The Loss of Innocence

Rating:
Summary: An engrossing and comprehensive look at gay relationships
Review: Jay Mandal's book of short stories, "The Loss of Innocence", covers a wide spectrum of gay life. Some are his stories are poignant or even tragic, whilst others are heart-warming and touching. As always, his ability to convey what is lost between the interstices of idle chatter is to the fore.

The tale from which the book derives its title is a sad one. An inexperienced young man, Michael, has his illusions shattered, losing his innocence, when he discovers the sordid reality of the life of Max, the man to whom he is attracted and with whom he has been trying to pluck up courage to form a relationship. Max, for his part, loses the innocent Michael because of his own sexual incontinence. Both are left sadder and not necessarily wiser men. In "Epiphany" another potential relationship fails because of a failure to seize the moment - too much agonising can kill love. "When Love Wears Thin", on the other hand, is the story of a relationship maintained only by one partner turning a blind eye to the other's infidelity because of the need to stay together for financial reasons - the story of many a marriage! "A Quiet Life" is a finely observed tale of making use of someone - something we've all observed!

One of Mr. Mandal's strengths is his ability to depict crippling self-doubt and lack of self-esteem. Too often people fail to plunge in because of their inability to see themselves as people of worth. Amongst gay people this diffidence is doubly cruel since their opportunities are statistically narrower than those afforded to straight people and their negative attitudes have been reinforced by a lifetime of societal disapproval. It is all the more pleasing, therefore, to see that a story from his previous, equally as entertaining book "A Different Kind of Love" called "Of Cabbages and Kings" is taken up again and resolved in "Many Truths". The diffidence and self-doubt of both the protagonists, Matthew and Jan, persist and almost wreck their relationship. In the nick of time they speak and act truthfully and their relationship is salvaged and moves on to firmer ground.

Not all of the stories in this volume are heavy. Some are quite whimsical. "The Triumph of Hope" and "Neither Hide nor Hair" are stories of relationships beginning by chance whilst "A Lucky Escape" and "Business is Business" tell of victory in love snatched from the jaws of defeat. "All Beautiful Things" is a touching tale of love across the generations.

As should be apparent by now, Mr. Mandal ranges widely over the gay condition in this collection of stories, sufficiently wide to please most readers who are more concerned with the marvel of relationships, despite or because of their fragility, rather than with sexual explicitness. Mr. Mandal has produced a very satisfying volume ideal for reading in short bursts. It should be on every bookshelf. I look forward to his next offering and can unreservedly recommend this one.