Hold Tight

by Christopher Bram

Hold Tight confirms Christopher Bram's status as one of the outstanding gay novelists of our time. Erotic, romantic, and suspenseful, this wholly original story is a thriller set in a homosexual brothel in 1942 New York City.

During World War II, a gay navy sailor works undercover to catch Nazi spies, in this “fast-moving” novel from the author of Gods and Monsters (Publishers Weekly).

During shore leave in New York, Seaman Second Class Hank Fayette, a Texas country boy in the big city, finds himself visiting a gay brothel, where he is swiftly arrested during a raid. Facing the prospect of a dishonorable discharge—or worse—he is given another option: Return to the brothel, near Manhattan’s West Side piers, and work undercover as a prostitute.

Nazi agents are rumored to haunt the area, and Hank is a perfect lure to trap them. This military man is about to risk his life for his country in a way he never expected in “a spy thriller that breaks new ground” from the author of Eminent Outlaws and The Notorious Dr. August (Kirkus Reviews).

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Gay, Historical Fiction, Historical, Gay Fiction, M M Romance

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Bram grew up in Kempsville, Virginia. After graduating from the College of William and Mary in 1974 (B.A. in English), he moved to New York City four years later. There, he met his lifelong partner, documentary filmmaker Draper Shreeve.

Bram's novel Father of Frankenstein, about film director James Whale, was made into the movie Gods and Monsters starring Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser. Bill Condon adapted the screenplay and directed. Condon won an Academy Award for his adaptation.

In 2001, Bram was a Guggenheim Fellow. In 2003, he received the Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement. He currently resides in New York.

Reviews

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was captivated by this WWII era historical fiction from Christopher Bram. I found the premise fascinating - a male brothel in New York City during the 1940's. Spies, the FBI, it all worked. I will remember Hank Fayette - the lead character for a long time. Nuanced, complicated, his own man, way ahead of his time.

7/2022: Reading this a second time reminded me just how much I love this book. Hank Fayette begs to be adapted into a film character. Author Christopher Bram has written some incredible books. Hold Tight proves again to be my favorite fiction of his.

I reviewed this for the blog, Queer Writers of Crime:
https://www.queerwritersofcrime.com/p...

[Lyn❤Loves❤Listening to Real Voices Only!!!!❤️🎧📚 Addict ON HIATUS · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audio 5 Stars
Story 2.5 Stars

Entertaining but...for a spy thriller it was farfetched how things played out. As tragic romance it was devoid of any real emotion. I couldn't feel any connection between any of the characters.

[JOSEPH OLIVER · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how this book hasn't become more famous or be on more lists of `books to be read'. I only discovered it purely by accident. I've read quite a lot of novels with gay men as the main protagonist but this book was in a class of its own. The topic itself is fairly unique - a simple country hick from the southern states gets used as a pawn in the wider plan of the FBI and Naval Intelligence to locate and arrest suspected German spies seeking to use confidential information on the comings and goings of American ships in the Atlantic. That's the wider background to the novel but the story works on a micro level as well. Hank, our happy go lucky farm boy is not a troubled soul, distressed about his sexuality. He quite enjoys it - which was why he was an ideal candidate to be ensnared by Naval Intelligence to work in the male bordello.
I found it interesting that the internal dialogue we hear in the minds of the characters doesn't always connect with their behaviour. The author portrays this transition very well. Hank comes across as a very lovable man who grows up a lot quicker than he would have under normal peacetime conditions. The loss of his beloved Juke, a young black lad employed in the bordello, really shakes him up because, until the boy's murder he had no idea that he could love a `coloured' person, so strong were the prejudices of his childhood.

Erich, the European Jewish man on conscription to Naval Intelligence is a rather more complicated and ambiguous character. He witnessed the round up of Jewish men by the Nazis and is shocked to see the same tactics used by the New York police on homosexuals. He assumed the rule of law would function completely differently in the US - much to his disappointment. At least his sense of betrayal by the legal system in America prompts him, against his better judgement to help Hank survive `deportation' to a mental hospital after his undercover work was finished - the plan the authorities had for him (with a possible lobotomy thrown in for good measure. He had no intention of remaining quiet and doing nothing this time.

