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239th out of 570 books
—
344 voters
The Men from the Boys (Jeff & Lloyd #1)
Jeff O’Brien - bright, good-looking, and inching dangerously past thirty, is caught between two generations, the Baby Boomers and Generation X. He’s been with his partner, Lloyd, for seven years now, but when Lloyd announces that there’s no passion left between them, Jeff is sent into something of an existential frenzy. Desperate not to end up alone, Jeff haunts the dance...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
June 1st 1998
by Plume
(first published June 1st 1997)
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Aug 01, 2012
Lori
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
2012challenge,
american-authors,
borrowed,
gbltq,
generalfic,
20th-century-lit,
ptown-setting
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I don't read many gay novels; I burned out on them in the Nineties, since so many seemed to be about AIDS and its impact. That's why it was strange reading this one, written in 1997, now. AIDS figures into the plot, but it's more a post-AIDS look at gay relationships, why they're different, and why they're also not. Still, the story, although well-written, seems dated. Maybe it's the frank and somewhat overemphasized promiscuity, maybe it's the repeated navel-gazing done by the narrator. Clearly...more
I really enjoyed this book about the ambiguities of love and relationships and look forward to reading the rest in the series. I was utterly fascinated by the idea that the gay characters create their own families and define love in a fashion that works for them. I loved the idea of the threesome together composing the happy ending. I was also pleased with the innovative structure in the novel as the chapters moved back and forth in time.
A really great gay novel that is both well written and extremely true to what being gay in the nineties meant. Mann is a much better writer than one could expect, a true author who does not just tell a story but write it carefully, with style, intelligence, and wit. His character are as believable as they are interesting, and it's difficult not to get attached to them and to understand what they go through. The two sequels are equally good, and the whole series really create a vast panorama of g...more
Mann is a good story teller. Didnt realize this was an older book. Ha a lot of angst, sad, tumult, depressively accurate though. Had several friends die about he time this first released. Havent finished it yet....taking time to digest the messages.
Another story I enjoyed reading, even though the main character isn’t particularly likeable. I don’t like non-monogamous relationships, but these seem to be what Mann writes, taken from his own experience, I believe. In this story, Jeff’s obsession with Eduardo takes its toll on his relationship with long-time lover Lloyd, and things won’t be the same again. I’m looking forward to reading the other two stories in the trilogy.
On it's surface, a story about sex. Underneath, a story about relationships, love, and life. Charming in its unintended 90's datedness. Very enjoyable read.
Fast read. Sweet and nostalgic. Sort of took me back to the mid-90s. (For the record, I've never had a beeper or cut-off denim short....:)
Jeff was sort of annoying through most of the novel. He was so afraid of change.
Jeff was sort of annoying through most of the novel. He was so afraid of change.
Engaging. Charming. Sometimes hard to take but fun.
Jul 29, 2011
Greg Wolfson
added it
trite, stereotyped characters living descpicable lives
Ptown in the 80s perfectly recorded
this is my life... well, not my life but a quarter of the way in and the writing is almost exactly like what i think in my head. slightly uncomfortable but also comforting to know it isn't just my crazy brain that feels and thinks this way.
okay, took me a while. it wasn't horrible but it wasn't great. seemed more like a self-gratifying exploration than a good novel to me.
okay, took me a while. it wasn't horrible but it wasn't great. seemed more like a self-gratifying exploration than a good novel to me.
I felt so gay reading this...and I loved it.
I think this was my first gay novel. Even though I could not really relate to any of the characters (aside from being gay), I found this to be a good summer read. It might seem a little soap opera-ish at first, but it really deals with a lot of relationship issues that could happen to anyone. .
I think this was my first gay novel. Even though I could not really relate to any of the characters (aside from being gay), I found this to be a good summer read. It might seem a little soap opera-ish at first, but it really deals with a lot of relationship issues that could happen to anyone. .
Really, really enjoyed this book. I started reading Mann's Where The Boys Are and kept hearing so much about Alister that I had to stop midway through and pick up the first book. Excellent writing, current and remarkably "real" for the circuit boy types...a must read for any gay (or straight) man...
I know that this book is like those films we love the first time we see them and then, on subsequent viewings, find them nearly intolerable. There is a sweetness that I took away from reading this book and I am not about to spoil it by rereading it and finding out that it is actually poor. Nope.
Mar 31, 2008
Will Bellais
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those who like really good gay literature
This is William Mann's first published novel. An interesting construction -- and story that rings true. Set in Boston and Provincetown MA he chronicles the change AID and HIV brought to the gay community. Great read!
A good tale about the pulse of Provincetown. Things I never knew... but, will always remember.
another work of gay fiction.
another cautionary tale about a gay guy dying of AIDS.
wah wah wah.
another cautionary tale about a gay guy dying of AIDS.
wah wah wah.
I have to admit but did not know what to expect when I was pulled into the world of gay men, gay friends, gay lovers trying to figure out themselves and the prevailing question of in the early 90's where the gay culture was trying to find out what separates the men from the boys. It was hard to root for the protagonist, but the couple of Jeff and Loyd were a heartbreaking depiction of a gay relationship. Great read, cleverly written, and looking forward to revisiting these lifelong gay characte...more
May 19, 2013
Ky Ostner
marked it as to-read
May 18, 2013
Jana'e Smithe
marked it as to-read
May 17, 2013
Jamie
marked it as to-read
May 15, 2013
Harry Bounds
marked it as to-read
May 14, 2013
Jessie
marked it as to-read
May 14, 2013
Jimmy
marked it as to-read
May 13, 2013
Don Brookes
added it
May 10, 2013
Jhr459
marked it as to-read
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S.
01 mar. 09:35