Craze

by Margaret Vandenburg

Fresh off the boat from Roaring Twenties Paris, Henrietta "Henri" Adams lands in New York in the midst of the Queer Craze that is taking the city by storm. An art critic by day and lady lover by night, she ventures into the clandestine worlds of speakeasies and drag balls, which free her from the tyranny of the gender binary. Fun-loving slummers crash the party, flocking to see queer performers at the Astor Hotel and the Cotton Club. Broadway stars rub elbows with Harlem Renaissance luminaries at the Hamilton Lodge Masquerade Ball. But the revelry can't last forever. Faced with Depression-era crackdowns, Henri calculates the risk of fighting back, prompting a decision with far-reaching consequences.

Genres: Historical Fiction, LGBT, Historical, Queer, Adult, Fiction

260 pages, Paperback

Published August 23, 2024

Reviews

[Lady Olenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I am gobsmacked by how intellectually stimulating Craze is! It explores the end of the roaring 20’s queer scene in New York where the main character dives headfirst into a world of speakeasies, drag balls and gender-defying characters.

I am in love with the author’s ability to interweave art, gender and sexuality. At some point I was questioning myself if this is an autobiography because I was so taken by the artists and people the main character met. Through the main character’s journey, the author crafted a vibrant, historical portrait of the LGBTQIA+ community.

The novel’s greatest strength lies in its richly detailed atmosphere. The author captured the frenetic energy of 1920s New York while balancing it with the quieter, more introspective struggles of self-discovery and belonging. The main character was a layered protagonist, navigating the intersections of her old life versus her present with intelligence and vulnerability.

Overall, Craze is a celebration of resilience and identity, offering a unique POV on a transformative era. Highly recommended read for fans of historical fiction and of our La-gee-bee-tee-qua-plus community whose history is often erased from mainstream narratives.

Unpopular opinion:
This needs to be a movie. Yes, Carol is the bees knees, the epitome of all of lesbiandome especially during Christmas. But this book has actual historical facts and is educational to the queer community. Carol is famous because it’s Cate Blanchett. Period.

[The Lesbian Library (Maddy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henrietta “Henri” Adams is no stranger to sapphism, having spent the last few years in Paris salons amongst the likes of Gertrude Stein and Natalie Barney. However, ever since arriving in New York, she has realized that being queer in America is a far cry from what she expected. Tasked with juggling her career as a “straight” art journalist with her true identity, Henri sets out to make a name for herself amongst prohibition-era gays.

However, what she finds is unlike anything she had expected before. And once her best friend/mentor Crystal introduces her to the ways of New York lesbians Henri knows that she can never go back to the life she once led. Despite her family’s insistence that she move back to Utah and marry a respectable man, Henri is determined to succeed. However, she soon finds everything she thinks about her gender, sexuality, and self may not be as black and white as she has presumed. All the gay panic, sapphic yearning, and more in, Craze.

I was blown away by how much I enjoyed this book! I had no idea what to expect going into it and what a treat it was. Although it is mainly a character-driven story the setting truly stood out. It may have been influenced by the fact I read this book while on a trip to New York but I could truly feel the glitz and glamour of the city. It was as though the author had managed to capture the once-in-a-lifetime world of the queer underground in the roaring 20s. Not to mention being told in second-person POV, which is challenging to do well. If you like intersectional history and flowery prose, you are in the right place!

Henri’s experiences and loves while living in New York were a treat to read and resonate with me even today. She often discusses how she never truly felt at home with her family and has used the distance between them to cope with their disapproval of her. She also frequently feels that she does not know her true self, and questions the strict social guidelines in place. Her initial attraction to only femme lesbians or “violets”, is an experience I think a lot of lesbians can relate to. However, once she began to venture outside her “type” the confusion and dissatisfaction blossomed into experiencing her true self and desires. And by the end of the book Henri Adams was not the same naive sapphist that stepped off that boat in the best of ways.

