Buddies

Rating:
Summary: This man is a gem.
Review: I have enjoyed every one of Ethan Mordden's books I can get my hands-on. I think it is reasonable to compare him to Edith Wharton. His finely drawn characters and his ability to capture the texture of a moment are beyond compare. Where Holleran is often depressing and Picano a bit introspective, Mordden presents a rich synthesis of both the joys and the tears of what it is to be gay in our time. I still think the best of what he has written remains "How Long Has This Been Going On?"

Rating:
Summary: JUST BUY THIS BOOK
Review: I picked this book out of the blue from Amazon, and man-oh-man was I thrilled by my lucky choice. I ended up reading every book in the series, and I continued to be blown away by how high quality the writing/story telling/dialogue was. He emphatically chose not to "dumb down" these books. They are written intelligently, and intelligibly. Yeah, I had to grab the dictionary occasionally -- but that's a good thing. There's something for everyone in this book, love - justice - psychology - counseling - sex - politicization of the cause - etc. It's great. Buy it, and you'll be happy.

Rating:
Summary: Gay fiction at its near-finest
Review: Mordden improved on his original "Buddies" series book with this second installment. While the book moves in a way more disjointed than the first and certainly more so than the last two of the series, the tales he weaves are still well-written and convey an amazing lyrical quality which is often absent from other contemporary authors of gay fiction. Mordden's command of conversational style between characters is masterful. Similarly, the milieu that he portrays (the Manhattan-Fire Island axis of the 1970s-1980s) is evoked so clearly that the reader almost feels present at that time. Unlike so many other authors who lived through the 1970s and then into the plague years of the 1980s, Mordden did not lose hope nor become a detached observer -- he is part of the lives of his characters, even if he more or less tries to keep himself out of the action, albeit ultimately without success on that front. Still, his involvement makes the book that much more readable: a human being lived this story, and is relating it to others so that the memories of this special set of interrelationships does not pass from consciousness when its participants do. A fine piece of fiction; highly recommended and one that cannot be put down.

Rating:
Summary: Gay fiction at its near-finest
Review: Mordden improved on his original "Buddies" series book with this second installment. While the book moves in a way more disjointed than the first and certainly more so than the last two of the series, the tales he weaves are still well-written and convey an amazing lyrical quality which is often absent from other contemporary authors of gay fiction. Mordden's command of conversational style between characters is masterful. Similarly, the milieu that he portrays (the Manhattan-Fire Island axis of the 1970s-1980s) is evoked so clearly that the reader almost feels present at that time. Unlike so many other authors who lived through the 1970s and then into the plague years of the 1980s, Mordden did not lose hope nor become a detached observer -- he is part of the lives of his characters, even if he more or less tries to keep himself out of the action, albeit ultimately without success on that front. Still, his involvement makes the book that much more readable: a human being lived this story, and is relating it to others so that the memories of this special set of interrelationships does not pass from consciousness when its participants do. A fine piece of fiction; highly recommended and one that cannot be put down.

Rating:
Summary: enthralling
Review: Mordden is my favorite gay author. The entire series keeps one enthralled. He is a New York centrist and has a hard time relating to Gay Life anywhere else, but since he's not writing about anywhere else, that's ok. I've read the entire series through at least 3 times. Because they're novels set up in short story format, it's easy to read small segments in a single sitting and not be caught up in cliff-hangers. These books are very much worth your time and money.

Rating:
Summary: Buddy Up
Review: This book was well written, simple to read, full of gay themed experiences but lacked the excitement of many modern day novels. I recommend this a Sunday read not as a nightly cuddle.

Rating:
Summary: Buddy Up
Review: This book was well written, simple to read, full of gay themed experiences but lacked the excitement of many modern day novels. I recommend this a Sunday read not as a nightly cuddle.