Ruined Boys

by Peter Robins

Young Alan Griffiths, fresh from college and even fresher faced, gets himself appointed as a junior teacher in a boys' private school.

He's not the only new arrival that September. An increasingly odd headmaster eases out most of the staff who've served Molesbridge High for years. Soon enough, Alan finds himself surrounded by colleagues who'd be just as at home in a rolling road show.

He begins to suspect he's no more than a respectable front for some very dubious happenings. But just how respectable is he himself? And what's he to do about seventeen-year-old Ken Upton, a lively and attractive lad whose approach to Alan can't be explained as mere hero worship?

In his fifth novel, Ruined Boys, Peter robins charts Alan's eventful year at Molesbridge in a blend of satire, tenderness and rip-roaring comedy.

187 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read an excerpt from this novel in one of the early 'Gay Times' anthologies and found it enchanting and only confirmed my high opinion of Peter Robins as writer ridiculously ignored and forgotten. He was one of the earliest openly 'gay' writers in the UK and devoted huge amounts of time and effort in supporting nascent gay publishing and writing in the UK. That when mainstream publishing discovered a gay writer who came from the same elitist closeted public school/Oxbridge background as themselves (Alan Hollinghurst if you don't know who I mean) they were happy to launch him as the face of UK 'gay' writing and continue ignoring the rich diversity of queer writers and voices that had struggled to be heard.

This is, I believe, Peter Robins last published work and it is not perfect but it is very enjoyable. I would need to read it again, I am in the process of acquiring a copy, before providing an in depth review but I have no hesitation in buying, or recommending it.