The setting of this story though truly sets this book apart. As she is an art writer it was thrilling to hear of Van Gogh and Georgia O’Keefe as if they were alive. This timeframe is also unique because of the prohibition, so people who otherwise would be strict law-abiding citizens were forced to “slum” with those who were already operating on the outskirts of society. The queer underground sparkled and came alive off the page as Henri experienced it. And the story takes place over many years, which allows the reader to grow alongside her. Although it was heartbreaking to watch Henri be fully integrated into the queer New York scene just for everything to fall apart as the Great Depression set in. I can admit that a few tears welled up in my eyes as I read the last few pages.

The writing style was phenomenal and made this book stand out. I am not normally one for long chapters but the way each one felt like their own story and brought me through a different aspect of Henri’s life was refreshing. The use of second-person POV worked so well with Henri’s storytelling. It almost felt like the reader was interviewing Henri about her life in New York, which gave such a personal touch. I also really enjoyed how each chapter came to a close, with Henri again acknowledging the reader as one would at the end of a long story. She somehow managed to summarize what had happened and give context to why it was happening without taking the reader out of the book. Although it did take me two chapters to realize it, once I found the groove it was impossible not to appreciate this stylistically.

All in all this dazzling account of 1920s queer life is an absolute must-read. From the queer found-family to grand questions regarding the rules of society you will be left in deep thought and appreciation. Not to mention wishing you could invent a time machine to watch a drag show at Frankie’s. If you like stunning personal prose and character studies you are in the right place. Happy reading!

TW: Anxiety, homophobia, lesbiphobia, misogyny, misgendering, racism, police brutality, transphobia.

Thanks so much to Margaret Vandenburg for sending me this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For more sapphic reviews follow @the.lebian.library on Instagram, StoryGraph, Goodreads, and Tiktok

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do know the author, but even if I didn’t, I would love this fun, informative, moving, galvanizing tale of pre-Prohibition NYC. Henrietta “Henri” Adams is a fascinating character learning the ropes in the drag balls and speakeasies of the West Village and she’s also an art critic trying to land the big fish interview with Georgia O’Keefe. My appetite for learning more about queer history is thoroughly whetted, and I’m grateful Margaret Vandenburg has introduced me to real life and fictional characters from this time.

[Mar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margaret Vandenburg's "Craze" is a fascinating historical novel that immerses readers in the vibrant queer culture of the 1920s in New York City. Protagonist "Henri" Adams returns to the city after years in Paris and breathlessly explores the city's clandestine queer peakeasies and drag balls. This journey of self-discovery and liberation unfolds against the backdrop of the Prohibition era's "Pansy Craze," a pivotal moment in LGBTQ+ history.

Vandenburg's meticulous research brings to life historical figures such as Gladys Bentley, Charles Demuth, and Georgia O'Keeffe, enriching the narrative's authenticity.

The novel's prose is both witty and insightful, capturing the thrill and risks of embracing one's identity during a time of societal constraints. The novel is notable for its engaging pace, depth of character development, and the seamless blend of humor with poignant moments.

[Catheryne Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant second part to the adventures of Henri Adams. I loved this book so much, despite worrying nothing could do justice to An American in Paris. I was enamoured with the character Crystal in particular, and really respect how Margaret Vandenburg tackled the complexities of gender expression in the restrictions of prohibition era propriety (an oxymoron I know). I felt the characters were written in such a multi-dimensional style that it was very easy to imagine them brought to life whether it be on Coney Island or in the Mafia-ran bootlegger bars. The concepts and the language used by Vandenburg are as full and challenging as ever, and I adored reading about the terms used to describe the various types of people on the ‘scene’ - violets, daggers, jams, the lot. I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to read and enjoy Vandenburg’s writing for a second time!

[ira · Rating 4 out of 5]

extremely fun . Page turner!

[lam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am frequently in the West Village, much like Henri, to surround myself with the gays, lesbians, and queers. While there, I often reflect on LGBTQ+ history, not in a textbooklike way, but in the sense of appreciating those who came before me, our queer forefathers. Henri's adventures in Vandenburg's Craze gave me a chance to step into the life and POV of a young woman navigating queer life in the 1920s--something that felt both unfamiliar and deeply familiar at the same time.

