Chaos

by Edmund White

When a respected older man clings to the values and mores of the liberated 1970s, when he pursues sex relentlessly and his reputation suffers, Chaos ensues. White explores different aspects of aging, romance, and sex, inviting his readers to come with him to Florida, the Greek Isles, and Turkey — and into the chaotic gay demimonde of contemporary New York.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Gay, Queer, LGBT, Gay Fiction, Novella

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Edmund Valentine White III was an American novelist, memoirist, playwright, biographer, and essayist. He was the recipient of Lambda Literary's Visionary Award, the National Book Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award, and the PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction. France made him Chevalier (and later Officier) de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1993.
White was known as a groundbreaking writer of gay literature and a major influence on gay American literature and has been called "the first major queer novelist to champion a new generation of writers."

Reviews

[Banu Yıldıran Genç · Rating 4 out of 5]

üç yıl büyükada'da yaşamış bir yazardan ada hikâyeleri... eşcinsel erkekler, yaşamları, aşkları ve aids'ten ölen arkadaşları üzerine...
memlekette yazılamayacak denli samimi, yer yer otobiyografik, oryantalist tatlarla bezeli, bizi bazen bizden iyi bilen bir yazar edmund white.
eşcinsel edebiyatın en önemli yazarlarından birinden özel olarak derlenmiş, yine içten bir biçimde yazılmış önsözle türk okurlara sunulmuş.
roza hakmen'in mükemmel çevirisiyle.
kitap üzerine notos'ta yazdığım yazı: http://tembelveyazar.blogspot.com.tr/...

[Jade Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I start the review, I want to mention that whoever reads this collection of Edmund White stories, would also enjoy Skinned Alive as it is another collection that explores homosexual relationships. The difference between the two is that Chaos focuses more on the older gay generation.

I've read quite a few of Edmund White's books and so far the main characters have been described as young, virile and attractive. Coming of age or coming to terms with issues such as AIDS, HIV etc. But what I really enjoyed about these stories is that the perspective shifts between characters who are older (In their sixties on more than one occasion) and this was new to me as I am not used to characters (in general and especially in gay novels) to be old. It was different and eye opening to see life and aspects of life through ageing characters.

Each story is completely unique, but linked with the same themes that make up the collection. All of them have their own distinct voice and I never felt distanced from them. There were even a few twists in some of the stories which caused me to see the story I had just finished reading, in a whole new light.

The last story, 'The Creative Writing Murders' was intriguing from the very start of it, and although it is short, it is brilliant and leaves a lasting impression on the collection as a whole, down to its...I don't even know how to put it, but it stands out and although it still includes the main themes, I see it as set aside from the other stories, but for very good reason. It finished the book of perfectly for me.

Each story contains its own gems and I already want to read certain points and phrases again.

[Gerhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow.

[Sequelguerrier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sure it's been said before, White writes about one character: himself. By now, he must be as confuddled as the reader to try and distinguish between what is real and what is literature, fact and fiction of a self. I can't help being fascinated with this essentially self centred voice who has such a gift for observation of the world and people around him whether it be NY, Paris, Istanbul or Naxos. As he ages, White is now dealing with the fears, obsessions, foibles and troubles of an older man who hasn't lost his eye or appetite for a handsome hunk. Well written and sexy, warts and all.

[Joanka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t write the review of Chaos for a long time as I tried to decide what I really think about this book. I still am not so sure. This is a collection of short stories with old age and fading as the strongest themes. There were parts that I enjoyed and ones that left me not disturbed but… disheartened, I would say. Is White’s world, or the world of the old so love-deprived? Was that just my sentimental mood while reading or was there really only place for lust, passion, brief infatuations that only intensified the feeling of emptiness when they faded? Or maybe it was the lasting impression from the first story, that I liked the least. Every one that followed was better, although the title novella might be perceived as interesting with its portrayal of deeply flawed characters, that for me felt almost inhumane at times (and the ending which I read as proving the narrator’s unreliability in a way confirmed that in my opinion.)

The best story was in my opinion “Record Time”, showing the narrator’s passion for music. Reading it was a pure pleasure. I also liked friendships, mostly with women, depicted in the stories and the women’s characters were the ones I found most interesting and vivid. When it comes to style, I believe it to be really enjoyable, honest and natural. Apart from some of the sex scenes. It’s not that I perceived them as shocking, no, I read too much fanfiction, nothing can shock me probably. But I’m used to different way of showing sex, both one filled with love as well as nasty one… Here they didn’t sit well with me.

Generally, I would say these stories might be great for some readers but I didn’t feel them. I remember more of the surroundings of when I was reading this book than the stories themselves. But they made me want to go back to Turkey (my second favourite story) so there is also that.

