Finistère

It is tempting to write too long of a review here -- I wont -- simply because you deserve to get this book and read it on your own and not be given too many expectations. I will address, however, some complaints from other reviewers that seem to have forgotten the time in which the book was originally written and who seem to feel those issues are far behind us. I know young men still go through the emotional debate that Matthew has with himself throughout the story. I know young men, who have relationships with older men, have to face the same sort of scrutiny and speculation that Matthew and Michel faced in the book as well. The good fortune is that today we are, as a society, more capable of being accepting of gay love and of relationships between men in general. These things needn't be closeted or hidden -- they needn't be judged and looked down upon -- we needn't live in fear or fear to live. I loved this book and I think anyone reading it with an open mind will love it also -- I hope you'll be the next!

Peters, Fritz. "Finistere", Arsenal Pulp Press, 2006. (originally issued in 1951). A Classic Amos Lassen and Literary Pride One of the earliest explicit gay novels (1951) has been re-released by Arsenal Pulp Press. "Finistere" beautifully captures the gay scene and wrote what Gore Vidal says is a rare look at "the corruption and murder of innocence". This coming-of-age novel has been acclaimed by many and if you are at all interested in early gay erotica, this is a must-read. It is beautifully crafted and Peters' characterization of the naïve, isolated Matthew and the bitter, cynical Michel are wonderful. We see those feelings that arise when self-awareness kicks in. The novel takes place in the 1920's and Matthew is 12. He is taken by his mother to live in Pars after her marriage died. While at boarding school, Matthew realizes his sexuality wit an older boy and then with a teacher, Michel. They, together, face the issues of a hostile society and their own internal struggles. Fritz Peters captures life and relays it to us. He sheds light on what life is all about. Somewhat melodramatic, some of the early gay stereotypes are here and some of the early sad aspects of gay life which we found in literature--suicide, non-acceptance and ridicule. We also get an in-depth look at Paris after WW II during one section but above all is the portrayal of the two gay characters. Their tender love affair and the strong characterizations made this book unique. When first published the book sold over 350,000 copies. I remember reading it when I wrapped it in a paper bag so no one would know. This new edition contains an appendix of historical materials about both the book and the author and an introduction by gay literary critic and writer, Michael Bronski. "Finistere" is important because we learn about what was. There is a lot written about coming-out today but we do not have much from the past. This makes it even more important because by reading this book and comparing it to what we have now, we can see how far we have come and how much society has changed its view toward us. What "Finistere" really does is show us the internal struggle that a young gay man has to face while trying to find a place for him. It was bold for its time and is still quite bold today. This is not a typical coming of-age story. Remembering when it was written, it is important to note that the life of a gay man at that time was in danger and gay men were equated with secret and underground sexual activity. The end result of gay life was thought to be loneliness. However, "Finistere" is sympathetic in its characterization of the two lovers and this also helps give the novel significance. One can just imagine how shocking the novel was when first published. The two males were 15 and late 20's and that is still shocking. But, with all that said, this is a wonderful read and important to us all.

At the opening of this novel, set in the 1920s, after the breakdown of his parents' marriage, 12 year old Matthew is taken to live in Paris by his mother. His inexplicable adoration of an older, male family friend becomes clearer to Matthew when he is sent to a French boarding school and experiences his sexual awakening with another boy - who at 13 is a year older, and is everything Matthew is not. Such hero-worship is later replaced when, at 15, Matthew falls in love with one of his teachers, Michel, who is in his late-20s. Inevitably the pair then face their own internal struggles as well as the external ones against a hostile society. Fritz Peters' characterisation beautifully captures the naïve, isolated Matthew, and the somewhat bitter, cynical Michel, along with exquisite three-dimensional portraits of the members of Matthew's family. And in Finistère, the father of most contemporary coming-of-age novels, the author expounds those timeless sensations of burgeoning gay self-awareness: Matthew's love for Michel "had made him come to life"..."The sense of guilt that had formed questions inside him, pointing an angry finger at him, vanished". Lest this simple exposition suggest that Finistère is a 'typical' gay coming-of-age novel, it should be stressed that it was originally published as a mainstream novel in 1951 - clearly a bold move by the author in that era. This is reflected in the content of the novel, which, unsurprisingly, portrays the life of a gay man as a dangerous one, and since two men could not constitute a 'family', the only thing left was for homosexuality to be equated with furtive, underground sex and ultimately, loneliness. What is surprising for a novel of its time is the sympathetic portrayal of the two lovers, Matthew and Michel. Undoubtedly this imbues the novel with a particular historical significance, and it is fortunate that it has been revived by a collaboration between Arsenal Pulp Press and the Little Sister's bookstore. Much more can (and no doubt will) be said by readers about the importance of this novel in its historical context and how it sheds light on the lives of gay people in our past. Indeed, the eminent Michael Bronski ('Pulp Friction' etc) introduces this new edition with fascinating insight into this aspect of the work. However, it may reasonably be asked why it is important to revive novels such as this, when contemporary gay coming-of-age literature abounds on our bookshelves. Leaving aside the fact that Finistère is a beautifully written and poignant novel in its own right, clearly historical literature is important as a yardstick by which we can assess how society has evolved over the years, and it is for this reason, even if no other, that Finistère - and other works of its era - need to be kept alive. While one can point to many changes in the treatment of gay men since the 1950s, Finistère - as with other coming-of-age novels, is ultimately about the internal struggle that a young gay perso

A Timeless Masterpiece, this book should be mandatory reading for all High School Graduates. The ability with which the author Fritz Peters has captured life, and conveyed it with his pen, is stunning. Beyond being excellent reading for all, this book sheds light on what it is like for many people you know, but don't really know, to live here upon this earth amongst YOU! A million words could not explain it better than Fritz Peters's FINISTERE does. For Humanities sake and your own - read the book!

Melodramatic to a fault, this book allows some of the typical early stereotypes to stand, especially that of the lead gay character dying (suicide) in the end. However, its historical value as one of the first explicitly 'gay' novels (despite the author, Arthur Anderson Peters, using a pseudonymn) is undiminished. It also offers a small slice of Paris's postwar gay nightlife during one sequence, and features an extremely sympathetic portrayal of its two gay characters, one a twenty-something French schoolteacher, the other a teenaged English student he saves from drowning.Their tenderly drawn love affair and the strong character portrayals all-around make the book what it is. This deserves a wide audience, and even manages mostly to avoid its potential status as a period-piece.