I would heartily recommend this book if you can get your hands on it. Very engrossing and enlightening.

Update. In Tom Driberg's biography by Wheen there are a few pages of his visit to the US before the war in which he witnesses and comments on the activities of Nazi rallies and supporter meetings in New York.In a visit to Yorkville Driberg commented on the availability of newspapers from Stuttgart and Berlin along with pamphlets of Nazi propaganda so the wider story is based on fact - little known facts perhaps but facts none the less.
Also in Summers' biography of J. Edgar Hoover chapters 12 to 15 give more detailed background insight into the thinking of the FBI following Pearl Harbour and spies.

[_inbetween_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it and had to skim ahead for the second time, to make sure my new OTP get through the dangerous bit (the first time I got so involved, I checked Hank was still on the last page), only to see, black on white, that Juke was beaten to death, really killed. Just skimming made me nearly throw up. I loved those two, together and in their messed up humanity, CARED, and wondered why this novel was forgotten when crap like Vadriel Vale and The Lord Won't Mind are classics. At midnight, stuck at Page 200, just before the horror of chapter 16, I was shaking, tearing up, unsure whether to continue or not because DAMN that HURTS. I read the final 40 pages over the next day, still choked with emotion a few times.

Fluent, cinematic, engaging writing as usual (although I wonder if he lets a couple get together in any of his books now). There are only 4 stars because the 5 it deserves would make it sound too enjoyable.

[A.J. Llewellyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is oddly compelling and entirely unforgettable. I can't remove the images from my mind in spite of a storyline that at times infuriated me. Jake's beating death floored me and the ending haunts me. I so wanted Hank and Jake to make it.
The author's constant head hopping gave me whiplash and its depressing ending, the confusing and not always convincing spy thread aggravated me. So why do I absolutely love this book?
Because Bram is a genius, dammit.
I just do.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book ten stars I would. It's a keeper of the highest order. So much to think about when you are finished.. so much to think about while you are reading.

My only warning is, it will break your heart before it's done with you...

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unexpected if uneven treat. The story of an innocent, sexually active gay sailor wrangled into working at a brothel in order to ensnare queer German intelligence officers during WW2. This is some quality queer pulp to be reading in the dawn of Donald Trump’s America. There are some glaring issues with it. First, it’s always cringe-inducing when a white author creates a flamboyant black character. While Bram made Juke seem rounded enough to me, and the other characters are duly implicated in their own racism and misconceptions, it’s still treacherous territory, and as a white man I cannot judge how fair the depiction is. Second, the story is tonally uneven. Hank’s innocence and sexual exuberance contrasted with Blair’s delusions of grandeur, not to mention the camp of Juke and Miss Bosch, set this up as farce. It’s an outlandish conceit peopled by folks that start off more as caricatures than characters. The story takes an unexpectedly dark and serious turn in the second act, one that I felt unprepared for, and the shift to self-serious is where the story remains. What one thinks of as the primary relationship of the story turns out not to be. (The pivot is successful, but still jarring.) Overall I found it to be well-plotted and entertaining. The action and character motivations are easy to follow without feeling forced. I wasn’t swept up in the romance as much as I wanted to be, and the writing isn’t prosaic enough to be memorable, but I did enjoy myself. I’m curious to check out some of Bram’s other works.

[William Dornan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an historic thriller. It takes place in the early years of World War II in New York City. The main character is a sailor named Hank Fayette. He is on leave in New York City and ends up in a gay brothel in the Meat Packing District. The brothel is raided and he is arrested. He is faced with a possible dishonourable discharge but is recruited to participate in an espionage operation that is being run by the US Navy. The operation is to work out of a gay brothel in the hope of ferreting out some Nazi spies working out of New York.

