A Much Younger Man

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Writing on a Delicate Subject
Review: "A Much Younger Man" is not the kind of book I would have picked up unaided, the subject matter having little fundamental interest for me, but it was recommended and so I read it, and enjoyed it tremendously. Too often nowadays, love stories or romances are either trite or downright unpleasant. You can take your pick between the incredibly syrupy or the drunken, wife-beating lout scenario. The fact that this novel presented love from an unusual angle was the first thing that drew me in, and ultimately delighted me. The ability to see beyond the conventional wisdom of what is socially or morally acceptable and go after what feels absolutely right and good is far too often scorned by the majority of people. Both the heroine, Aly, and the hero, Tom (although he is just a little too good to be true), show real courage and faith and that is nothing short of admirable. They refuse to settle for the mediocrity of what is considered "acceptable" by people who have never dared to go beyond the narrowest confines of their own emotions.

Beyond the story line and emotional tugs, the writing style is concise and fresh. It is also always elegant and never sinks into the passionate raptures that could so easily be the pitfall of this kind of story. Aly's voice, in particular, is always absolutely believable.

I am already looking forward to reading this author's next work.

Rating:
Summary: poignant ... lyrical
Review: 'a much younger man' was breathtaking!

i wasn't sure what to expect when i began reading this novel. sitting out on the porch, i had intended to read about a chapter at most but in the end i was turning page after page for almost one and a half hours!

ms. highbridge's prose is pithy, yet haunting, ethereal. slowly and deliberately, the novel explores the complex layers of Aly and Tom's relationship - and slowly and deliberately, the reader falls in love with them and empathises with the difficulty of their predicament. Without resorting to sentimentality, Highbridge juxtaposes the simple beauty of Aly and Tom's feelings for each other against the anger and the censure of others. Highbridge doesn't try to romanticise the situation, and deals with a lot of the real problems they face in a stark and succint way. this book has some dark and sad moments, but the prose is never less than breathtaking and lyrical in its simplicity.

tom is indeed, as aly describes him, 'beautiful'. perhaps he is more mature than any teenager that ever lived, but you can forgive the author this indiscretion, because Tom is so endearing, so constant in his love for aly that you just can't help loving him too, and fully understanding why aly goes through all that mess to be with him.

i could not put this book down the first time i read it and have to confess that i reread it only days after finishing it the first time - it had that much of an impact on me! i have no doubt in my mind that i will read it many more times, and highly recommend it to any reader who is looking for a love story with an unconventional setting. a truly beautiful book!

Rating:
Summary: a very entralling story!
Review: A friend sent me this book & right away I felt compelled to read it for some odd reason. I would not normally think it is okay for a mature woman to have a sexual relationship with a guy 20 years younger than her but for some reason Tom is way mature for his years in intellect. Yet he is still young enough to desire all the things a young guy his age normally wants. This story just really captured me & I loved it!

Rating:
Summary: True and honest
Review: Dianne Highbridge's heroine, Alyson, is written in a true to life light - in all her inadequacies, her weaknesses of the flesh and mind to stay away from the social taboos of a romance divided by age. The environment which Highbridge creates for the characters is claustrophobic - not unlike what they are experiencing underneath the thumb of his parents, her parents, and others who tell them that they are a social disgrace. What seems to be a fiery romance, stays just that, but also presents itself at the end, as two people who have struggled through oppressive forces, only to find that the only two people who matter in the end of the relationship are themselves.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling
Review: Finely-drawn characters, a plotline that keeps you guessing, truly cathartic moments, and a satisfying resloution - this novel pretty much has it all. The true-to-life rendering of family, friendship and romantic bonds is reminiscent of Canadian author Margaret Laurence, but Highbridge's prose is sparer, and her voice is ultimately unique. To take such a volatile topic and strip it of its sensationalism to reveal the humanity of the participants is truly masterly. I can't wait for Highbridge's next book.

Rating:
Summary: A sexy,intelligent love story that rings true
Review: I have never read such an intelligent and moving love story, and Istayed up until 3:00am to finish it. I cared about Aly from the start, andI felt Tom was something really special. He had to be, or Aly wouldn't have been attracted to him. In her (mistaken) teaching career, as she says, she's known maybe thousands of kids. There are boys his age in real life who are mature in different ways (for example, performing artists) and given his privileged background, with smart but difficult parents, there's no reason why he shouldn't be emotionally mature, and in some ways quite sophisticated. But he's not too mature or too good. He is capable of the dishonesty that kids practice on their parents, he exploits the feelings of his first younger girlfriend, he's arrogant in a very young guy's way about other people's creative work, and so on. To me, he is totally believable. I loved him, and I loved the the way this book is written. It moves along, it can be read as a romance, but it also is deceptively simple. Highbridge's descriptions of the city and nature are stunning, there's life in even the minor characters, and humour that catches you off guard. This book is not only incredibly sexy, it is thought-provoking, and to me it rings true.

Rating:
Summary: masterly
Review: The creative use of empty space is not confined to Japanese esthetics but is a concept put to use in, certainly, all Japanese art forms. The author of this novel, having spent eighteen years in Japan, has absorbed that lesson and produced what can only be called a powerful story, powerful in its apparent stylistic simplicity. What is left unsaid trails in the wake of what is said. Sex can be at once lusty and, well, pure enough. This novel is exceptionally fine.

Rating:
Summary: A realistic, mature and sad romance
Review: The subject matter in this book is treated with respect and taste. We get to know Alyson, the 35 year old teacher, intimately. We cry for her. We want it to work with Tom, the much younger man, the son of her college friend. Tom sincerely loves Aly, but it will take a lot of courage to deal with society, Tom's parents, and the pressures on Aly as a schoolteacher. The eroticism is very tastefully done, but also highly sensual. Most of the characters are completely believable, with a few stereotypes thrown in to the mix. I know that I was caught up in the lives of the main characters when I began to helplessly sob in the next-to-the-last chapter of the book. This is not casual, light romance. This is serious stuff. It's heartbreaking, moving, and loving. You feel as if you have gone through the three years from the moment Aly and Tom first catch sight of each other on a commuter train. Aly goes from feeling Tom has an "incipient crush" to understand she is in love. Tom, being younger, feels it much sooner. But, in spite of being younger, his love lasts.

This book is written in a very unique style, jumping from first to third person with nary a breath. However, it works. Nearly everything about this book works, and I have re-read it several times. You can feel the emotions as you read about them. Fine story-writing like this is rare, and I highly recommend this book.