Highly recommend if you're into LGBTQ+ history, NYC history, or honestly, if you're just gay.

[Jess Kadish · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever wished you could travel back in time to 1920s New York and be a fly on the wall at a Harlem drag ball, you’re in for a treat with Margaret Vandenburg’s “Craze.” I’d never learned about the “Pansy Craze,” but that all changed when I picked up this book and met its protagonist. Henri Adams is funny, insightful, sexy, bold, relatable, and it feels like she’s murmuring the story right in your ear. From the first line — “Something was in the air, that’s for sure” — I was hooked, and I had so much fun traveling through Henri’s world that I forgot how much I was learning. Whether she’s trying on her first tux at a department store (pretending it’s for a fake husband, of course) or interviewing Georgia O'Keefe in her studio or getting seduced by the Python in the bathroom line at the club, she feels like a friend telling you all the gossip you’ve been dying to know. A delicious read!

[JMP · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 1920s queer romance you’ve been looking for. This book was SO FUN to read. It made me laugh and gasp like a friend were telling me about her latest dance-floor dalliance. If you weren’t looking for a 1920s queer romance, it’s time for you to start, and stop, your search with Craze. This book takes seriously the big picture, painting a gorgeous and complicated portrait of 1920s New York City and Bliss, Utah, but Vandenburg doesn’t let anything fall through the cracks. Queer clothing and costume, small-town Catholicism, gender norms in the world of journalism — all of it comes to life here, in no call part thanks to the full-bodied characters (sometimes literally - there are quite a few hotties) that the story is populated with. I’m envious of any reader about to knock on the speakeasy door with these characters for the first time.

[Bryce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margaret Vandenburg’s Craze invites us to a delightful dance through the looking glass of the prevailing hetero version of the 1920s to the unduly forgotten Queer Craze, exuberant and erotic, all the while designing an aesthetic panorama of the art, design, and music of the Jazz Age. A must-read!

[Kelly McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE SEQUEL I DIDN'T KNOW I NEEDED

Margaret Vandenburg’s fabulous new novel Craze is a sequel (twenty-four years in the making) to her delightful lesbian romp An American in Paris. Once again we are treated to a look inside of the life of Henri James, her searingly intelligent and horny as hell young protagonist, as she returns from her artistic and sexual education in Paris. I had no idea exactly how much I had missed her.

This time we are in New York City. It’s 1932. The Roaring Twenties are over and we are in the midst of the “Craze".

“The third sex is flooding America. It is no longer confined to side streets and ob-scure corners. Queer people, both men and women, who do not love or feel like ordinary men and women, are increasing. Dances are their big social events. Stern men and simpering women who show the marks of passion in their faces make up the crowd. Appearances are deceiving. Most of the “women” in attendance at the orgies are men in disguise. The majority of the people wearing tuxedos are female.”

Vandenburg weaves a fast paced, sexy, artistic narrative as we follow Henri into her new neighborhood, the West Village and the chosen family she creates during the Craze: a short but astonishing gay hey day that Ru Paul and his queens would envy. And again, as she did in An American in Paris, Vandenburg acknowledges the dangers of queer life at the time and the sadness that inevitably is a part of that. But that is not the thrust of either of these books. This is no Well of Loneliness. (Perish the thought.) This is a sexy, political, funny, meticulously researched look at the advent of drag balls, queer art and good old fashioned romance. As Henri says at one point, “Underneath the thin skin of my bull- dagger bluster, I’m a hopeless romantic with a delicate, easily wounded heart.”