Hank is a very likable character. He is good looking in a somewhat all American way. He is somewhat innocent in a naive sort of way. Sexualy he is not naive. He is gay, although he would not identify himself that way. He likes to have sex with men and thinks there is nothing wrong morally with it. It feels good simply. Not interested in falling in love with any of his partners but enjoys the sex nonethe less. His approach to gay sex is looked upon by his handlers in the Navy as a sign that there is something mentally deficient in him or that he is simply depraved. The Navy and FBI intend to use him and discard him once he is done. The promise him that they will return him to the his ship once his "assignment" has been completed. The Nazis were not the only bad guys in the novel. The author traces Hank's development in the course of the novel very effectively. He actually comes to the realization that he could actually love another man.

One of his foils at the brothel, run by a Czech expatriate woman by the name of Mrs Bosch, is a young Afrcan American drag queen named Juke. Hank initially has a somewhat ambivalent relationship with Juke. Hank is from Texas and has the general prejudices white people particularly from Texas have regarding black people. Word of warning the book is very true to its time and racist epiphets are used quite a bit. The "N" word is used frequently. Juke actually falls in love with Hank and this adds to the tension in the novel. Interestingly Hank comes to the realization that he was in love with Juke also but only after Juke is murdered.

One of the other main characters in the novel was one of Hank's handlers from the Navy, Erich Zeitlin. Erich is a Jewish man who has made it out of Vienna at the beginning of the war and comes ot work for the Navy. As the novel progresses Erich develops also. Initially he is somewhat disgusted by Hank and who Hank is. He comes to be fond of Hank (not sexually although there is an awkward aborted sex scene between Hank and Erich). His conscience is bothering him about what the trick that the Navy is going to play on Hank. He is also disgusted by the fact that the FBI was more interested in protecting the suspecting Nazis spy than in protecting Hank from being murdered like Juke was.

The other pivotal character in the book was the Nazi spy, Blair Rice III. He is a spoiled member of a wealthy family whose money is from real estate. He is all American. Good looks. Sophisticated; he frequents The Morrocco. And a Nazi sympathizer. He hates Communists, he hates Roosevelt, he hopes that the US wakes up and switches its allegiance to Britain and wakes up the promise Hitler has for America. And he hates homosexuals -- alot. He becomes a spy by chance when he meets an attractive woman who with her father are operating a small spy operation. The woman recruits him in their operation. However, Blair is really incompetent. He is also sociopath. He stumbles into the Hank's brothel and is very much repulsed by what he sees. He does hook up with Hank and in a very highly charged scene he tries to get information out of Hank. Hank does a solo scene in front of Blair and at some level Blair is obviously attracted because he does get an erection. Blair reluctantly returns to the brothel and wants to humiliate Hank. He attempts to do so by insiting that Hank has sex with Juke while he watches. This backfires because the scene is really quite sexually charged and it is thrown back in his face. Blair flees the brothel in disgust vowing vengenace on both Hank and Juke.

The characters in the book are very well drawn. They are all three dimensional. Even the Nazi spy. The book is very good at evoking the feel of New York during World War II. Many historic novels suffer serious anachronisms. This in not the case with this book. There is only one anachronism and that was with a party boat for gay revelers that goes up the Hudson River. This is 1942 America, Juke as a black person would not have been welcomed on the boat as a guest.

All in all I do recommend the book. It is a good spy thriller with a great chase scene through a war bond rally in Times Square on the Fouth of July. There is very graphic sex that is not gratuitous. There is also racist language which although difficult to read is historicall accurate.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

As part of my recent Christopher Bram novel rereading binge, I was surprised by how much of the horrible and violent scenes that I forgot. Nevertheless, this engaging suspense story captivates with World War II-era espionage and intrigue.

Hapless Hank Fayette, an atypically non-self-loathing homosexual sailor, becomes nearly forced into becoming a spy in a New York City male whorehouse. Pro-Nazi spies in nightclubs, drag balls on boats, plus an ample array of sex and violence, made me wish that such a tale could be filmed in a noir style. But why bother, when the book tells the tale so well?

