It Takes Two : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: A Good Portrait of the Time
Review: Although this book is billed as a mystery, it really is more a portrait of a specific relationship and time period. It seems to portray very accurately Florida in 1949, a homophobic and racist society. The focus of the book is the relationship between Dan, ex-Navy Lieutenant and Bud, ex-Marine, now working as a police detective. They have to come to terms with their being gay men in a society where it is not only not condoned but illegal. There is a murder which involves the Klan, corruption and coverups. But it really is the time period which stands out. The author does a good job of portraying this claustrophobic society where much is condoned as long as it is not made public. I think you will enjoy the book; it is well written and moves at a good pace. A very good effort for a first novel. I would look forward to a sequel with Dan and Bud.

Rating:
Summary: Not Mysterious
Review: Elliott Mackle's "It Takes Two" was billed as a mystery. On the jacket it explains that it is a "whydunit" instead of a "whodunit". That fact alone threw me. I was still expecting the focus of the book to be the apparent murder/suicide of one black man and one white man in 1940's Florida. Instead, the focus was on the relationship between the lead detective and the hotel manager (told in first person by the manager). I actually enjoyed the book. I thought the development of these two men and their relationship was believable in the confines of the situation. I would have preferred third person so I could get a better feel of what was going on in Bud's (the detective) head. If the book was billed as a mystery to attract more readers (nothing wrong with wanting maximum exposure, the cover of my book had a picture of a hotel on it instead of two men) it should have made the murder/suicide more, well, mysterious. If it was really just a story about two men trying out a relationship in a very difficult time and place, then go for it. We're not in the 1940s anymore, have some fun. I'm a straight woman but I think any openminded person would enjoy this book. I would like to see a sequel because I feel that a lot of questions were left unanswered. The big one: Is Mike really dead? If not, will his return end the newly budding affair? All in all, it's a good book and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Very Good Gay Male Fiction
Review: I enjoy "It Takes Two" immensely and finished it in a day. The atmosphere is intense with vivid descriptions of a South drowned in bigotry and racism, flash-backs of World War Two, the steamy going-ons in the Hotel and finally the msytery murder hovering in the background. Seems a lot in a close to 300 pages book but Mackle melds everything together beautifully. The characters are wonderfully appealing, in particular Dan, the narrator, who is just great. The side characters, Bud, Carmen and Admiral Asdeck are equally colourful. Even Tommy the piano player at the hotel and a priest finally "coming-out" have stories of their own. To top it all, there is the build-up of the relationship between Dan and Bud, from buddies entangled in intense passion, to finally, I hope, devoted lovers. I am wishful for a sequel because Dan, Bud and their friends have alot more to tell. An amazing sizzling book!

Rating:
Summary: Sizzling!
Review: I enjoy "It Takes Two" immensely and finished it in a day. The atmosphere is intense with vivid descriptions of a South drowned in bigotry and racism, flash-backs of World War Two, the steamy going-ons in the Hotel and finally the msytery murder hovering in the background. Seems a lot in a close to 300 pages book but Mackle melds everything together beautifully. The characters are wonderfully appealing, in particular Dan, the narrator, who is just great. The side characters, Bud, Carmen and Admiral Asdeck are equally colourful. Even Tommy the piano player at the hotel and a priest finally "coming-out" have stories of their own. To top it all, there is the build-up of the relationship between Dan and Bud, from buddies entangled in intense passion, to finally, I hope, devoted lovers. I am wishful for a sequel because Dan, Bud and their friends have alot more to tell. An amazing sizzling book!

Rating:
Summary: A Good Portrait of the Time
Review: I have just finished reading "IT TAKES TWO", and enjoyed it immensely. Being born and raised in the South, I'm especially partial to books set in the South. And I'm old enough to remember the social and racial prejudices of the 1940's. Although I'm a heterosexual female, I have two homosexual nephews and a lesbian niece, so I could easily relate. This book has some great characters...kooks, baddies, the Klan. I especially liked "Carmen"!

Rating:
Summary: Great First Novel
Review: I have just finished reading "IT TAKES TWO", and enjoyed it immensely. Being born and raised in the South, I'm especially partial to books set in the South. And I'm old enough to remember the social and racial prejudices of the 1940's. Although I'm a heterosexual female, I have two homosexual nephews and a lesbian niece, so I could easily relate. This book has some great characters...kooks, baddies, the Klan. I especially liked "Carmen"!

Rating:
Summary: I'd like to see this as a movie
Review: I think Matt Damon will be perfect as Dan and Ben Affleck is tailor-made as Bud. I hope they co-write the script too....and I hope they get both the Best Actor Award for the parts!

Rating:
Summary: I'd like to see this as a movie
Review: I think Matt Damon will be perfect as Dan and Ben Affleck is tailor-made as Bud. I hope they co-write the script too....and I hope they get both the Best Actor Award for the parts!

Rating:
Summary: Very Good Gay Male Fiction
Review: It Takes Two: A Novel by Elliott Mackle is a nearly perfect "summer read" (and one that would do very nicely on a dreary winter's day for that matter). Some of the historical allusions are a bit strained and the editors missed a quotation mark or two, but the characters and the story will grab the gay male reader. There are a number of weaker gay-themed titles out there that have received more exposure, which is a shame. This book deserves much more than its gotten. (Is that the publisher's fault?) If you've read Hold Tight: A Novel by Christopher Bram and liked it, you'll find this work equally enjoyable. If you are in the market for a compelling light read, try this book. I'm giving this one 5 stars despite the few flaws because I want to read more by Mr. Mackle. Encore!

Rating:
Summary: Good story
Review: The story line keeps moving; the protagonists are reasonably
well developed, as are many of the minor characters. I have never experienced the "deep South" racism as described here. I
have read about and seen items on the t.v. news, so I cannot
speak for the accuracy of the protrayal. My major gripe: why so
much emphasis upon the use of the "f" word, and for that matter,
the other profanity used? Please----don't con me with "that's
they way they talk" baloney. It is absoutely unnecessary to use
the "4-letter" words (o.k., I will grant upon occasion, yes, but
not the extent used here).