Spending 253 pages with Henri is pure joy. Not to mention the cast of characters revolving in and out of her life— Crystal, Constance, The Python—all very realized in colorful detail. Just like the Craze itself, I didn’t want it to end. But Vandenburg leaves us with a beautiful coda:
"The glory days of the Craze are behind us. But we aren’t about to let the future write us off. We’ve been scapegoated before, blamed for America’s repressed desires, but their hatred is no match for our love. That’s the thing about queers. We’ve survived successive epidemics of animosity and bounced back stronger than ever. We’re indomitable, not to mention a hell of a lot of fun”

[Elizabeth A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gobbled up the historical novel CRAZE in three sittings. Witty, sexy, deeply intelligent, and with a fantastic narrator, Henri, CRAZE chronicles LGTBQ nightlife during the Roaring 20s in NYC, from the West Village to Fifth Avenue to the Cotton Club in Harlem. Along the way we meet a fantastic cast of characters, from the unforgettable Crystal, a drag queen and Henri's mentor, to real life folks like Georgia O'Keeffe. The novel's cover story concerns Henri's coming of age in NYC as a self-proclaimed "androgyne" and her journey with two lovers: the married "jam" Constance, and the Python, a "dagger" also known simply as Jane. Henri's ultimate choice between the two is rendered in a gorgeous scene at the beach (and without giving spoilers I'll just say this was a most moving and stunning evocation of two humans connecting with each other.) But this ostensible courtship story also engages and provokes nuanced delving into topics such as identity and gender fluidity, and this is part of the wonder of CRAZE: Vandenburg somehow is able to craft an entertaining , plot-driven novel that also seamlessly displays her theoretical chops and deep learning about modernism, art, Freud, Virginia Woolf, and the history of gender. It all works, and we are given something meaty and wonderful to enjoy.

I'd be remiss in not mentioning that reading CRAZE in this first month of a new US presidency was sobering. Throughout the novel, Henri, the Python and Crystal celebrate a "both/and" world, one that is fluid and generous, inclusive and loving; but we've learned only a few weeks into our current administration that the United States is now officially an "either/or" world, with federal agencies recognizing only two genders, male and female. Through this lens, CRAZE can feel like an epitaph. And how prescient of Vandenburg to be giving us this important book now, of all times.

But on the other hand: Vandenburg's indefatigable Henri ends with this reminder: "The glory days of the craze are behind us. But we aren't about to let the future write us off. We've been scapegoated before, blamed for America's repressed desires, but their hatred is no match for our love. That's the thing about queers. We've survived successive epidemics of animosity and bounced back stronger than ever. We're indomitable, not to mention a hell of a lot of fun."

Indeed. And may it be so.

Five stars-- Highly recommended!

[Swanbrother · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the only interesting love triangles I've seen. Henri's attention is torn between two women. Constance is a rich, married woman, who is traditionally feminine and forever out of reach beyond the lesbian dalliances that punctuate her otherwise respectable life, hidden in the background. Joan, meanwhile, is all too accessible-- ordinary behind her butch, sexually forward alter ego, comfortable in herself in a way Henri is not. The choice isn't just between two lovers, its between keeping her desires forever hidden behind closed doors, or living a life that is as authentic as it can be under the circumstances.

The relatively permissive backdrop of roaring 20s New York is fascinating, but it never feels like Henri really lives there. The story is framed as a reminiscence, so it makes sense that she has some awareness of the events that are coming, but she talks about them like a modern academic, studying the events in front of her, rather than someone talking about personal experiences. She knows just a little too much about the sociological milieu of the era for someone living in the middle of it.

Also there are a couple spots where the same phrasing gets used a couple of times in succession, such as "not to put too fine a point on it" in a way that feels more like a tic of the author rather than of the character.


Didn't ruin it for me, but disappointing because it made it not as interesting as it could have been.

The author has this terrible habit of describing things as indescribable. The novel will hit a turning point and Henri will suddenly lose all words for it. Here and there its appropriate, like a fade to black over a non-explicit sex scene, but it also happens several other times in other contexts.

[Kathleen Kiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dazzling Triumph

Margaret Vandenburg’s Craze plunges into the vibrant, rebellious heart of 1920s New York—a world where art, desire, and defiance collide in a dazzling explosion of freedom and risk. Shortlisted for Story Circle Network's 2024 Women's Book Awards, this captures the electrifying atmosphere of the Queer Craze with lyrical prose and gifted storytelling.

Fresh from the bohemian decadence of Roaring Twenties Paris, art critic Henrietta "Henri" Adams arrives in New York at a time when queer culture is taking center stage—albeit in the shadows. By day, she navigates the city’s art world, but by night, she immerses herself in the clandestine speakeasies and drag balls.

