Beijing

I was fascinated by the diversity and extremes in the reviews! As an avid reader of "literary" gay-themed fiction, I took a chance on this book and was rewarded with a fascinating look into a culture hidden from most Americans, gay or straight. I suspected from the outset that there was an autobiographical element to Mr. Gambone's writing - he is secure and at ease writing of the culture and nuanced layers of life in China - including the inevitably present but furtive world that China's gay population lives in. The story captivates one from the outset and takes one on a roller-coaster of emotional highs and lows that one might expect if left to fend for oneself in a world filled with mystery and exploration. Complicate that by the longing for companionship (to be with like-minded individuals) and you have a story that is heartfelt and universal, a story of loss and discovery, of fears and elation, of playing teacher and pupil. As the tour guide, Mr. Gambone takes us far afield of the tourist attractions and makes a gem of this story of love and loss in China.

I enjoyed this story very much. Mr. Gambone is an excellent story teller. Fan Shen, Rochester, MN

David Masiello's trip to Beijing is the stuff made from heaven. This remarkable novel is structured around the four seasons, and we see the David's journey through the perspective of each changing season. Each section gives us just a little more insight into David's journey, as he gains confidence and gradually adjusts to living in a foreign culture. His story is fictional, but it could almost read as a non-fiction travelogue, and I suspect that much of what is written was gleaned from Gambone's own experiences traveling through China and living in Beijing. Living in Boston, stuck is a rut, pining for his dead boyfriend; David takes the initiative and applies for a job at a Western medical clinic in Beijing. Then his life changes forever as he confronts parts of himself, and goes on an exciting journey of self-discovery to become "whole again."Gambone masterfully takes us on David's journey from the nervous, worrying pre-flight preparation to the anxiousness and excitement of his first night and weeks in China. All the sights, sounds and smells of Beijing are seen through the prism of David's eyes - the eyes of an inexperienced and somewhat hesitant traveler. The trash on the streets, the drab colours of the University dorm that David is forced to sleep in, the food, the endless smog, the crowds of people cycling to work, the market stalls, the militaristic boy soldiers, the warmth of the people, and the furtiveness of Chinese gay life are all bought vividly to life. As David becomes more comfortable with the city, he also searches out the closeted gay life, which he knows must exist in the city. At night he cruises the local park in the hope of making contact with men; he finds the Ta Ta Club, a local watering hole for gay men, and he goes to a bathhouse, where gays are reported to furtively meet. During his year in Beijing he meets many interesting people and makes many good friends. And he also finds time for love with Bo, a handsome young Chinese artist, who makes him understand the limitless possibilities for love again. Anyone, gay or straight who has picked up and left familiarity, particularly anyone who had lived in another culture for an extended length of time, will find a lot to admire in this novel. The East/West divide is ever present, particularly the East's cultural attitudes to homosexuality. Traditional "family values" are ever present in this society: Auntie Chen, David's work mate constantly asks why he is not married and many of the young gay men David meets confess to him that they are under pressure from their parents to find a girl and marry. But the book also presents the the boarder theme of the new China - a China that's rapidly opening its borders to the West, and stumbling towards open markets and capitalism with differing degrees of success. In one important scene David looks out over his apartment building and stares with a mixture of wonder and shame at "nothing but tall bland buildings, as far as the eye can see,