Rating: 
Summary: Classic
Review: I've heard of this book for many years, and I just got around to reading it. (And I'm very glad I did!) It's a fast, easy read that grabs your interest immediately. Characters are well-developed, dialogue is believable and the plot is engaging. It's a touching and moving story that reminds us both how far we've come in twenty years, and also how far we still have to go. I found no trouble transferring the plot to present day, and that's very disturbing to me. I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: The book on gay relationships
Review: If you plan to read only 1 book on gay relationsships, this is the one to read. There just isn't one better - mind you the 2 sequels come close.
I read the book, thinking how can a woman describe the emeotions between to men so correctly?
Then it dawned on me: Becauce those relations are absolute no different to those in any other couple.
Once you start to read this book, it's like seeing it on a widescreen, and experiencing the emotions like you were there on the screen yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning Story--Packs a Punch Three Decades Later!
Review: In late 1974, 39-year-old Harlan Brown is living quietly, employed as a track coach at a small college in upstate New York. He's been through a lot in those 39 years, much of which we discover later in the narrative from Harlan himself, who is the first person narrator. But on that winter day, Harlan is in for the shock of his life when the college administrator sends three young transfer athletes to try out for the track team. These are not just any young men; they're all three gay-as is the deeply closeted Harlan-and they've been thrown off a big-time college team because of their sexuality. Billy Sive is one of the three, and it's his spirit and strength that suffuse the book with gradually increasing power and wonder. Billy is a front runner, the man in the footrace who runs hard and fast as he can, attempting to stave off his competitors. He has great talent, which Harlan believes he can bring out if only the young man will listen to his coaching.
And so begins the story of two men as they struggle with the feelings that grow between them. Eventually they become lovers united in partnership and with the goal to go for Olympic gold while trying to find a place of acceptance in a world that is not nearly as accepting as it is today. Graphic and gritty at times, the story of their attraction and relationship is also tender and powerful. Millions of gay men and women, not to mention many straight people, from all over the world have read The Front Runner. Whether you're straight or gay-or anywhere in between-the story is compelling.
Patricia Nell Warren, writing this story in the early 1970's, could not have foreseen the ripple effect it had upon gays and lesbians in America and around the world. Other books had been written about homosexual experience, but when this one was first published in 1974, it had a stunning effect and still packs a punch. The Front Runner took hold of a Gay Hero Archetype and made it real, while at the same time causing the reader to feel deeply about characters who seemed so genuinely appealing and authentic, they could almost walk off the page.
This book is nearing 30 years old, and yet it still rings true. Still feels real. Still packs a wallop. Patricia Nell Warren was very nearly prescient in her treatment of the Gay Heroes in this novel. Since The Front Runner's publication, we have seen the emergence of gay pride and solidarity that had only just begun in 1969 with the Stonewall Riots. Since then, from Harvey Milk's 1977 ascendance to political power in California and subsequent assassination to the bravery of gay rugby player Mark Bingham in helping to avert disaster in the Flight 93 attack on September 11th, our nation has gotten glimpses of the strength, beauty, and contributions of gay people who put their lives on the line for the good of an ideal. And I like to think that above it all, the ghost of Billy Sive hovers: "He had overcome the fury by nonviolence and compassion. He was out front, running free. He was accepted for what he was. He was even valued now, as someone who might speak for a whole universe of human feeling that had been denied. It was so ironic..."
Though it's been 20 years since I first read this book, time has been good to it, infusing it with both a prophetic voice and a elegiac tone that would not be so powerful if prejudice and hate were not still so prevalent. The world has come a long way in the last three decades, but not far enough. There are still far too many Matthew Shepards and Jamie Naboznys. Until the world is tolerant and accepting, The Front Runner will continue to speak to all of us. I recommend this book highly. All of straight America should be required to read it. ~Lori L. Lake, author of lesbian fiction and freelance reviewer for Midwest Book Review, Golden Crown Literary Society's The Crown, The Independent Gay Writer, and Just About Write.
Rating: 
Summary: The author of THE FRONT RUNNER comments:
Review: It is wonderful to see that people are reading this book
as much as they ever did in the 1970s, when it was a bestseller.
I wrote it to tell a kind of love story that had never been
told, about commitment and victory against all odds. The story of
a young gay athlete and his coach, who are trying
to get to the 1976 Olympics, and paying a high price to
hate and bigotry, was written out of my own experience and observations
as an amateur distance runner and AAU official.
Rating:
Summary: TOUCHING
Review: It was the first gay novel that I read. I was so emotionally drowned in it and I surely like Vince Matti but a bit hate the main principle which is Harlan Brown for his little hypocrisy. But above all, I love Patricia for giving us such a touching story.