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

As prior reviewer note, this is not a "gay trash novel" or soft-core beat-off porn. This is, like Bram's other books, LITERATURE. The characters are complex, the setting unusual for time, and the ending completely the credible if sad outcome of the characters. (SEE ALSO: Brokeback Mountain.)

[Aricia Gavriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hold Tight is one of my favorites from among Christopher Bram's books -- and I know I'm going out on a limb when I say this, because he's written some very good books, and readers and critics are very divided about Hold Tight.

I know of about ten novels by Bram, and he's one of the incredibly rare writers of gay fiction who's had a book actually filmed -- not "optioned" or planned, but actually filmed. (It was Father of Frankenstein, which was filmed as Gods and Monsters, starring none other than Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser!)

Hold Tight was only Bram's second novel in print. The first was Surprising Myself, which came out the year earlier (1987). Readers and critics were in agreement on Surprising Myself -- it's a great novel. However, it's also another novel about a young man finding himself, discovering he's gay ... coming of age if not coming out ... which is not quite the kind of reading I most-often go for. I guess I surprised myself by liking Surprising Myself ... but I also think Christopher Bram himself would tell you, it was the "safe" gay novel, with "bulletproof" subject matter. A true-blue American coming of age novel. There was nothing daring or adventurous about Surprising; it was beautifully handled, but covered largely the same ground that's been covered a hundred times before. In other words, the perfect debut gay novel: nothing risky. All the author had to do write well (he did) and craft the novel like a professional (ditto), and he was home.

But Bram's next book, Hold Tight, took all kinds of risks -- and therefore got all kinds of response! The reviews are all over the spectrum, from two stars to five stars. So it's one of those books where you have to read it and make up your own mind. I liked it for several reasons, but I do also know that not everyone did.

It's a World War II espionage and intrigue story, for a start ... ie., it's different, which to me puts it ten points ahead at the get-go ... and the subject matter, and the way the subject is handled, has a daring that I admire.

Start with an utterly delicious hero -- a young sailor called Hank Fayette -- and land him in the world of gay hustlers, in 1942, on the orders of the secret service. He's doing undercover work on the orders of the US Navy (in today's world it'd be the FBI), working to catch spies.

So far, so good. You'll soon come to love Hank, and many of the other characters are well drawn. A couple are a tad bit stereotypical, but I didn't find this too jarring (some reviewers did though: again, make up your own mind). The plot is tight-knit, involving spies, Nazis, murder, secrets -- the works; to me, it was quite the page-turner.

One of the things I liked most about Hold Tight was the way Bram evoked the 1940s. Now, this decade was way before my time, but if you press me, I'll admit the era fascinates me so much that I've not only seen a lot of movies set in the time of WWII, I've also watched a lot that were made in those years. And boy, did Christopher Bram get it right.

Another thing I genuinely appreciate about the novel is that Bram's writing style has a kind of "edgy" quality that brings to mind Daschel Hammet. It has the abruptness that makes you think of Sam Spade, Mike Hammer ... the "voice" of the times, perhaps? Being decades too young to remember it, I know the era from movies and books!

(Some readers can't stand this. I've heard Hold Tight called trashy because of the "voice" in which it's written ... but the same reader/reviewer would tar The Maltese Falcon with the same brush, so I'd be cautious about awarding demerit points to Hold Tight because Bram used the same "device" of the '40s "voice" that worked for Hammet. Also I have a strong feeling the reviewer who calls Hold Tight trashy probably doesn't even know who Hammet is, and has probably never seen a movie made in 1942 -- not some Hollywood reconstruction with CG effects, mind you!)

One of the most difficult aspects of the novel -- Bram handles it with aplomb -- is the '40s attitude toward racial differences. The author manages to depict the period's racism with candor and without suggesting hatred, because in those days racial difference wasn't usually about "hate" so much as about the white-fella's automatic assumption that he was on top of the pecking order and giving the orders, and belonged there, probably because (!) God was Caucasian. (It's so difficult to define and describe here: I hope you follow me.) The racism of the era is unavoidable in context: you can't get past this point. If you ignore it to make a book sound better, or more PC, to modern ears, you'll be rewriting history.

