When I first met my wife she introduced me to the work of her then idol, Christopher Isherwood. My favourite of his books was A single man and I thoroughly recommend it.
I've been reading quite a few Torquere books lately (it's a publishing house thing), and I've really enjoyed every one I've read. They tend towards the erotic side of things but the characters are all well-rounded, the dialogue is good, the plots very interesting.
Joanna Trollope's "A Village Affair" is about a lesbian relationship.
There is also a really hilariously funny novel about a gay travel agent called "Ladies' Man" by John Ramster - it's absolutely brilliant!
Then, as others have said, there are Armistead Maupin's series of Tales of the City - which I loved, I've got them all AND the videos. They are all about the Gay scene in San Francisco from the seventies to the nineties. Each one is a separate novel in it's own right with a different plot but the main characters are the same and develop as the books go on.
Of course there is also Christopher Isherwood - he wrote "Goodbye to Berlin" which the film "Cabaret" was based on.
There was a whole pile of novels by Robin Maugham (a nephew, I think, of W Somerset M) with louche homosexual behaviour, usually involving mature Englishmen visiting lithe tanned and supple teenage boys in North Africa. All the public libraries kept them in the 70s and 80s, and the occasional one still turns up on library shelves.
Robin Maugham wrote "The Servant". The book was made into a really wonderful film starring Dirk Bogarde. Unfortunately this is one of those rare occasions when the film turned out to be very much better than the book. The book, quite frankly, is rubbish! There are undertones of homosexuality in both the book and the film - but both were at a time when it was still illegal and attitudes were very different so that aspect of the story is only hinted at.
Yay for this thread - I'm going over to Amazon in a mo..
I recommend The Well of Loneliness by Radclyff Hall. Depressing as f**k, but important in the respect of its time period. It would often anger me; the whole "invert"/"half man/half woman" belief that appears prominent in the book but that's why it's important.
James Ellroy's "The Big Nowhere" is a great book, though I recommend reading all the LA Quartet starting with The Black Dahlia, though "The Big Nowhere" is the only one of the four with a gay theme.
Sarah Waters' books are meant to be good but I haven't read any.
Only gay themed book that springs immediately to mind is "The Well of Loneliness". Important book I think in alot of respects but it depressed the hell out of me when I read it. It's not really a "gay-positive" book. Worth reading just to be reminded of attitudes in the early part of the last century.
Well you have a treat ahead of you if you take the time to read Fingersmith - the sexuality bit is only a part of it - I read it not knowing there was anythin like that in it - it might even have put me off if I had known, but it was wonderful - a page turner in the truest sense.
I'm reading the epic fantasy novel The Chosen One by Ricardo Pinto at the moment in which the main character is gay. It'd be hard to call it gay fiction as such, but if you've read any epic fantasy you'll know that this is a bit of a revelation. Male leads in epic fantasy novels may like dressing up in leather and may be devoted to their really huge swords and huge amounts of male bonding, but they are always most definitely not gay. To find a main character that is, especially when there's also no angst, or issues explored is well-done.
I read that Christopher Rice book a few years ago a really liked it, it reminded me a bit of The Secret History. I only know a few of the other books mentioned on here, but I would most definitely agree with Fingersmith (although it's very different, as it's Victorian set). Like the Rice book, it's more concerned with story (and it's a flipping amazing one) and the character's sexuality is incidental. Whereas I think a lot of the ones mentioned are very much about people being gay, which I find a bit boring really.
I'm reading the epic fantasy novel The Chosen One by Ricardo Pinto at the moment in which the main character is gay. It'd be hard to call it gay fiction as such, but if you've read any epic fantasy you'll know that this is a bit of a revelation. Male leads in epic fantasy novels may like dressing up in leather and may be devoted to their really huge swords and huge amounts of male bonding, but they are always most definitely not gay. To find a main character that is, especially when there's also no angst, or issues explored is well-done.
I assume by now you have read both the books. Do you know if he has any plans to complete the series?
I bought this from a book club not expecting the lead to be gay because, well, they never are. Good read and a well devised alternate world
Rebellion
and its sequel
Hearts and Minds
by Jay Taverner (actually the pyseudonym of two women who are partners both personally and professionally). For anyone who enjoys historical fiction, not dissimilar to the novels of Philippa Gregory, but with lesbian protaganists. These two novels are set in eighteenth century England. They are both good, but I actually preferred the sequel, which is unusual. The first one seemed a bit dry in places, with a lot of emphasis on the politics of the times, whereas the sequel is a marvellous romp through Georgian life.