Rating:
Summary: Treats gay romance like any other romance
Review: Loving, conquering great odds, and losing the love of your life are universal themes that anyone with the capacity to love can appreciate. The author never questions the morality of gay romance -- it's just another aspect of life. The larger issues for this couple are the teacher/student and older/younger problems that stand in the way of the course of true love. In addition, they also are opposites who attract about vegetarian versus carnivore, military versus pacifist and former hetero versus always comfortable as a gay. Yet despite the inherent problems, the reader always roots for these two to finally work things out.Sports and running are ultimately what molds and holds these two together. The shocking end is unforgettable.
Rating:
Summary: Treats gay romance like any other romance
Review: Loving, conquering great odds, and losing the love of your life are universal themes that anyone with the capacity to love can appreciate. The author never questions the morality of gay romance -- it's just another aspect of life. The larger issues for this couple are the teacher/student and older/younger problems that stand in the way of the course of true love. In addition, they also are opposites who attract about vegetarian versus carnivore, military versus pacifist and former hetero versus always comfortable as a gay. Yet despite the inherent problems, the reader always roots for these two to finally work things out. Sports and running are ultimately what molds and holds these two together. The shocking end is unforgettable.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic For All Readers
Review: My first exposure to homosexual literature was in the spring of 1981, I found a copy of The Front Runner on a dusty shelf of the Grand Glaize Branch of the St. Louis County Library and began reading it. At this time I was curious about my own sexuality and sat down and began reading the Front Runner, twenty to fifty pages at a time over a period of 2 weeks. At age 16 I had trouble getting engaged with what was supposedly "suitable" reading such as "Cather In The Rye" and "Ordinary People" since they didnt seem to speak to me, but this book and writer did. Patricia Nell Warren, has an unequal ability to write thoughtfully and tastefully about the male sexual experience. Although a lesbian, she brings passion, love and romance on the page that is compelling for any reader and written in a manner that allows the young adult to understand and the sophisticated reader enough stimuli to prevent bordum from setting in. The Front Runner is a classic and a true chronical of the homosexual experience outside of the bath houses of San Fransico and New York and into small town America. Although the plot is improbably, it is not impossible for someone to believe. Readers can easily identify with Billy Sive's youthful desire to be true to himself while torn about loving Harlon Brown who is struggling to accept his own sexuality. The climatic finally at the Montreal Olympics will have the reader on the track hearing the roar of the crowd as Billy approaches the finish line for a gold medla. Warren's own years as a distance runner served her well as she writes accuractely about the sport of distance running. The Front Runner is quickly approaching its 30th anniversay and remains the all time favorite for homosexual and Straight readers. I personally credit Warren for giving me a love for reading where many other authors failed.
Rating:
Summary: A Timeless Book of Lessons on Being Queer
Review: My read of The Front Runner has been the third in twenty-three years since I read it the first time. On reading it in 1976, I was grateful and relieved to realize that I was not alone in being gay. That was the most tremendous gift Warren's work offered me at the time. While a long road lay in front of me at the time -- mostly my needing to work hard at coming to an authentic self-acceptance and understanding of myself, knowing I was not alone and that every gay male did not have to fit "the classic sissy" stereotype was moving enough for me to love this book at the time. Of course, in addition to these realizations, I never liked what Billy and Harlan had to endure in their attempt to 'have a life together.'My second read, only a few years after the first, was reassuring. I was somewhat let down by Warren's absence from the writing scene as I felt she had a tremendous voice and a source of hope and inspiration for many yet, was now (then) suddenly without voice. I guess I felt hurt by the author. Finally, twenty-three years from my first read, I decided to reread The Front Runner once again. I was absolutely stunned by the story! It was as if I had no familiarity with it. The absolute purity and beauty of the relationship between Harlan and Billy stand out as something that I failed to fully appreciate in the past. Their relationship was not political, predatory or suffer any imbalance in power. Each man brought himself to this relationship -- his strengths and weaknesses, and likes and dislikes -- to a fairly uncomplicated (when alone together) loving relationship betwee the two. Although the politics of homosexuality seems to overwhelm the story, the fundamental, monogamous, non-doubting love between the two key characters was simply that -- apolitical and steeped in love -- an awesome love that transcends everything that surrounds all that the GLBT community today seems to get caught up in.I was also struck by the fact that Billy and Harlan wanted their relationship to be as "normal" as possible -- fitting into the regular fabric of society as much as possible. It wasn't either individual's desire to be "in people's faces" about their sexuality; they did not desire the approval of all, or politicize toward that end. So much has obviously changed in the years since Warren wrote this story. And, although there is so much greater visibility of the GLBT community, I'm not so sure how much good has come of all of it. While certainly the plague of AIDS needed, and continues to