Belmondo Style

Rating:
Summary: Ow
Review: BELMONDO STYLE is an accomplished novel of a young teen grappling with family issues and the fact that he thinks he's gay. Like many modern novels the characters are more cartoon-y than anything in real life and few readers will actually believe the "reveal" about what Jared Chiziver does for a living, for it was invented solely to make a movie out of it. I say that "few readers will care" because Adam Berlin, despite himself, is a poet of New York, like a modern day Lorca, and can make you read about and care about people far distant from oneself. "The World Trade center had once broken the view, holding solid, looking like two steel pillars thrust into Manhattan to keep it from floating away, but they were gone. The horizon became both more open and less open and my father continued to meet women."

He is a wonderful writer. The scene where the boy, Ben, meets another teen boy and has sex with him on the street is extremely powerful and one of the sexiest scenes of its kind ever written. But like the old days, their moment of ardor is punished by a terribly brutal beating and from this point on, the book becomes a sort of male version of the old rape revenge plot of 70s horror movies. Reading what happens to poor Ben, and then reading what Jared does to Ben's attacker, leaves the reader feeling sick in an almost physical way. No male reader can read those scenes without feeling that he's been punched in the balls. And still we read on, hypnotized, like cats somnolent in the heat of Adam Berlin's wonderful prose style.

Rating:
Summary: All or Nothing
Review: I enjoyed this second book by Adam Berlin. Many thoughts come to mind as I recall my experience reading this 275-page novel. The writing is always terse, strong, and uncompromising. There is no mincing of words or watered-down descriptions. It is all hard boiled and authentic. The characters are firmly hewn and salt-of-the-earth. And like his first novel, Headlock, there is at least one character that is larger-than-life, whose basic nature is sadly flawed and propelling him inexorably towards a destiny that will either redeem him or destroy him. Yet, until the end, the outcome is unknown, and the path is peppered with the full range of human emotions.

While Belmondo Style has a strong and compelling plot, its central feature is its feeling and attitude. Marginal characters on the fringes of society forced into dangerous situations. "All or nothing" attitudes that result in big wins and big losses. A son torn between love for his father, and realizing that his father is a "Belmondo Style" character, living life to the fullest in spite of the consequences. In some senses true freedom means being free to break the law, breach the trust, and disregard the consequences. Here, a father's need for freedom ultimately conflicts with his love and loyalty to his son.

Powerful descriptions abound in this book. Running at full sprint along the Hudson River, brown and gray tree branches blending into the Manhattan cityscape. The father and his girlfriend entering the "orange" dance competition and swirling to the music. The plot's violent episodes, so riveting and idelibly etched. Finally, in the climactic scene along Duval Street, fiction imitating cinema, yet not imitating it.

This is an excellent book by a masterful writer. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: read this book!
Review: This book reads like a screenplay. It's beautifully written, moves quickly and ends with a bang. The characters are well developed, and you're able to suspend reality just enough to believe the plot lines. While not critical, I recommend watching "Breathless" before reading the book; you will be able to fully appreciate the depth of Berlin's imagery and intensity of the plot. This book stayed in my head for weeks, and I hope some smart Hollywood type makes it into a blockbuster so I can enjoy it in another medium.

Rating:
Summary: read this book!
Review: This book was a dream to read. I loved it from the very beginning. The father is one sexy man and you want to get to know him better. His son is absolutely lovely and the kiss, oh my lord his first kiss is sweet and was the first time an author made a kiss between gay lovers excited me the same way a kiss between heterosexual characters makes me feel. The trauma and tragedy made me zoom through this book. I loved every minute. The trip to Miami was wonderful and the ending was definitely Belmondo Style! Nice work Adam Berlin!

Rating:
Summary: This book raced!
Review: This book was a dream to read. I loved it from the very beginning. The father is one sexy man and you want to get to know him better. His son is absolutely lovely and the kiss, oh my lord his first kiss is sweet and was the first time an author made a kiss between gay lovers excited me the same way a kiss between heterosexual characters makes me feel. The trauma and tragedy made me zoom through this book. I loved every minute. The trip to Miami was wonderful and the ending was definitely Belmondo Style! Nice work Adam Berlin!