What sets Craze apart is Vandenburg’s ability to weave historical richness with deeply personal storytelling. Vandenburg has crafted a novel that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling, a love letter to those who dared to dance on the edges of society.

[Jacques Jouffret · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. Craze floored me.

Vandenburg’s chronicling of the first flowerings of queer life in America is as poignant as it is thrilling. Read and you’ll find yourself escorted into New York’s queer underground to a front row seat at some of its most iconic acts, engaged with the avant-garde art scene, and confronted with the queer life’s complex relationship to class. Read and you’ll find a story about conflicting desires, hard truths, pain, shame, recognition, joy, and love. In other words, read and experience a tale whose historical rigor extends beyond dates, places, and names, to the emotional backbone of its characters whose deeply personal and individual experiences of queer life in New York’s 1920s figured into a collective reality.

I’d recommend this brilliant novel to everyone and anyone.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Craze” by Margaret Vandenburg taps into the bygone era of the 1920s while implementing the timeless experiences of yearning and desire, the slow discovery of self and one’s intricacies, and the kinship of friends, who become more like family for Henri, the main character. Henri dances and witnesses the NYC wealth stratification through lovers and venues; she finds herself attracted to the masculine, feminine, and the ambiguous. She is an open yet reserved character, perfectly embodying the duality we all hold. Vandenburg employs humor and lyricism throughout the novel, but also dives into the intimate and the hidden with her portrayals of Henri’s family and love life. This book is steamy, funny, and deeply present. “Craze” is well worth the read and cements itself as a wonderful inclusion in the genre of lesbian literature, all while subverting expectations and breaking binaries.

[Kena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recommend Margaret Vandenburg’s fourth novel Craze highly enough. What I find particularly impressive about this novel is how it strikes a balance between qualities that typically seem mutually exclusive in other books: it is laugh-out-loud funny, intellectually rigorous in its treatment of other writers and artists, sexy, meticulously researched, and sheds light on an oft-overlooked part of history. I often found myself staying up past my very strict personal bedtime to read just one more chapter. In its own never-didactic, eminently readable way, Craze ultimately seems to suggest that a look backwards to the Roaring Twenties bears relevance to us all in the ongoing culture wars of the twenty-first century.

[Ellen Nikbakht · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a queer, joyful, heartfelt, sexy romp! I finished the book still excited imagining the conversations that were happening surrounding gender in the 20s. It's sometimes easy to forget about the generations that come before you, that paved the way. The book felt so true to the history of New York in the 20s, yet so familiar to me as a queer person living a hundred years later. I have been fishing around in my head for a long time for words that feel true to how I feel about drag, gender, gender expression, and through these characters lives, they came to fruition. Loved getting to meet art stars through Henri's eyes. This books is for anyone who loves queer theory, art history, drag, New York, and a sexy good time!!

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

the fun-loving glimpse into 1920s queer culture we've all been waiting for! utterly delightful read that hits all the right humor, innuendo, and art nerd beats, all while managing the looming presence of lgbtq crackdowns and difficulties that would follow this brief "craze" of public queer life. an exceptionally important read in times like these, which reminds us all of the ways that light shines through the cracks during dark times.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read; it dives into a period of history that I had very little to no knowledge of. I love the characters and the look inside the underground speakeasies. The last paragraph of the book is stunning; it is a beautiful statement. This is a "sequel" to An American In Paris which is also a FANTASTIC read, though you don't have to read that to enjoy Craze.

[MARLA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and found the characters to be courageous and inspiring. While reading Craze, I learned a lot about queer history. Gender issues have always been present in society, and acceptance vs. judgment will continue to divide us. My hope is always for love to win.

[JoAnne Cattanach · Rating 5 out of 5]

A grounded history lesson set in a fictional novel. This is a sequel of our protagonist “ Henry”, published in 2024 set primarily in NY. I will be reading the re-released book An American in Paris. Originally published in 2000.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad this author was able to write her fun sequel and give us this atmospheric romp through the jazz age.