need, political action, so often it appears that the politics of our community became more important than the fundamental cause. What is it that we seek? Isn't it the right to be treated as everyone else in our society is? Often, the voices of our community are so offensive and angry that they could never possibly be heard as people "run for cover."I wonder sometimes whether we are our own worst enemies with regard to allowing ourselves to advance a basic acceptance on the part of the larger society by some of the things that our own have done. Have the various agendas of different groups been truly about allowing one to live as they choose, or did the power-trips, organizations, finances, personal publicity, and many other completely unrelated issues become larger than the intent of any one of the organizations that have come and gone in the last two decades? Outing, outrageous forms of activism, rampant promiscuity, insulting behavior toward straight society, Larry Kramer's mouth -- and pen -- and on and on... Have any of these brought us any closer to working on our own personal foundational self love and acceptance -- where we can individually exorcise the demon voices of our pasts which we continue to allow ourselves to hear? Would we not advance farther in the long run by finally spending the time needed to examine who we are -- each as singular individuals? Have we worked hard enough on ourselves or have we wasted too much energy looking outward rather than inward? Why do we continue to have so much alcoholism and drug abuse -- far beyond the norm? What are we medicating? Perhaps the fact that many of us have still not stopped hating ourselves causes us to avoid facing that fact by turning the mirror around toward straight society. I often listen to members of our community speak to one another. While I can easily find myself in fits of laughter at the banter, at a distance, I recognize that I am laughing at often venomous comments -- ones that hurt as badly as bullets our own brothers and sisters as they are the object of the supposedly funny ritual of being "snapped at." Yet, even more startling to me as I reflect on what I often witness as being part of "the life" is the realization that the venom contained in these seemingly funny remarks is really a very revealing portrait of those making them, not particularly flattering. Perhaps it's time to go back to a simpler time and attempt an authentic self-acceptance, a self-honesty that allows us to accept the past as past and ourselves for who we are now -- with an eye toward exploring how we can become better individual persons. Let's bring those attributes forward instead of "causes." They seem to have allowed us only a loud circuitous route ending up where where began -- now-where closer toward our desired destination!Perhaps simplistic, but all Harlan and Billy wanted was each other. They didn't want or seek out everything else involved in the tragedy of the story of The Front Runner. Unfortunately, they were preyed upon by the media savages looking for stories, by homophobic and unhealthy human beings who, sadly, may never get to the place of accepting themselves, to their sad misfortune, and even by jealous brothers and sisters in the gay community. Whoever we are - gay, straight, green black or yellow, doesn't it come down to finding a space within our society where we can be loving individuals -- caring and secure in ourselves, attempting communion, and perhaps, if we're lucky, having a loving, mutually enriching, relationship. Relationships don¹t happen often enough because none of us are particularly attractive in being observed as angry, drugging, boozing, self hating human beings. I believe God (or whomever we perceive our Higher Power to be) -- has put on this earth for a larger purpose than many of the ways I witness our brothers and sisters spending their lives. Warren's book this time around calls me to a looking inward instead of outward. Perhaps it is a time for each of us to take a moratorium from all that occupies "issues" around "the life" and, instead, put that energy into "my life" and how "I" as one human being can move forward, personally, in my self development and in advancing society by quietly allowing people to see the more beautiful attributes that gay men and women are often gifted with. We might like what we find and so might the larger society. Will ignorance be obliterated? No! But we may live healthier and happier lives - probably our greatest challenge on this journey of life -- and other people, straight and gay -- will join us on what may seem a lonely road at first. Warren's work is timeless. It is indeed a Book of Lessons, not all apparent at once. It is unfair to compare The Front Runner to her other books or to any other book in the gay genre. It is truly distinctive and will probably ever maintain it's singular uniqueness.More stars than exist in the galaxy for The Front Runner!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely enthralling!
Review: Oh my...I had heard from a friend that "TFR" would be a great book to read. Wow...as soon as I read the first couple pages, I just couldn't put it down! Warren's realistic storyline surrounds Harlan Brown and his partner Billy Sive and their quest for Olympic gold as well as mutual love, trust, and happiness. What could possibly stand in their way? I mean, everyone in this country is guaranteed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness! But since this novel is set in the heavily homophobic 1970s, Harlan and Billy have to overcome many, many obstacles, one of which is never overcome. I finished this book in 3 days, totally engrosed in the story and questioning what happened next! Therefore, I went on to read "Harlan's Race." I encourage everyone to read this novel, not only to gain a little more knowledge of the homosexual lifestyle, but to become more empathetic to everyone. Thanks to Patricia Nell Warren for visiting my college (Lebanon Valley College of PA) and for writing such a wonderful novel.
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