I admire Bram for having the courage to tackle this because he must have known some readers would either misunderstand, misconstrue, or be ignorant enough of American history to assume the book is racist (which is sad). I would say Bram walks a narrow tightrope with a lot of skill and delicacy.

As I said, reader response to this novel is all over the spectrum, and it does rub people the wrong way. For me, the supposed cliches didn't bother me, the "voice" entertained me, I liked Hank Fayette a lot, I know enough about American history to admire how the really delicate matters of racial differences were written; and the end of the book ... which is a big sticking point for some readers! ... didn't strike me as being unrealistic or "awful" at all. Dark, gritty, sure, and in the context, perfectly believable.

To me, the novel is irresistible for its sheer difference and audacity, and Bram deserved a round of applause for taking on something that was never going to be easy. The project was filled with risk, which the writer accepted. Did he pull it off? I think he did, which is why I'm listing Hold Tight among my favorite novels.

I'm not actually a writer myself (this blog is the most actual writing I've done since I gratefully walked out of college a very long time ago), but I know several writers and have learned a hell of a lot about writing from some hugely talented people. Hold Tight is a novel I have to admire -- though I acknowledge the fact you might not agree ... and that's your prerogative. Relish the controversy ... as they say, "it makes horse races."

Recommended, because it's a challenge on many levels and it's good to get snapped out of your comfort zone now and then. I liked it a lot. AG's rating: 3.5 or 4 out of 5 stars depending on my mood.

[P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those serendipitous Goodreads finds that turned out to be a great read. Despite its severe storyline involving WWII, German spies, and the US Navy, I'd expected this novel to be erotic because it was set in a gay brothel in Brooklyn. It wasn't. But, it is a compelling novel that follows a handful of endearing and despicable characters, very well-etched, whose thoughts are brilliantly presented in the intimate third-person, and the way they regard and understand each other makes for wonderful drama. The protagonist - an innocent but sexually open southerner is enlisted by the US Navy to spy on the clientele of a gay brothel to detect potential Nazi spies. His superiors in the navy are an unconventional psychiatrist and a Jew immigrant from Europe. In the brothel, he is drawn to an African American gay man, but he doesn't trust his own attraction. As a potential Nazi spy visits the brothel, the plot accelerates and the fates of all the characters are entangled in a devastating series of events. The author successfully addresses the racism, institutional and internalised homophobia, and misogyny that were prevalent in that era. Though the plot and the narration are exciting, it is the memorable characters that really shine in this brilliant queer novel that ought to be more famous than it is.

[Michael Joe Armijo · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLD TIGHT by Christopher Bram
I’ve had this paperback for years on my shelf and never knew it was written by one of my favorite authors. Christopher Bram always writes lines that make me think twice and want to re-read. He’s clever.

When I noticed this book on my shelf a month or so ago I decided to make it my next choice read. It was a suspenseful page-turner. In this day and age of NetFlix ORIGINAL series I could see the story made into such with the characters, Hank, Juke and Erich, as the leading stars. I pictured a young Channing Tatum type as the Hank role and actor Keiynan Lonsdale as Juke.
Here are the sentences that caught my attention along the way:

Suddenly, after so many years of dull confusion, there was purpose.

“Intelligence is only voyeurism with a higher purpose.”

“That’s science for you. You cannot predict in advance what will or will not prove useful. You must keep an open mind.”

He looked blank for a moment, then broke into a grin, a big imbecile grin. “If I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t do it. Sir.”

He needed one last familiar landmark in his life now that everything else was confusion. And he was lonely, a little nervous…and bored. Sex was a fine way of forgetting yourself for an hour or so.
Love was entwined with a good cause, and the cause looked stronger than ever.

Sex was a chore when you didn’t need it.

Different men had different needs. They weren’t machines.

They sat together in silence, waiting, as if desire were something that would pass by, like a policeman.

