Father's Day

I was going to title my review "a great summer read" but actually this book, which I thoroughly enjoyed (and didn't want it to end ..which I guess is a real compliment to the author) is a novel for all seasons --it's funny, poignant, --all those words that one uses to describe a "good read." I really couldn't put it down ... I took a peek at some of the other reviews and they have said what I want to say far better than I can ..but what I enjoyed most about this book is the author''s "voice" --- by this I mean that this book seems so personal that I felt that I amost knew the author, and his life experiences, by the time I finished it . I highly recommend this book to all....

Matthew Vaber, the narrator of this very fine first novel by Philip Galanes, manages a posh New York art gallery by day; in his free time he runs up telephone bills calling a gay sex line called "The Pump Line," where, when he describes himself, he slices five years off his age, and visiting a gay bathhouse. He also spends a lot of time obsessing about the recent death by suicide of his father and his relationship with his mother, along with his lack of a lasting relationship with a good man. All these topics get worked on in his weekly visits--when he keeps them--to his psychiatrist, Dr. Goldstein. Was he responsible in any way for the death of his father? Why didn't he see his suicide coming? Is his mother a lesbian? Why must he expect any man he meets to be perfect?The time sequence goes from the present to Matthew's life as a youngster and times in between. There is a poignant account-- getting close to home-- of his being dragged to a baseball game-- when he is in the sixth or seventh grade-- by his parents and being called a "strikeout queen" by Jimmy Parker, a smelly kid who lived in a trailer park. Sometimes Matthew can be a real pain; then you remember that he is a little or a lot like too many people you hold near and dear, and in a moment of rare self-awareness, you figure out that he sounds an awfully lot like yours truly.This book is a quick, easy read-- certainly no requirement for a good literature-- it is very well written, has some profound thoughts as well as interesting turns of phrase. I hooted when I read that "a little a cappella flute goes a long way," having had a colleague years ago who insisted on serenading everyone who would listen with endless flute solos. If you stay in your room-- described by the author as little tombs-- at the baths rather than walk around, you are like a doggy in a window. When Sheila, Matthew's mother's friend as he says, "sees through" him, he feels both pride and gratefulness swirling together like "tasty ribbons of a Bundt cake batter," an apt image to be used by this sort of gay guy.Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. Here we have on the jacket cover a photograph of an expensive lemony yellow cable-knit sweater and the book is bright yellow. This yellow sweater plays prominently in one of Matthew's escapades as a young man.The information about the author says he has a law degree from Yale. Let's hope he makes a good living as a fine writer and doesn't have to practice law. We have too few good writers and too many lawyers of any kind.

"Father's Day" has such genuine soul and is so true in its dialogue and characters. Warm, funny and sometimes tragic - a bit like life.So often I read a book and I think "that's nice" or "how clever". But rarely do I read a novel that resonates with me as much as this one. The relationship between Matthew and his mother is deep and complicated and mixes love, fear and mistrust in ways that ring very true for me. And Galanes' perspective on gay dating perfectly captures its potent combination of fear and desire.PLUS, if you like Philip Roth and A.M. Homes, you won't want to miss "Father's Day". Highly Recommended!

It took me a moment to catch my breath after finishing this book. I can't remember when I last laughed so hard at the tragic and was so moved by the trivial. Galanes is really successful at destabalizing the reader. It makes this book a surprising and thrilling emotional journey. I'm a straight woman and felt all Matthew's powerlessness and desperation. An excellent read.

I never thought I'd be a book reviewer, but here goes: I'm not gay, I've never much thought about suicide or phone sex for that matter, and I don't think I'm neurotic, but I realy cared about all these things when I was reading this book. I felt like I was in a brand new world. My wife and I both read it, and we both cracked up a lot. It's pretty touching too. I felt really protective of the main character by the time I was through with the book, and I still think about him sometimes. I think that's partly why I'm writing the review. The guy before me bummed me out when he criticized the book for its cover, after admitting he hadn't even read it! So my review is you should read "father's day" even if you don't like the sweater on the cover. And, once you have read the book you get the brilliance of the cover...It's a really great book.