Van Allen's Ecstasy

by Jim Tushinski

Born into an extraordinarily talented family, 29-year-old Michael Van Allen is the gay son of a well-known concert pianist and an equally famous painter. All his life, he has yearned for the talent and creativity that should have been his birthright but have somehow been denied him. When he wakes up in a mental hospital, his memory gone, his former life erased, his doctor tells him of his screaming breakdown during one of his father's performances. Van Allen's Ecstasy is the story of Michael's journey in search of his former self. As he pieces together his forgotten life, Michael uncovers jealousy, obsession, and secret desires that threaten to destroy his sanity once again.

Genres: M M Romance, LGBT, Gay

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2004

Reviews

[Rou]

I read this book in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down. This book will have a special place with me because it's the first of it's kind I've read. Basically, it's about a man who was on the brink of a mental break down as a result of him hating his life and not being able to express his feelings. He hears a piece of music the resonates so powerfully with how he feels that it pushes him over the edge. The story starts after his breakdown, told from Michael's POV.

I found this book was intriguing somehow. I would definitely recommend it.

[Idamus]

Too weird for me.

[Arlene]

An interesting read. It's also, sad due to the characters mental illness. It gives you an inkling how lost people can feel, and the family dynamics that add to our problems and follow us through out life.

[J.]

An excellent journey into the way a total breakdown can (and does) happen. Also, an exploration of the ways that well-meaning families can be completely ineffectual in helping a family member with a mental illness. I was most interested in the way the author created a very real journal for the protagonist. Lots of authors try this, this is one of only a handful I have ever seen do it well. Recommended.

[J.M.]

I read this a while back and enjoyed it, though to be honest I don't recall much about the story.