“Only I didn’t know what I’m doing anymore. Everything’s so topsy-turvy right now.”

“Well, you know what they say. It’s all pink on the inside.”

“It’s not like you’re the best I’ve ever had. But it’s good keeping in practice while we’re waiting for the real thing.”

“Anyone who didn’t know you might think you were afraid of being alone with me.”

Fear confessed seemed like intimacy.

“Who cares who puts it where so long as you enjoy it?”

“You shouldn’t take good fortune for granted.” He seemed to be telling him to quit complaining and enjoy it while it lasted.

Love meant more than thinking about the same person every time you thought about sex. He had to get out…before he forgot the difference.

“You can’t believe everything people tell you.”

“Jews are naturally suspicious. They don’t trust anybody. I’m not judging you or anything, but that’s the way you people are.”

“It’s the people you think are your friends you have to watch out for.”

Time passed quickly when he was by himself, when he could stare out and think about nothing.
Suddenly, he was able to think beyond the immediate present. It wasn’t at all the way he thought it would be.

You can sacrifice everything without helping anyone. But he had committed himself. He was in this to its conclusion. He only wished he did not feel so alone in what he was doing.

It was like trying to reason with a falling rock.

People do the damnedest things out of guilt.

“Blood doesn’t wash away blood.”

He woke up, pleased by the dream and wondering how he could keep some of it for his conscious life.

[Russell Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher Bram’s Hold Tight: A Novel is a curious thing. Most novels with gay themes that I’ve read have contemporary settings. They also deal with romantic relationship. Hold Tight, however, is set during WWII, and it is essentially a spy story. Yes, there is a romance, but it mostly propels the plot, rather than being the plot. Bram has taken an interesting premise—gay men in the Navy during the great war—and turned it into a tightly written, well-plotted story. Hank is a lanky enlisted man from Beaumont, Texas, who is naïve and very gay. I say “very” because in a time when being gay was a hidden thing, Hank is very open to his shipmates and to the world. Because of this, he is drawn into a government plot to snag German spies. Hank is placed undercover in a gay brothel with the hopes that some of his clients will be spies, and thus the government can apprehend them and their contacts. The rest of the intrigue is quite compelling. And the character development is wonderful. There is a love story, a friendship, a possible murder. And along the way, the US government’s dealing with the whole thing parallels Hitler’s treatment of the Jews and other “undesirables,” as Hitler termed them. Hold Tight makes us question the US government in that time. It also has a ton of sexual tension between Hank and his handler, Eric. And all is resolved in the end to satisfaction. This novel by Gods and Monsters author Bram is a good read.

[Garrett Hutson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was ok, but a little disappointing. The premise sounded fun, and right up my alley--a gay sailor working for Naval Intelligence tracks down Nazi spies in 1942 New York--but the plot was just too far-fetched and unbelievable for my taste. The author claimed to have gotten the plot idea from a rumor he heard from gay old-timers in New York in the 1980s...but we all know how wild rumors can get, even if there was a grain of truth at one time. I couldn't suspend disbelief that Naval Intelligence was running a male brothel to catch spies, so it just didn't work for me.

The story got pretty steamy in a few places, which ironically may have been the best-written sections. The author definitely knew what he was doing in those scenes, and for whom he was writing them. I enjoyed those parts a lot, even though that wasn't at all what drew me to the story in the first place. So if you like M/M historical fiction with a lot of steaminess, you might like this one. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

[David Avery · Rating 4 out of 5]

The description of this book really caught my eye and drew me in: a WWII spy thriller set in a gay brothel in New York. How could anyone pass that by, lol. The first three quarters of the book really delivered, but it fell short for me in the last quarter of the book when the unique elements fell off and the familiar returned. That's not to say it turned boring. Rather, the magic left the book when a sadly predictable type of violence appeared and the story became something else. The vibe changed for me and I started to feel like it was something I had read before even though I hadn't.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy it. I very much did and recommend it highly, particularly for the glimpse at gay life in 1940s New York. It just fell short of a 5 star read for me. I rate it a very solid 4 stars and definitely look forward to reading more from this author.

