Sparkle: The Queerest Book You'll Ever Love

Rosen, Rob. "Sparkle: The Queerest Book You'll Ever Love", 1st Books Library, 2001. Looking and Laughing at Gay Culture Amos Lassen Rob Rosen looks at gay culture from all of its angles and he does so through those gay men who thrive on excess. Secret (William) and Sparkle (Bruce), the two main characters, seem to be synonymous with getting into strange situations and it is in these situations that we get a close look at what gay life is all about. When someone shoots Sparkle he goes into a coma, Secret sits by his side in the hospital and recounts the craziness of their lives. These two twenty somethings represent what went on in the twentieth century in bars and gay ghetto of San Francisco. It was wild then and seeing it through Sparkle and Sugar makes it seem so much crazier. As the two take a journey backwards through ten years of their lives, we watch they try to understand how they lived -they have no real redeeming qualities and they managed to get into all kinds of mischief. They went from one insane adventure to another and this is probably because neither of them had any real depth. Reading these adventures makes the reader feel like he is right there while they are going on. These two did it all and there were many people that wanted to see Sparkle dead. This is a really queer book and it is great if you want your straight friends to have a look at gay life or your gay friends to have a look at themselves. Rosen entertains us with his writing and he pulls us in. That is more than many authors can do.

This book has all the potential for becoming the next gay cult classic! Because if you read it, you're sure to love it and tell at least a half dozen friends to get their hands on it, too. And that's how cult classics are born - by word of mouth. Any way, the book doesn't have a very complicated plot. An unknown assailant has shot Sparkle and as Secret sits by his comatose side in the hospital he recounts their gay adventures and exploits in San Francisco. (Oh, I forgot to introduce Sparkle and Secret. They're Bruce and William, two 20-something boys living and loving in the last decade of the twentieth century. And they just happen to be the most entertaining fictional fun couple since Mame Dennis first met her nephew Patrick.) One of the main reasons I enjoyed the book was because I could look at it from the perspective of someone from the previous generation. I visited San Francisco quite often during the seventies - usually on business but a number of times just for the fun of it. Those were the days when a gay icon like Peter Berlin still strutted down the streets in striking contrast to the multitude of Village People clones. When late night pleasure dens like the Slot, Trough and Bulldog were over populated. And when I repeatedly debated the pros and cons of getting my own tattoo and piercing. (OK, so I never did.) The last time I visited SF was on Halloween in 1980, which provided a truly memorable last impression. My San Francisco was wild, wacky, and total fun. And you know what, Sparkle's and Secret's hasn't changed that much. Gee, they would probably consider me to be their gay uncle. (Or heavens forbid auntie!)Rob Rosen is a fun writer, and he has created a pair of totally unforgetable characters (not to forget the great backup cast) and set them down in some really believable though totally outrageous situations. This book should be on the must read list of every gay and open-minded straight (don't worry, you won't turn gay by just reading it) reader who's looking for something fun to read. Besides, it's more fun than watching Will and Jack or QAF. This book really earned my [5 star] rating.

the title says it all !!SPARKLE IS the queerest book you'll ever READand you WILL LOVE it !!you'll soon find yourself immersed in the lives of the main characters, never knowing what to expect from chapter to chapter !! one surprise after another awaits you(with several twists along the way)the emotions you experience while reading run the gamut :everything from joy to sadness to angerEVERY reader will be able to connect to the characters in some way or anotherthe author has a unique style of writing which sheds an interesting perspective in the tales he recountsand the setting is purely San Francisco !!highly recommend the bookbuy it .. read it .. enjoy it .. love it !!

I happen to know the author, and was able to read this book ahead of it's release. And let me tell you, aside from knowing the author. This Book ROCKS!! Characters are great and well evolved. Plot has many twist and turns the keeps the readers attention to the very end. So go forth and get this book! And if you are straight watch out!! Just like the book says reading it will make you gay!

OK, this was probably one of the funniest gay novels I've ever read. And the two main characters, Sparkle and Secret, are to uproarious to be believed! Sparkle's been shot (he's in a coma), but who did it?!?! Follow them through a flashback of 10 years of friendship as Secret recounts all the people who Sparkle has done wrong over the years trying to figure out who did it. These two characters don't have many socially redeeming qualities (and that's the fun part!), but as they say to their adopted son...Do As I Say Not As I Do! The mischief they get into most likely could never happen to any real people (but then again, who knows?), but this is a work of fiction! Get this book and laugh your[...] off! Guaranteed!!