You Are Here: A Memoir of Arrival

by Wesley Gibson

A wonderfully original tale of the disintegration and mutation of an apparently ordinary American family. -- Alison Lurie

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, LGBT

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 7, 2004

Reviews

[A. Tristán · Rating 2 out of 5]

Updated review: Once again I read this book to make sure I felt the same about it and honestly, the second time was more dreadful than the first. It’s an okay book but I wish he would’ve talked more about John. But of course, this is a memoir so selfishness is to be expected, right? Some things definitely didn’t age well. Changed my rating to 2. I feel like a total grump about it but man, this is definitely a one-time-only read.

Old review: 3/5 stars. It took me a long time to read this book due to it's unappealing beginning, but after finding out that John is sick, it got better. I thought this book would've been better without the writer's seemingly selfish attitude but he points out that he indeed had selfish thoughts so it made it a bit bearable. The book made me laugh out loud at some of his witty remarks and weirdly-fashioned metaphors which I found highly-entertaining.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Hilarious', 'a riot', 'laugh out loud funny' ... such are the book jacket descriptions of what I found to be only mildly amusing and vaguely depressing. The story of the author's first few months as a struggling writer in NY, watching his new roommate expire from AIDS-related cancer is NOT exactly what I'd call a laugh riot... Still, the man CAN write; several of his metaphors and sentences shine with unexpected delight, and the stories of his first Broadway show (Richard Gere naked in 'Bent'!) and teaching an odd assortment of characters in his writing classes are memorable. The book was published in 2004, and even ten years later seems strangely dated. And oddly, it comes with a Reader's Guide for book clubs, and I can't think of any other book less likely to be chosen for such a dubious honor.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out great, but quickly lost steam for me... What started out as humorous became mundane after scenario after scenario was repeated.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

The summary on the back of this book gives a misleading impression. This is not a book about a man who moves to New York City and tries out a series of fun, odd jobs. It feels suspiciously as if this book was marketed in a way that would keep the subject matter hidden, hmm.

In the q&a at the end of the book, the author summarizes what he thought was the central focus: it's a book about the death of his roommate John in the context of late 90's gay culture, the author writes "because of AIDS there were lots of people helping strangers die... We feel obligated to people we don't have a blood attachment with." This is what 95 percent of the book is focused on, is it not? Around page 86, for example, is where I feel the book shines and gets to the heart of things, as the author recounts his time with John. It's a well written book with the author confronting mortality, why couldn't the book summary on the back cover give a more accurate impression?

[Memizuki · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was OKAY... I am not sure what I was reading or who gave me the book but it was a great memoir... I think that the subject was heavy and perhaps my mind wasn't ready for such a heavy heavy subject. Well written prose though.

[Cathy Borton Chapman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not like this book at all. I did not think he was funny. And I would never recommend this book to anyone.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written but there is no real cohesive narrative. The description of the book leads you to believe this is a funny story but I felt incredibly sad after reading it.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gibson's 2004 memoir is both funny and harrowing, explaining well the love/hate appeal of New York City to those who move there. His "arrival" is both literal and symbolic--as a writer, a gay man, an outsider. Gibson is an outstanding writer; he finds telling details in everyday urban living that most people wouldn't catch. That's the perspective advantage of an outsider that makes for funny, compelling reading even when the circumstances he's dealing with (juggling telemarketing and teaching jobs, a dying roommate who is a nurse in denial about his lung cancer) are dark. Here are some examples: "They didn't think my vintage overcoats looked retro and spiffy, but like something from the Boone's Farm Wino Collection." "The pianist was always some guy with airbrushed hair who seemed like he should be wearing a dickey. He had a determined gaiety spiked with disappointment, someone who'd made it out of backwater but not to Broadway." "I'd been throwing him all these little life preservers in my mind....All the life preservers were the cheap, kiddie kind that went flat after a few hours in the pool. He was going to die, really and truly and deeply...." Recommended for anyone who's ever considered moving to NYC; you still may move there, but this is a nice shot of realism (or maybe I should say surrealism.)

[HeavyReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured this book in a few hours in one day.

On the back of the book, the blurb by Allison Lurie promises "You Are Here will make you laugh out loud again and again," and Lurie was right!I laughed out loud a lot, even though the subject matter of the book (dying roommate, dead friends, impending homelessness) was often sobering and downright grim. I appreciate an author who can make me laugh through the tragedy of life.

There's a lot I appreciate about Wesley Gibson. I appreciate his working-class Southern background. I appreciate his honesty about his struggle to write. I appreciate his honesty, period. I appreciate the way he puts words together in fresh ways. (I enjoy reading an author's work that makes me bop myself on the head and wonder, why didn't I think of saying it that way? I feel jealous as hell too, but it makes for good reading.)

Some of the people Gibson describes might come across as real freak shows in the hands of a less skilled, less sympathetic writer. Gibson, it seems, is just presenting people as he saw them, not exaggerating for laughs. Gibson seems to be experiencing folks as one oddball to another, and he lets his readers experience folks that way too.

I really, really like this book, and it's all the better for having been true. Wesley Gibson is a great writer, and I hope to read more of his work.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't remember why or how I got this book, but if it was in a book swap, it'll be going back shortly. You Are Here wasn't awful, but it wasn't good either, I read it just to get through it, and didn't take too much away. There isn't much that's memorable. Gibson is an okay writer, but a bad storyteller. There seems to be an ongoing issue with writers thinking that their writing/life stories are worthy of memoirs, when in all actuality, they're really not. Even if someone's life is mundane, good writing can make it all the better, but in this case, neither the events that occurred, nor the writing could save it.

[Malissa Greenwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting little book. I picked it up at a library book sale a while back and though it was be a nice, fairly short read. It was different than the books I usually read but I found it pretty enjoyable. No chapters. Just one long thought process about a time in this guy's life. I'd recommend it for people who enjoy a good awkward situational comedy, and who can empathize with the gay community and their struggle with AIDS.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just another gay satirical writer... Wesley Gibson captures a time in his life that touches upon many themes: AIDS, gay life, living in New York, being a struggling writer, having roommates, family connections, crappy jobs that get us by, and so on...
His writing races from one analogy to the next, and he finds new ways to describe human experiences.

[eRin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't even summon the will to write a real review on this one. I did not like it. Gay man moves from Virginia to NYC. He lives with roommates. He's a hypochondriac. He does not write in chapters. There were two parts where I actually laughed out loud (the fat man stuck on the toilet and his discussion with his Aquarian roommate). But otherwise it blew.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a random case of the cover looking interesting enough and the font being aesthetically appealing enough to pick up at a country fair used book sale, and who knew, i actually really liked it. Well, the rating says 'liked it', but I really liked it, I just figure I can only give so many 4-star ratings.

[Susan Logoreci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up in a thrift shop for a quarter and was really pleasantly suprised at how great it was. Funny, sad, sarcastic, and relatable. This book had it all, well except for high speed chases, but folks don't drive that much in NY.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

A memoir of a shattering time moving back to New York city made absurdly humorous - tragicomedy for hypocondriachs everywhere. Made the gay top ten bestseller list.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book never got the acclaim it deserves. It's poignant and heartfelt, a memoir of arrival as it says, but more about the journey to find oneself.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The description of this book is wholly inadequate and misleading.

[Patrick Poculan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, crisp memoir