the title belies a more more mature and philosophical writer. Far from the weighty nature of his 90's output, Grief seems almost light by comparison, even though it chronicles the main character's season of mourning and loneliness among the alabaster monuments of Washington DC. The protagonist, a professor, spends a season or so renting rooms in the capital and teaching a college course, while he ruminates on his life, and the recent death of his mother. What to some might seem a terribly static and dour narrative in fact has great moments of insight and even humor, and one comes away from this slim book/novella feeling that, through the author's gentle examination, the cares and vicissitudes of a life have been given their due and an equilibrium has been restored. We all hope that with age comes wisdom that grows as other aptitudes diminish, and in "Grief", Andrew Holleran gives us a template for introspection and survival as we deal with the passages of a middle-aged life.
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