Reviews

Thankfully, this is a quick book to read. I did not think it was "an epic" or poignant. It describes a series of encounters between queer men, but most of them are episodes of underage prostitution between a disprivileged boy and men who would soundly reject him in public. The cinema themes were not very interesting to me, but I did like the tragically ironic depictions of how this community handled the plague.

Content Warnings

loveandpop's review against another edition

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fast-paced

5.0

raquel1402's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

jess_may's review against another edition

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3.75

The opening scene was certainly bold.
A lot happened but it seemed a bit too short to fully appreciate any of it or get overly attached to characters. But strangely I quite enjoyed the ‘not really dwelling on anything for too long’ aspect. It felt like quick glances into their lives.
Strange book but good? It was somehow mainly vibes but then also plot? Idk

rita_scitter's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

blairmahoney's review against another edition

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4.0

Really enjoyed this tale of illicit gay sex amongst the death and despair of the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic, as experienced in Reykjavik. Feels much bigger than its generously spaced 140-odd pages.

barbarab's review against another edition

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3.0

A strange book, but not bad. About Iceland 1918 and the view of homosexuality.

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