Gutterboys

I really enjoyed this book and you will too- some of the scenes have really stayed with me, such as bumping into Marc Almond in the bathroom and the revenge on a cute, but flakey bartender. It was a delightful romp!

Buy this right now! I was so excited when I discovered Alvin had a new novel out since I sooo love "I Married an Earthling"! (go and buy that one too right now!) Admittedly I was a tad worried Gutter Boys may not live up to the giddy camp heights of IMAE. Luckily I had nothing to worry about. Jeremy, the upbeat young gay protagonist with a fun camp sensibility who is haunted by both his grandmothers felt like a close friend immediately. His doomed obsession for best friend Colin was a spot-on portrayal of first love/infatuation. It's not all fun and games though, this book has a bit more of a realistic tone. Much of the action takes place in debauched backrooms of NYC's seedy gay clubs in the early 80's, complete with plenty of anonymous sex, and the dark specter of AIDS looms in the distance. One of the things I really love (as a punk and new wave fan and New Yorker) is the portrayal of the New Wave scene in early 80's New York! Fantastic! I'm too young to actually have experienced that scene, so it's great to read a novel in that setting. Overall a great read! I can't wait for his next book!

"Gutterboys" is a journey through the early 1980's in the San Francisco and New York City gay/new wave scenes, with the pre-AIDS world of backroom bars, adult bookstores and baths. Jeremy is a shy 19 year old gay teen who meets, idolizes and immediately falls into an unrequitted love for the older, more worldly and eclectic but somewhat emotionally disturbed Colin. Somewhat distanced from his parents, Jeremy receives constant advice from the spirits of his two dead grandmas, one a formal British lady and the other a sarcastic Jewish socialist, but relies on his own gut feelings when he relocates to NYC to be with Colin. Though not interested in Jeremy as a lover, Colin makes him a protege' of sorts, teaching him how to cruise in bars, how to dress to be noticed there, what to read, and how to pick up extra money by hustling. Jeremy has fun, but becomes increasingly disappointed with Colin's resistance to him, although they spend almost every waking hour together. I found it rather amusing that the author included a prologue meant to remind older readers (or inform younger readers) about how different life was in 1980, where the novel is set. The epidemic of AIDS and the war on drugs was yet to happen, Times Square was more debauchery than Disney-fied, Reagan was president, no cell phones, no internet, small cars (rather than SUVs) were popular, "Pac Man" was "in", and music was making the transition from disco to new wave. Probably a good idea, since the novel's impact depends on that period. Not a great work of literature, but I found it engaging and somewhat entertaining. Good interplay between Colin and Jeremy, showing their very different backgrounds and personalities that only illustrated what they also had in common.