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A review by jakobmarleymommy
The Swimming-Pool Library by Alan Hollinghurst
2.0
I'm not really sure what to say about this book. The characters had no redeeming qualities, plot lines were introduced and never resolved, and I'm unclear what the overall point of the book was.
A few other things troubled me as well. Not being a gay man, I honestly don't know how much time gay men think about cocks, analyze random strangers buldges, or exhibit varying stages of boners in the gym shower, but Will seemed to think of nothing else. Is that normal?
It also seemed that several less central characters were of ambiguous sexuality. Of course people can bisexual, but it almost seemed to be an English boarding school ritual to take it up the ass regardless of whether or not you were gay. I find it hard to believe that men can switch their sexuality on and off like that. I know I would not be able to be with a woman sexually, and I don't believe my feelings are unusual.
I don't know anything about the author, but he has some serious love of the penis. I appreciate a nice penis, but the descriptions in this book were over the top. I've never examined a penis with as much focus as the author appears to have; it got to be a bit much.
One thing I did appreciate about the book was the description of the sexual escapades that were possible (homo and hetero) in a pre-aids society. Despite dozens of illicit encounters there was not a single mention of protection or fear of disease. It's hard for me to understand that kind of world, having coming of age in the midst of the AIDS epidemic.
Overall, not awful, but definitely not worthy of being named one of the 1,001 books I must read before I die.
A few other things troubled me as well. Not being a gay man, I honestly don't know how much time gay men think about cocks, analyze random strangers buldges, or exhibit varying stages of boners in the gym shower, but Will seemed to think of nothing else. Is that normal?
It also seemed that several less central characters were of ambiguous sexuality. Of course people can bisexual, but it almost seemed to be an English boarding school ritual to take it up the ass regardless of whether or not you were gay. I find it hard to believe that men can switch their sexuality on and off like that. I know I would not be able to be with a woman sexually, and I don't believe my feelings are unusual.
I don't know anything about the author, but he has some serious love of the penis. I appreciate a nice penis, but the descriptions in this book were over the top. I've never examined a penis with as much focus as the author appears to have; it got to be a bit much.
One thing I did appreciate about the book was the description of the sexual escapades that were possible (homo and hetero) in a pre-aids society. Despite dozens of illicit encounters there was not a single mention of protection or fear of disease. It's hard for me to understand that kind of world, having coming of age in the midst of the AIDS epidemic.
Overall, not awful, but definitely not worthy of being named one of the 1,001 books I must read before I die.