Address Book: Hope Lives Here

by Neil Bartlett

Address Book is the new work of fiction by the Costa-shortlisted author of Skin Lane. Neil Bartlett’s cycle of stories takes us to seven very different times and situations: from a new millennium civil partnership celebration to erotic obsession in a Victorian tenement, from a council-flat bedroom at the height of the AIDS crisis to a doctor’s living-room in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, they lead us through decades of change to discover hope in the strangest of places.

Neil says, ‘Every place I’ve ever slept in, I’ve always wondered about what went on at that address before I moved in. To write this book, I went back to some significant places in my own life and let the walls talk to me. The result of that listening is this new cycle of stories.’

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

214 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2021

About the author

Born in 1958, Neil Bartlett has spent twenty-five years at the cutting edge of British gay culture. His ground-breaking study of Oscar Wilde, Who Was That Man? paved the way for a queer re-imagining of history ; his first novel, Ready To Catch Him Should He Fall, was voted Capital Gay Book of The Year; his second, Mr Clive and Mr Page, was nominated for the Whitbread Prize. Both have since been translated into five European languages. Listing him as one of the country's fifty most significant gay cultural figures, the Independent said "Brilliant,beautiful, mischievous; few men can match Bartlett for the breadth of his exploration of gay sensibility".

He also works as a director, and in 2000 was awarded an OBE for services to the theatre. He founded his first theatre company in 1982 and is now an "independent theatre-maker and freelance director", continuing to write novels and work as an activist for gay rights.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seven beautifully written bitter sweet stories about queer lives, all loosely linked by place or person. I normally struggle with short stories but not with any of these. Simply magical.

[looneybooks79 · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happens behind the walls of houses? What about those people living on those addresses you might have forgotten? Time and tide will tell us those stories, as does Neil Bartlett in this collection of short stories.
Crossing time certain addresses and different inhabitants have meaning and have so much to tell us. From Victorian times to present day, from heartbreak till death, from friendships to love… we are thrown into a whirlpool of emotions in this collection.
Where a young man meets an elder pianist and experiences his first sexual encounter; when a homeless drug addict finally finds a place to live, a place that once was the home for a teacher during Victorian times; when a heartbroken man, after the death of his partner, meets someone else in the parking lot of the supermarket. But is he ready for this encounter?
All different tiny stories but somehow in one way or another linked to each other, making a loop in the collection!
At times I felt a little bit bored, which made me loose the thread in the story, but all in all a very lovely collection of queer literature.
3/5

[Sophy H · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 stars

The central theme of all these stories by Neil Bartlett is gay men, living through times of particular difficulty or challenge or making striking memories.

The collection started out great. I absolutely loved the first two, they were entertaining, inspiring, beautiful and with a hint of melancholy. A young gay lad experiences true bliss, acceptance and openness with an older lover, then a drag queen gets their first (albeit down at heel) home to call their own safe space.

The further on into the collection I got however, the less impressive the stories. Some formats worked, some didn't. I wasn't into the female neighbour story as I felt her story detracted from the experience. Similarly the teacher of Italian immigrants story for example, the telling here felt a little contrived and overdone.

The tales that I liked I truly loved but as a collection overall, there probably wasn't enough to keep me completely intrigued. Nevertheless a valuable addition to the LGBTQi+ archives.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of short story collections, but this one blew me away. It's a look at queer lives in different times in the UK. Several of these stories will stay with me for a long time. Just beautiful.

[Steven Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neil Bartlett never disappoints (he usually EXCEEDS expectations!).

"Address Book" is a classic of gay male psychogeography, where the terrains-past and present- the characters inhabit are additional characters in the narratives: be it a desuetudinous old house or a railway station or a council flat.

His characters are emotionally very acute; and reflect gay men's experience, both outside and-tenuously within- a society which still struggles, sometimes, with our existence as full, rounded people. He has never compromised his writing-where gay mens' lives are ever so central- for market considerations; there is an argument for dilution down and education outwards of our community(eg Patrick Gale treads a fine line); but Bartlett is a "take me on my own terms" writer.

He is a magus of various styles : from the ornate Baroque of "Ready To catch Him Should He Fall" to the paired down writing of "Skin Lane". "Address Book" lies somewhere in between.

Reading these stories(especially the last,longer one) made me feel, strongly, I had found a literary home...You read myself-as a gay man AND a whole person- back to myself. I really recommend my lgbtq family to read it. Thank you, Neil Bartlett:)

[Marc Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Video review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS9rD...

[lauraღ · Rating 4 out of 5]

People may talk of needles, and of haystacks, but let me tell you; such similes are inexact. To lovers, metal of the piercing kind has a distinctively different shine to that of straw, and the two could not ever be confused.