[Yooperprof · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's some good material in here about the love lives of gay men before the Kinsey Report, before the Mattachine Society, and certainly before Stonewall.

But there is also plenty of unconvincing dialogue and even more unbelievable sex.

Ultimately, the reason I gave the book two and not three stars is because of a particular plot development that is really quite a cliche. I would like to think that if Christopher Bram were trying to publish this book in 2018 instead of 1988, someone along the way - a perceptive editor, a friend of the author, or even Bram himself - would not have allowed the plot to unfold in the way that it does here.

[Stephen Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, with characters that come to life and make you worry about them. There's a sense of doom hanging over the story, and you can't help but think things aren't heading for a HEA. At times hard to read, because it's raw and crude--fitting to the story--but it makes you feel a bit of a voyeur (also fitting to the story).

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thriller set in World War II that entwines the lives of gay men, German spies, the FBI, and naval intelligence personnel. It challenges our sense of right and wrong, class differences, and prejudices about race, religion, and sexual orientation.

[robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great novel

This is bitter sweet story, old yet current. Life is better for many of the hank's and Erich's of this world, and dreaming isn't fulfilling. I suppose, however visions do empower action. Hugs to both of them. May we all continue to strive for a better today.

[Matthew Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended by a friend after hearing a talk my partner and I gave about a gay Naval sex scandal. (Ahem.) Some of the race things don't land today like they would have in 1988, but overall it's a fun read and worth checking out.

[Marshall Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big fan of Christopher Bram... am enjoying this so far.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic character-driven mystery/thriller novel set in New York during WWII, and a sailor who gets caught up in a male bordello working for his country in hopes to trap a spy.

[Howard Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

very fuzzy

[Charles McCaffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

WWII, New York City, spies, sailors and gay brothel - nuf said! A must read.

[Karl Kraus · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s something of a truism in the literary world that a novelist’s maiden effort is a slice of the novelist’s life with the names changed, which, if that slice of life is interesting enough, might generate enough buzz and profits to warrant a second novel. It’s the second novel which, the novelist having exhausted his autobiographical possibilities, has to be something else and ends up being, at best a succes d’estime. Thus follows the third novel, which is the make-or-break effort. (“Mr. Kraus, a certain Gene Vidal is on line 1 and wants to speak to you urgently. He sounds pissed off.”)

All that being at least sort of the case, I’m delighted to note that precisely the opposite obtains with regard to Christopher Bram’s first two novels. (I’m reading them in order and thus have nothing to say about the third one . . . yet.) It’s the at least somewhat autobiographical “Surprising Myself” which is highly problematic, whereas “Hold Tight,” solely a product of historical research, a rumor passed on to the author, and the author’s imagination, is an impressive success.

I’ll not bother with a plot summary; that’s been done often enough. I’ll limit myself to admiration for the novel’s superb pacing, which leads up to a chapter (the twentieth) which is a virtuoso scene of cinematic jump-cutting, complete with background soundtrack provided by Gene Krupa and Benny Goodman. I don’t get the feeling that the author was pandering to Hollywood (“Here’s a novelization of a film script that doesn’t yet exist; film me please!”) quite like, say, “City of Thieves,” if only because there’s no way Hollywood would ever make a movie out of this novel.

I do have a few minor reservations. Without quite entering into spoiler territory I’ll just say that I’m not entirely convinced by the goings-on in Chapter 19, although I do appreciate the fact that the author didn’t go overboard and render the scene entirely implausible (here’s looking at you, “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and “Mysteries of Pittsburgh”). Bram does play uncomfortably close to stereotype at times. Again the Irish are bumbling thugs, although they get only bit parts this time. The villain is an effete, elitist snob with more than a bit of the repressed homosexual to his character. The two good guys are a reflective, thoughtful, conscience-guided and -plagued Jew and a sailor who is taken for intellectually defective because he doesn’t have a problem having sex with guys (he’s a Thornton Wilder Holy Fool type who got kicked off the set of “Heaven’s My Destination” because he made Mr. Wilder a bit too hot under the collar). Oh wait, this last guy is more of a stereotype in gay erotica than in respectable (or “respectable”) literature, Genet possibly excepted; and since the sailor carries a lot of the emotional and moral weight of the novel, I’ll give Bram a point there.

