Rating: 
Summary: Gay literature that defies cliche.
Review: A good story with good characters. It just suffered alot of lack of care. Loose threads, lack of background, unexplained plot points all abound in this book which is sad because the characters really are lovable and you really want to know what's going on. But if you can look beyond all that and read in the moment its really a good book, maybe even a 4 star book. But sadly it is lacking alot of depth.
Rating: 
Summary: A tender romance with a dark past
Review: Although _Comfort and Joy_ shares characters with an earlier work by Grimsley, _Winter Birds_, the two novels could not be more different. Whereas the earlier work is a dark, harrowing tale of violence and domestic abuse, the present novel chronicles the hesitant, tender romance between a grown-up Dan Crell, coping with hemophilia and HIV as well as the scars left by his upbringing, and Ford McKinney, a handsome doctor from a rich family. They meet at the hospital where Dan is an administrator and Ford is a resident, fall in love and struggle with the issues so many gay male couples face: intimacy, money and their families. Though occasionally there is clumsy expository dialogue, surprising for a writer as skilled as Grimsley, and a false note or two in the romance, ultimately the author convinces the reader of his central argument. The contrasting holiday scenes in the Atlanta household and the humble residence of Dan's mother, now remarried, in South Carolina show that the rigid gentility of Ford's well-to-do Atlanta family constitutes its own kind of domestic abuse. One roots for the survival of this unlikely couple, and is uplifted by the ambiguous but hopeful ending. I read the earlier _Winter Birds_ some time after finishing _Comfort and Joy_ and realized that, despite the dramatic contrast in tone between the two, knowing the former adds depth to the later story and increases one's appreciation of both works.
Rating:
Summary: I related on so many levels with this book
Review: I have to read Mr. Grimsley's other books now. I read "Comfort and Joy" in 2 evenings. I usually am reading 3 to 4 books at a time, but this one caught and kept my attention, mainly because of the gorgeous prose and the similarities to my own life. Everything in this book rang true for me. Coming home for the holidays, coming out to your family and co-workers, the bittersweet, often fragile family relationships, the fear of coming to terms with your own gayness, from the first feelings of desire all the way through moving in together, the parents who will not accept you or your partner, the class differences between your partner's family and your own...all are explored in this poignant, deeply felt novel. This is one of my all time faves now.
Rating:
Summary: tender and beautiful
Review: i loved this book. i truly cared about the characters.it is a tender and affecting love story. the issues in the book--gayness, hiv status, money, childhood trauma, etc--are dealt with deftly but not heavyhandedly. the characters struggle with them; they are not the point of the story. there are several threads, large and small, left unresolved, which actually adds to the overall sense that this story is true to life, since life doesn't wrap itself up so neatly most of the time. the sense of place is great. by the way, this book centers around christmas time and takes its title from a carol, but it is not a "christmas book"--read and enjoy anytime, whether you celebrate christamas or not.
Rating:
Summary: tender and beautiful
Review: i loved this book. i truly cared about the characters. it is a tender and affecting love story. the issues in the book--gayness, hiv status, money, childhood trauma, etc--are dealt with deftly but not heavyhandedly. the characters struggle with them; they are not the point of the story. there are several threads, large and small, left unresolved, which actually adds to the overall sense that this story is true to life, since life doesn't wrap itself up so neatly most of the time. the sense of place is great. by the way, this book centers around christmas time and takes its title from a carol, but it is not a "christmas book"--read and enjoy anytime, whether you celebrate christamas or not.