[Jaco Barnard-Naudé · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not his best, but not his best is still better than most.

[Miguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of texts: a novel, that gives it's title to the volume, and five stories, two of them fairly short. Common to all or nearly all the texts, the theme of old age, in addition to the usual White's topics.

The novel, Chaos, is where we find the usual characteristics of EW's writing, including his autobiographical tone. I mean, I do not know if what is there exactly matches the author's biography, but one of his talents is precisely this, to write with a voice so likely that we are led to believe or accept that in fact it corresponds to the writer's life. There is this kind of tone that is usual in White, an almost total identification between author and narrator. As I said, I do not know if it is pure fiction masquerading as biography, but this is not important, what matters is that the quality of the literary artifice, and, of course, what it provides to readers.

Chaos is sometimes a poignant story about the aging process, on how we will gradually adapt to the limitations of old age, but especially the way one resists (or not) psychologically to all changes that come with age and the fact that we have to deal with the physical decline and with the prospect of death. All this done with a kind of honesty and rawness that is usual with White, particularly in what regards to sex.

The remaining texts in this edition are there to prove that EW is an author of many and diverse talents. I particularly liked the story The Good Sports, which tells the story of a couple of friends, an English woman and an American man, who decide to spend their retirement in a Greek island. Much of the story focuses on a visit to Turkey when all sorts of misunderstandings did happen. This is a beautiful story about friendship, or rather the love without sex, and its limits.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was one of those books that I neither liked nor disliked--I just couldn't get into it. It was good for a couple of quotes, that's all:

"My mind is like one of those big baskets rural grandmothers used to keep full of scraps of cloth and ribbon to amuse little girls before the era of commercial toys. I can just dip in at any moment and find odd associations, memories, imaginary dialogues, sexy scenes, translation problems, moments that make me wince and even a few that make me smile with a sense of quiet triumph."

"She withdrew into her pale blue chamber which at night, all six wall sconces alight, glowed like the inside of a pine branch on fire."

"What's wrong with you? If you're going to dwell on the past it should at least be a viable memory."

"Fiction was constructed haltingly out of memories, actual or at least convincingly real, hybridized out of scattered recollections."

[Chris Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very autobiographical, to the point of reader discomfort, which I enjoyed, the edginess of it. One of the stories bored me a bit. It wasn't as dark as the other ones. Also, I didn't identify with the main character much, or maybe it made me uncomfortable like aging makes us uncomfortable, the reality of, These are the last few decades of my life, and there's not much I can do to change my life's course. Whereas in another story, it's the same problem, only it has a horrific feel to it. Again, I liked the edginess.

[Erin Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best way to describe how this book made me feel is "uncomfortable." Not necessarily just the indiscriminate, risky, and raw sex, but the emotional implications of how we age and what that means for our sexual, emotional, and physical selves.

[Jerry Delaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

You're repeating yourself again, Edmund

[David Sweeney · Rating 2 out of 5]

The blurb on the back indicates an exploration of "different aspects of ageing, romance and sex. Taking an unsparing look at gay midlife..."
After many years of reading White I had concluded that I would abandon his fiction, and stick to his non-fiction, as he is too good a writer to completely toss aside. Over the years the fiction had been become dull as White seemed to be on a mission to shock, but in a vey tiresome way. Ostensibly writing about himself, it was never really that interesting and was a far cry from this early fiction.
This collection unfortunately only reinforces that opinion. There are moments of brilliance, and the story about the importance of music is wonderful but as a collection it is very uneven.
For a wonderful book exploring the same terrain read Andrew Holleran's The Kingdom of Sand.

[James Loop]

There’s an unpredictable and porous genre of books in my reading life called “things to read after a long time reading nothing that turned me back on to reading.” Chaos was one of those. Pretty low stakes, not much drama, just lightly bubbling gay prose with occasional mild erotic thrills. Probably a weird place to start with White but I’ve got holds on a half dozen more at the library. It may seem callous to say but it’s a good thing writers die (eventually) so that I can get around to reading them. The first story Chaos, documents the MySpace era, the slightly tawdry and cheesy and wilder internet culture of the first decade of the century. And Record Time will stick with me as a depiction of gay teenage lonely aesthete-icism. All in all just what the doctor ordered, though not particularly anything much but fine sentences and intelligent companionship.

[Chad Allen]

I borrowed this book from a library to experience a bit of Edmund White’s writing since he just died in June 2025. A gay writer, White is very direct and explicit with gay sexuality in his stories.

I didn’t finish the novella but got a strong sense of his writing through reading about half of it — just because I have other more pressing books to read including a book club read due soon.