Maybe it was just my degree of reading enjoyment, but I didn’t notice a single typo or misused word in the entire book – a rarity. Yeah, I know, I harp on such matters excessively, so when I’m presented with a quality presentation, I’m duty-bound to note it! I just wish the pages of my copy (original hardcover, 1988) weren’t yellowing so quickly; I may want to reread it someday and I’d rather not outlive my books.

4 ½ stars, happily curved upward.

[M.W. Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

_Hold Tight_ by Christopher Bram receives five stars from me. It was an audiobook and took me by surprise by both the book and the reader. Both gave me wow moments.

Here's the story: I did a search for gay spy novels and I found this listed and bought it on Audible. I promptly forgot about doing that search and forgot about the topic of this novel. After listening to something else, I pick this from my list without remember what was the topic. I was enthralled, on the edge of my seat because of the tension, and the characters.

One theme Bram seemed to be working with was perceived intelligence. Through out the novel mention of Hank's intelligence is discussed. It is believed he's a bit of a simpleton. Some of this belief is on assumptions about Hank. Assumptions is another theme I loved. Anyway, in contrast another character who is wealthy, educated at university, is thought he should be smart and assumed he wouldn't be as stupid to do what Hank reported as doing. I loved the contrast between Hank and Rice that Bram write so wonderfully.

That's just one theme I liked. There were others. Willingness to compromise one's values for a greater good, Assumptions and how assumptions mislead us (in fact one fatal assumption is made based on a person's involvement in a particular group--not a spoiler).

Characters are also solid and enjoyable.

However, something that was incredulity strong in this audio book was the reader--Robert Black. He's interpretation of the text was excellent. He had good voices that were interesting to hear, his neutral narrator voice was fantastic. I enjoyed his reading very much. I'd like to see more book read by him and there are some already, but I'm not sure they are good fits for me. Black read spy triller very well.

Recommend: yes.

[Tony · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Grade = 65% - D

Published 1988. 280 pages.

Set up: New York City, 42nd Street Area (way before it was Disneyfied), Summer 1942.

Gay Texan Sailor Hank Fayette, on shore leave, has been directed by some of his sailor friends to a certain movie theatre where he is approached and taken to a Docklands brothel where he, well, brothels. Immediately afterwards there is a raid and Hank injures an official while resisting arrest.

Not knowing what to do with him, higher-ups decide to situate him in the brothel and use him as bait to ferret out German spies

There are so many spies in this story that I had a very rough time deciding which were the good ones on our side and which ones were the bad guy.

I recently found a review of this book in a very old magazine from around the time it was first published, so I ordered a copy from eBay.

Not only did I not like it at all, but I had the very vague remembrance of having read it before. I do not believe that I liked it then, either.....

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an odd book. It was recommended on a gossip site I read so I got it from my local library. It held my interest, but the characters were so off-putting that I couldn't muster up sympathy for any of them. I just wanted to know how things turned out in the end. The relationship between Juke and Hank was ridiculous. I know you have to look at this book in the context of when it was taking place and when it was written, but Juke's character was ridiculous and Blair's was too. I also didn't get Erich's motivation to help Hank. He just liked the guy so much that he was willing to put his life on the line for him? Okay. I will say, Hold Tight was a page turner. Bram kept me interested in how things would turn out for this motley crew of characters.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bram captures New York during the war perfectly; both the "normal" things of sailors on leave, blackouts and rationing. But he really shines on the underground scene; spies at work, brothels, and nighttime party cruises. I especially liked Juke; he'll stick with me for some time. This book wasn't easy to find; but I'm glad I did and was able to read it.