Rating:
Summary: Very Comforting
Review: I must admit to not be a true connoisseur of gay fiction. Some of the stuff I tried reading in the past is a conglomeration of a convoluted plot that usually ends up with the main character sleeping with all of the other characters in the book before the yawner close. However, my boyfriend, who reads far more gay fiction than I, has been steering me around this world and introducing me to gay fiction that's not only rich, but compelling. Thus is the truth about Jim Grimsley's book, "Comfort and Joy". He writes the story of Ford, dashing doctor who's struggling with his identity despite his intense feelings, and Dan, an introverted, kind man with secrets to hide. Off the bat, the pairing of these two characters grabbed me: that the handsome Ford, who so easily could have fallen into caricature, finds within Dan a world of possibilities, not entirely based on appearances. In fact, what initially grabs Ford is Dan's voice, after hearing him sing in a hospital Christmas concert. In fact, Christmas keeps rattling around this couple as they decide to spend the holiday with each other first, and then to travel to meet Dan's somewhat accepting parents in North Carolina. This scenario is played out well, as we know Dan's initial shyness would be such a huge barrier to truly get to know him, that we finally learn more about him through his interesting family. Grimsley here too doesn't fall into stereotypes, but makes Dan's poorer family diverse enough to question Dan's sexuality but still welcome the couple with open arms. As all of this swirls around, the main focus is the couple hood of Dan and Ford. From it comes a sense of honesty, and permanence. You know, despite the major issues they must deal with, the strong undercurrent of their affection and love will hold them steady. In an age where breakups are a dime a dozen, and we celebrate the disposable relationships, "Comfort and Joy" adds its beautiful discordant tone to that chord, and makes for a wonderful, engaging read.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent read
Review: In Jim Grimsley's latest novel "Comfort and Joy", theauthor goes beyond stereotypes to create a couple with emotionaldepth. Ford McKinney is a handsome doctor from a well-established and wealthy Savannah family, and while it would have been very easy to have made his romantic interest in this story a man equal in physical attributes and social standing, Grimsley determines to provide an attraction that goes beyond the outward physical. Both characters have childhood issues to resolve, issues which bring conflict into their adult relationship. While Dan's family has been aware of his homosexuality for many years, one would have to categorize their "acceptance" as uneasy at best. Ford on the otherhand has yet to reveal his sexuality to his socially conscious family. Both men's situations present plenty with which many readers can identify. Overall, an excellent read and one that may well stay in your thoughts long after turning the last page of this story.
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been much better.
Review: Sad, really, that the story ends with such a "formulated" way for Grimsley's Comfort and Joy. Without giving anything away, I can say that this books seems a little like a "rush" work. At times I wonder if Grimsley needs to rush through this book for a book deadline he has in the contract with his publisher. Put that aside, the book deals with many fundamentally gay issues. HIV status, HIV prejudice in the gay community and for couples, money problems for couples, social status difference, etc. There are really some really great plotlines that the author could have definitely developed further. Having read Grimsley's "Dream Boy", I am very confident that this book has not nearly exhausted Grimsley's literary power at all. The protagonist, a rich late-20's doctor from a countryclub family struggles with his sexuality with himself and everybody else around him. The ideas are all great, but obviously not enough words were put into "cooking the literary stew". The books looks like a thick 300-pager, but it is much less element than you would expect from a normal 300-pager. While "Dream Boy" is also short, it is also enormously powerful, which is something I cannot bring myself to describe Comfort and Joy. Not a must-read, a good, semi/pseudo deep gay novel, however.
Rating:
Summary: Impersonal with a swirl of apathetic melancholy
Review: The reader can either bond easily with the characters or read a few pages and abandon the book. It truly depends on what type of storytelling you enjoy. I found this book to be one of Grimsleys more direct and aloof novels, yet it still had a human and real feeling to it. It left me with a warm glow and a new understanding for the troubles of being alive.
Rating:
Summary: Best I've read in a long time
Review: This story captures the heart of both men, expressing their sercurities and insecurities. This is a story of unwanted love, yet it still happened. Destiny brought these two together and in one night, it all changed -- they fell in love, although both would not admit it. This story is very Romeo and Juliet, but in this case, it was Romeo and Romeo. Families with a past of expectations and of darkness had threatened to seperate the two boys, but their love was strong enough to not let it end. The descriptions of both Dan and Ford are amazing. I could almost feel myself standing right next to them as I was reading it. As the book drew to an end, I found myself not wanting it to end. This is truely Jim Grimsley's greatest. ~Sweet Sorrow
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