The Millionaire of Love

by David Leddick

The Millionaire of Love tells a unique story of the depth and beauty of romantic obsession between old and young men. Nevis, a sophisticated American advertising executive living in France, falls hard for Radomir, a rootless 22-year-old adrift in Europe-and thirty years his junior. What unfolds is a timeless tale of compulsion and unrequited love, of the building of idyllic romantic dreams and their inevitable destruction. Set in vivid European locales, this touching story reveals an insightful portrait of the inner workings of romantic love and undeniable passion. Radomir, sensing an opportunity to take advantage of a situation, moves in with Nevis, accepting his hospitality yet refusing his bed. The young man is Crisp’s epitome of a "millionaire of love," loved and desired by both women and men. However, he holds little patience for the older man’s attentions. His constant rebuffs fail to dissuade the fixated Nevis, who in turn almost revels in the emotional pain he experiences from rejection. Helpless against his own feelings, Nevis must do battle with his emotions to save his dignity and any possibility for ultimate happiness. An excerpt from The Millionaire of Nevis looked at the sulky boy walking beside him, heavy shoulders hunched forward, looking slowly downwards under his heavy brows. He seemed unaware of the evening around him, but Nevis had come to know that the unawareness often signaled being very aware and not wanting anyone to sense it. He felt an old familiar lurch inside. It was like seeing a dish falling. The crash, the breaking apart, the irrevocable thing hasn’t happened yet but cannot be avoided. Those moments when everything is still all right but where there is no road back, the smashing that changes everything cannot be avoided, the moment before death must be like that. That was the moment on the Boulevard Haussman. The falling towards the bad thing. The Millionaire of Love reveals the inner thoughts and feelings of both young and old, the lovers and the licentious, showing that no matter how deeply we descend into inescapable passion and unrequited love, we should value all that we learn, no matter what our age.

Genres: Fiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

About the author

David Leddick is the author of several novels as well as several highly-regarded art photography books. His novels include "My Worst Date," "Never Eat In," "The Sex Squad," "The Handsomest Man in the World," and his art compilations include "The Male Nude", "Secrets of the Chorus" which was mounted in a concert production in 2003 and is at work on two other musicals. Leddick was formerly worldwide creative director for L'Oreal and Revlon. He divides his time among homes in Miami Beach, Paris and Montevideo.

Reviews

[Charles Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

From my experience, there are certain truths about obsession that Leddick captured quite well in this novel.

First, one can experience obsession for another person in any decade of one's life, even if one has experienced "normal," obsession-free, loving relationships before entering into the obsessive one.

Second, the only cure, I think, is to go cold turkey on the "obsessee," to coin a term. The wonder in this book is that it took Nevis so long to simply cut off all contact with Radomir.

Third, the obsession makes no sense and has no grounding in reality. The Man I obsessed over for five years was not open in speaking about his sexual experiences, but he liked to point out the men that he found attractive. I was nothing like them in terms of my age, intellect, and interests. I even knew that this guy and I did not have the same kinds of sexual behaviors in our repertoire of favorites.
Nevis found ways to train and employ Radomir, so that they were always thrown together in various projects. He must have spent a fortune to create all these opportunities for shared projects. One of my many psychotherapists could have make Nevis sink into the sofa cushions with a pointed question, like, "Nevis, what does Radomir represent for you?"

Fourth, "friendship" is the last resort for an obsessor when the sexual contact is not in the cards. Yet the essence of male friendship is being able to let go of the other and wish him well. Any other kind of relationship will have a sexual agenda, which was why Radomir told others how much he disliked Nevis. Massages and back rubs with potential erections? I don't think so, but I grant Leddick the need to have frisson between Nevis and Radomir for the success of his narrative.

Speaking of which, the sexual episodes between Nevis and Radomir, though few in number, are extremely well done. Did anybody else get a hard on? Other aspects of Leddick's storytelling that I enjoyed were the multiple narrators, including Nevis's niece, Leddick's details of French country houses and all the work needed to make them habitable, and the appearance of a ghost/lover near the end.

I look forward to reading another title by Leddick.

[William Conrad · Rating 1 out of 5]

David Leddick should find another occupation. He certainly doesn't know much about writing.
This novel is about a man around 60 years old and his obsession with a thirty-something guy who's just along for the ride. Nothing new here.
The story is boring. The only interesting thing Leddick writes is the sex scene in the first half of the book. (He ought to consider writing porn. At least it might hold readers' interest.)
The book is written in the first person, except that the person keeps changing with each chapter. You never know when you start a new chapter who's speaking.
This book is truly atrocious.