But I did sample a couple of his short stories as well as he wrote also about a man with a black or African lover in the story “Give it up for Billy.”

Unfinished but recommended for those who have a greater interest in gay male literature than just a casual onlooker.

[May Ling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laundry room selection. Wow. I had no idea what this was about. When I hear chaos, I usually think mathematical theory. This however was about chaos, the life of a single promiscuous NYer. Had never thought of it. Totally true. Super chaotic.

Anyway, it was an excellent vacation read, albiet a bit naughty. I of course gave it to my friend to enjoy as it was more hist type of book. Interesting though....

[Gökhan Gök · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edmund White birden fazla -öykü, roman, biyografi, deneme, anı- alanda eser veren bir yazar. Ayrıca eşcinsel yazarlarla birlikte kurduğu Violet Quill edebiyat grubu ile eşcinsel edebiyatın önemli isimlerinden birisi. Ada Öyküleri de bizzat yazar tarafından derlenmiş, içerisinde 4 uzun öyküden oluşan bir seçki. Öykülerinde yer yer örtük, yer yer de fazlasıyla cüretkar bir eşcinsellik yer alıyor ancak duygusal tonları da oldukça yüksek ve etkileyici. Özellikle Kahin öyküsü kitap içerisinde parlıyor.

[İzzet Figenkaplan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yazardan: Bu öyküler duyguya bulanmış öykülerdir...Kendime başka konuda çalışma izni vermiyordum,ama kurmacaya dönme arzusu çok ağır bastığında,bir bakıma ''sıkıştırılmış'' roman sayılabılecek bu öyküleri kaleme aldım.AIDS'in bütün ıstırapları ve '' Osmanlı'' adalarının cennetsi hazlarıyla dopdolu öykülerdir bunlar.
Roza Hakmen'in Türkçesiyle ( alt başlığı ile) harika bir çeviri ve kapakla yayınlanmış, seçkin bir eser olmuş.

[Igor Zurimendi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I get the sense it's somewhat self indulgently autobiographical, but redeems itself with the final two stories. Thoroughly enjoyable, as much decay as chaos.

[Jacob Dougherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very obviously autobiographical novella and set of short stories which offers a good glimpse of being a gay elder in NYC. A little too much diversion in the novella 'Chaos' makes it seem somewhat piecemeal, like White is trying to tell 4 different stories in one novella.
Interesting tidbit- in "Chaos", the main character 'Jack' talks about how a university is proud to own love letters he wrote many years ago to a theatre director, and how he himself cannot remember ever writing the letters or having an affair with the director. White also recounts this exact story in his newest autobiography, 'City Boy', which I'm also currently reading.

[Brian Bixler · Rating 2 out of 5]

A novella and a couple of short stories. White seems to ruminate on aging and the need for companionship in this compilation. Classical music references, use of French phrases and somewhat arcane allusions are somewhat off-putting. I would have chosen one of his better known books, but this is all that was available.

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading "My Lives," this read like one of White's most autobiographical.
It was pretty good. Not I'm willing to say great. But then again, when it comes to Ed White, my expectations are pretty high.

[Vanessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Please stop Edmund White I beseech thee.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not White's best collection, but a worthwhile read for fans.

[robxyz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Che gran bravo scrittore di razza, Edmund White! Una scoperta sorprendente per me che non ne avevo mai sentito parlare, bastano poche righe e subito sento la sensazione concreta di avere a che fare con un autore di classe superiore; come un cuoco esperto sa come renderti appetitoso e perfetto anche un piatto che normalmente non troveresti di tuo gusto. Quando tratta scene erotiche è decisamente, volutamente al limite del pornografico nel primo racconto: è una sala operatoria lui, luci fortissime dure e fredde, lame di bisturi affilatissime e taglienti, asettico e crudo nelle descrizioni. Mentre il mio ideale in campo erotico, quello che fa per me, è e rimane l'inarrivabile Anais Nin: lei che con le sue frasi evoca profumi d'incenso delicati, luci soffuse con tonalità calde. Eppure White mi conquista con la sua notevolissima scrittura. Quattro sono i racconti che compongono questa ottima raccolta proposta in una edizione curatissima e graficamente valida, e sono tutti ugualmente belli, coinvolgenti da leggere e senza cadute di tensione letteraria. Ora devo trovare qualcosa di suo da leggere in inglese. Leggetelo, è un bel libro. Si astenga solo chi prova fastidio verso gli ambienti gay perchè White racconta di omosessualità con la medesima cruda franchezza con la quale Bukowski parlava delle sue conquiste femminili.