Also, Barbara Vine (aka Ruth Rendell) has written some quite gay-themed novels, eg No Night is Too Long, and House of Stairs.
I'm a big fan of Sarah Waters, too. Her second novel, Affinity, is probably the least well known, but is definitely my favourite, dealing with Victorian women's prisons and the spiritualism movement.
I assume by now you have read both the books. Do you know if he has any plans to complete the series?
I bought this from a book club not expecting the lead to be gay because, well, they never are. Good read and a well devised alternate world
I bought the second book on ebay yesterday and will get round to reading it soon. I try to stick to my fantasy rule of not reading series until the end is in sight and I had accidentally come across this book when I read a small article somewhere about the long-awaited final book being ready to be published. As I'd never heard of the trilogy I checked it out and was more than pleasantly surprised. I gather The Third God is due out early next year.
From Blue to Black by Joel Lane. It's about a fictional post-punk band in the early 90's, with an interband relationship between the singer and the bassist (both male). At times the dialogue wasn't as sharp and gritty as it should have been, given the premise of the book, and the description was sometimes a little repetitive, but it's the only book I've ever read that's made me properly weep, and the first book in a long time that I haven't been able to put down. It's a beautifully written story filled with poignancy and realism, and a must read for anyone into the 90's UK post-punk/shoegaze scene (think Joy Division, My Bloody Valentine, House of Love... with a bit of Scott Walker thrown in for good measure ).
Another great book - in fact, the first book I'd read with a gay relationship in - is The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney. The gay relationship is only really a small sub-plot, but the book is worth buying anyway.
Comments
Yep, if I remember I'll post it - I've been trying to think of the title for ages...
I'd definitely recommend Sarah Waters for a good read.
Me too
http://www.qaf-fic.com/
The warning you read before you enter the website is very accurate.
Fanfiction ahoy! Enjoy!
Look them and let me know how you get on
There is also a really hilariously funny novel about a gay travel agent called "Ladies' Man" by John Ramster - it's absolutely brilliant!
Then, as others have said, there are Armistead Maupin's series of Tales of the City - which I loved, I've got them all AND the videos. They are all about the Gay scene in San Francisco from the seventies to the nineties. Each one is a separate novel in it's own right with a different plot but the main characters are the same and develop as the books go on.
Of course there is also Christopher Isherwood - he wrote "Goodbye to Berlin" which the film "Cabaret" was based on.
and "The Naked Civil Servant" by Quentin Crisp.
I recommend The Well of Loneliness by Radclyff Hall. Depressing as f**k, but important in the respect of its time period. It would often anger me; the whole "invert"/"half man/half woman" belief that appears prominent in the book but that's why it's important.
Tipping the Velvet: by Sarah Waters
It's available in paperback at Amazon.
it was really absorbing and quite poignant
I have ordered Strings Attached from Amazon which sounds to be quite good...
i do like these coming of age stories
Well you have a treat ahead of you if you take the time to read Fingersmith - the sexuality bit is only a part of it - I read it not knowing there was anythin like that in it - it might even have put me off if I had known, but it was wonderful - a page turner in the truest sense.
I assume by now you have read both the books. Do you know if he has any plans to complete the series?
I bought this from a book club not expecting the lead to be gay because, well, they never are. Good read and a well devised alternate world
and its sequel
Hearts and Minds
by Jay Taverner (actually the pyseudonym of two women who are partners both personally and professionally). For anyone who enjoys historical fiction, not dissimilar to the novels of Philippa Gregory, but with lesbian protaganists. These two novels are set in eighteenth century England. They are both good, but I actually preferred the sequel, which is unusual. The first one seemed a bit dry in places, with a lot of emphasis on the politics of the times, whereas the sequel is a marvellous romp through Georgian life.
Also, Barbara Vine (aka Ruth Rendell) has written some quite gay-themed novels, eg No Night is Too Long, and House of Stairs.
I'm a big fan of Sarah Waters, too. Her second novel, Affinity, is probably the least well known, but is definitely my favourite, dealing with Victorian women's prisons and the spiritualism movement.
I bought the second book on ebay yesterday and will get round to reading it soon. I try to stick to my fantasy rule of not reading series until the end is in sight and I had accidentally come across this book when I read a small article somewhere about the long-awaited final book being ready to be published. As I'd never heard of the trilogy I checked it out and was more than pleasantly surprised. I gather The Third God is due out early next year.
Another great book - in fact, the first book I'd read with a gay relationship in - is The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney. The gay relationship is only really a small sub-plot, but the book is worth buying anyway.