4.5 stars. This was gorgeous in a way that I forgot books can be. I loved it so so so much. A series of short stories taking place in various addresses in London over various periods of time, all of them with queer men at their heart. It wouldn't be literary fiction if it didn't inspire a certain amount of impatience in me, but that was overshadowed by all the enjoyment I got out of this, just how utterly beautiful I found the writing and the interrogation of its themes. A lot of it is simple stuff that you're bound to see in queer fiction, discovery and first love and the reality of societal rejection and grief, but the writing really made it something special. I loved the worshipful obsession and devotion in "103 Cavendish Mansions (Again)". I loved the joy and terror and friendship and pure love that shone out of "72 Seaton Point", the fragility of finding your place. I ached at the loss and grief in "40 Marine Parade". That one took a while to really get to me, but by the end I found it so amazing. Not all the stories were as effective as I could have wanted, but they were all poignant in some way. I really did appreciate the range of time periods, from the late 1800s to the 1960s to 1980s to present day. Getting snapshots of the survival and beauty of queer men in all those times... it was great.

People think it’s your mind that remembers, you see. But actually, it’s your body.

Listened to the audiobook as read by the author. without which I would not have read this book. I loved his performance for each story; each character sounded like their own person, and there was none of the stiffness or awkwardness that sometimes comes when an author reads their own work. But I literally wouldn't have read this without the audiobook, because the written version does that thing I can't abide, where it doesn't use quotation marks for dialogue. God, what is it with pretentious litfic (affectionate) and a refusal to use quotation marks?? I understand that it's a stylistic choice but I will always stand firm in my opinion that it's a bad stylistic choice. Lmao. Anyway, so I'm glad Scribd came through with the audiobook, or I would have passed this by, and not gotten the chance to experience this excellent writing. And that would have been a shame. There are lines in this that I'm going to be thinking about for ages.

Yea, as I lie here in the first ruddy morning light, I renew that vow with every breath and bone in my body. I shall never speak—or think—of Shame and Him together.

[dobbs the dog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this was such a lovely book. I listened to the audio, which is narrated by Bartlett, and it was so, so good. He’s a gifted narrator and hearing him narrate these stories really brought them to a whole other level. Highly recommend the audio.

This is a collection of seven short stories and they are based on the places that people live. What a great way to theme a book. They take place during different times (as far back as the 1870s and as recently as present day) and the way that Bartlett is able to clearly express the time period just in the way that he writes is incredible.

These seven stories look at the lives of a variety of queer people; from a closeted queer teen who ends up having a casual relationship with a man for decades, until the other dies of aids, to the teacher who becomes intensely infatuated with a young man and tries to paint him (not one of his students), these are glimpses into all sorts of lives. Most of the stories are bittersweet, but they feel so very real, like they could have been written about your neighbour.

This is only the second Neil Bartlett book that I’ve read, but I am eager to read more!

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an eclectic mix of stories each from different addresses/perspectives. I read the sample which was basically the first chapter, this left me wanting more. I could quite happily have read more about the inhabitants of 14 Yeomans Mews, but this is an address book not a letter so there was more to discover within the pages, all the stories covered in Address Book are equally compelling in their own unique ways. I loved it!

[Scohic66 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glimpses of LGBT lives that you feel you know or would want to know in more detail, if you can, then check the author or publisher’s Twitter for some short videos giving more detail about the jumping off point for each story. I started reading it again immediately after finishing and know I’ll go back to this book again and again

[Perfektionaise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the last story. 🤷🏼

[PAUL · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Neil Bartlett since the early 80s, beginning with his work in theatre and then with his fiction. He remains an excellent writer, with a superb ability to add tiny but telling details that make his characters so life-like. I don't feel that Address Book reaches the excellence of much of his earlier work, but I nonetheless enjoyed reading it.

[Drew Gummerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories in Address Book are connected by place. Different places. Addresses. Each one is garrulous, tender, intimate, engaging. And they take us on a journey, from youth, to older age. All the characters looking for, and finding love. Connection. Loved it.

[Banuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is filled from top to bottom with sex, love and London. And I mean love in all its mystery, spunk, and glory.

[Daniel Pepin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartwarming! The tagline is true… ‘Hope lives here’

[Gerasimos Evangelatos]

Seven poignant stories about the tectonic plates shifting beneath and beyond the serene facade of English society. Bartlett’s prose is tender, sexy, stylish, and disarmingly honest. A vivid mosaic of characters who live, love, and fiercely claim their rightful space without compromise.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't normally like short stories but I really enjoyed these.

[Snoakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somewhere between a novel and a collection of stories, Address Book introduces us to seven different people in their respective homes. Their stories are loosely connected (so loosely in fact that I'm sure I missed some of the links) and all are fascinating.
Neil Bartlett inhabits each of these lives perfectly and the individual characters have totally distinct voices.
Twickenham was one of my favourite stories from Mainstream, the anthology by outsiders for outsiders published by Inkandescent earlier this year. Here, it's been expanded upon and forms the first entry in the address book as a doctor about to relocate remembers his adolescent encounter with an older man. It's just as beautiful and sensual second time round.
Other characters we meet include a naive young pregnant woman in the sixties as she sparks up a timid almost-friendship with her gay neighbour. There's an early photographer in 1891, looking for the perfect pose for his model of Saint Michael and a young man starting out who spends more than he can afford on a mattress because of the shop assistant's attitude towards him. The final, deeply affecting tale is of a grief stricken man whose partner of thirty-six years has recently died.
They are all everyday lives, but compellingly told.

[NeilN · Rating 5 out of 5]

An addictive, thoughtful, passionate book packed full of stories that have humour, insight and Neil Bartlett’s trademark mastery of language

[Alex Vogel · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Hope lives here', the cover claims, and it does, but also a great deal of sadness and melancholy. Neil Bartlett lends seven different people a voice and he clearly put effort into making them sound unique, which is quite a challenge in itself. Some of the voices read more convincing and immersive than others, but each story has its very own memorable moments - sad, hopeful, melancholy, sexy and quintessentially queer.

[GingerOrange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not do much for me.

This book follows a number of storylines with a range of characters. Even a range of time periods. Not all of them landed with me. But I felt some of the grief and sadness of certain characters. It wasn't terribly exciting but I don't think that was the point of the book. More than anything, it was about the sadness, happiness, and mundane of every day life.

In conclusion, I won't remember the contents of this book. But I hope I remember the feelings it conjured.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wow. As a 69 year old gay man this collection of short stories really spoke to me. Review coming when I return from vacation in October

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better short story collections I’ve read.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a tragedy to me that Address Book is not more widely known, or loved, because this is a stunning read on the domestic lives of seven queer relationships.

"And as it turns out, being ready for your big day has nothing at all to do with history, or the law. It has to do with the fact that the one thing you can never be ready for is love"

Delivered through monologue-type narration, this short collection of stories takes you to seven very different times and situations: from a new millennium civil partnership celebration to erotic obsession in a Victorian tenement, from a council-flat bedroom at the height of the AIDS crisis to a doctor’s living-room in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic.

This is truly a deep look into love, loss, and acceptance and discrimination of queer lives written in a way that is easy to read with each story’s narrator clearly having their own tone of voice. Moving from one story to another is seamless and Bartlett does an amazing job of making each story unique whilst interweaving them through time and location.

[Mike Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A to Z: in Maupassant’s time there were Quinze Contes, nowadays there’s a less elegant Friends-style ‘the one with…’ and Neil Bartlett’s Address Book bridges the gap with rare wit and panache. From the 19th century cleric in Holborn’s Little Italy, concealing his passion for svelte young men with hobby photography, to the ageing widower finding passion in the aisles of a seaside Sainsbury’s, the series of short stories finds common reference points in disparate places people have lived (only one occurs twice) and their ordinary lives lived in extraordinary ways. It’s beyond cliché to say a writer has an ear for dialogue but here it’s sprinkled with extraordinary care and precision to recreate what you would hear on the 55 to Clerkenwell, and what you won’t in a back bedroom in Worthing. Elegiac.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a clever idea to use a series of addresses to explore what happened behind those doors. This is a selection of stories that are linked about the various gay men that live in these addresses, from the 15 year old exploring his sexuality with an older man, to a lesbian civil partnership, to a relationship with domestic violence, finishing with a longer moving portrayal of grief. The stories are visceral, sensual and wonderfully written. The send of place is palpable and each story is also set in a different era, which is another engaging way to reflect the diversity of LGBT experience through the years. Recommended.

[Topher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a series of short stories that revolve around gay life, and some political issues in Europe. There are some funny moments in the book. This book really touched me in its portrayal of gay loneliness, grief, coming of age, and the brutal AIDS crisis that left its mark on the elder and younger generations. The only complaint that I would have is that the author can be a bit verbose at times. Sometimes this works, but other times it kind of over shadows the story. Despite this flaw, it still resonated with me, so I give this one a 5/5.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am generally allergic to short story collections, and I didn't realize this was a short story collection until I got to the end of the first chapter. So that was a bummer. However, Bartlett is a reliably good writer, and I more than muddled through.

I particularly liked the Italian one, and was particularity annoyed by the final chapter's overly neat and easy happy ending.

[Aaron Jesse O'Hare-Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting peek at a few lives in London across the past century and change, holding quite a range in its grasp and yielding quite moving effects at points. The last story in particular, about a recently widowed gay man, taught me things about bereavement. Would rec to fans of a queer- or London-centred slice of life.

[Bel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely lovely collection of short stories of gay men in different periods of time, all loosely set around London. The grace notes connecting the stories are minor, but the consistency of tone and theme makes this feel more like a novel than a short story collection.