I read this book because it was listed as Publishing Triangle's #1 best gay novel, so I figured it must be good. I have to admit that I was disappointed.

I have two issues with this book. The first is that the style is so dated and dense (the book was first published in Germany in 1912) that it was terribly difficult to get into. Secondly, though the main character is obviously obsessing to a stalker-ish level over a 14-year-old boy, comparing him with the most beautiful of the Greek gods, I don't think that homosexuality was the point of it. In fact, I feel as though anyone who calls this book a predominantly gay novel has completely *missed* the point.

To me, this is a story of lost youth and a wasted life, not sexuality. The sexual aspect of von Aschenbach's interest in Tadzio is entirely incidental. Perhaps if I had known this going in, I would have viewed the book quite differently, but in the end, I suppose I felt a bit cheated.