coops456's review
4.0
This has been sitting on my shelves for a long time, and I unfortunately can't recall what prompted me to buy it in the first place - it certainly wouldn't have been the cover, which is dire. But I am glad that I did, as it's a great read.
In some ways it's a male version of Sarah Waters' [b:Fingersmith|45162|Fingersmith|Sarah Waters|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327879025l/45162._SY75_.jpg|1014113], an evocative tale of a working-class child trying to survive on their talents. In this case, the protagonist Willie Smith also has to find his place in society when "rescued" from the East End by his uncle and taken into his soft and clean but repressive middle-class home.
spoilers below!
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This repression doesn't suit Willie and before long a violent eruption of his feelings sends him to a brutal reform school and from there to a varied life of prostitution and modelling before he finds redemption and an outlet for his love and affection.
In some ways it's a male version of Sarah Waters' [b:Fingersmith|45162|Fingersmith|Sarah Waters|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327879025l/45162._SY75_.jpg|1014113], an evocative tale of a working-class child trying to survive on their talents. In this case, the protagonist Willie Smith also has to find his place in society when "rescued" from the East End by his uncle and taken into his soft and clean but repressive middle-class home.
spoilers below!
>
>
>
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>
>
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>
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>
This repression doesn't suit Willie and before long a violent eruption of his feelings sends him to a brutal reform school and from there to a varied life of prostitution and modelling before he finds redemption and an outlet for his love and affection.
lolatarantula's review
3.0
3.5
There were a lot of things in this book that can be very hard to stomach but aren't addressed as such. The narrator/MC just treat them as matter of fact and I know few people have the luxury of doing the same. I'm one of the lucky few and was able to read the grimy bits without them leaving too much of unpleasant taste in my mouth. Read up on the warnings before you go in.
For me it was a good yarn. Very much a plot based story so I didn't find myself too attached to any of the characters. That's usually a deal breaker for me but it's historical detail and the storyline kept me engaged and the style was fun. There's no explicitly detailed sex scenes and it was all kept quite tasteful, this isn't your typical smut or even smut with a good plot thrown in. The sex that is described is really just there to move the story along. Anyway, it's a surprising gem for the era it's from and it's worth a read if you like the genre.
There were a lot of things in this book that can be very hard to stomach but aren't addressed as such. The narrator/MC just treat them as matter of fact and I know few people have the luxury of doing the same. I'm one of the lucky few and was able to read the grimy bits without them leaving too much of unpleasant taste in my mouth. Read up on the warnings before you go in.
For me it was a good yarn. Very much a plot based story so I didn't find myself too attached to any of the characters. That's usually a deal breaker for me but it's historical detail and the storyline kept me engaged and the style was fun. There's no explicitly detailed sex scenes and it was all kept quite tasteful, this isn't your typical smut or even smut with a good plot thrown in. The sex that is described is really just there to move the story along. Anyway, it's a surprising gem for the era it's from and it's worth a read if you like the genre.
quinlpa's review
4.0
absolute hidden gem. the pacing is a little wonky, which left the ending feeling a bit abrupt, but otherwise i found this novel very emotionally engaging and entertaining. the level of detail is superb and i couldn't get enough of the narrative voice. yeah man this book is delightful, will absolutely read it again, and i'm so glad i managed to get my hands on a copy
nightpeaches's review
5.0
Other than it being an inspiration for Sarah Waters and also very hard to get a copy of, I admittedly didn't know much about this book going into it so I was surprised by just how much I liked it. I found the first part of the book hard to read considering the sexual content and the age of the main character, and this might not be a book for everyone, but I'm very glad I stuck with it.
The book is written in a style that feels appropriate for the historical period its set in but without being overly stuffy. I found the prose engaging and the pacing to be just right for quickly moving along the events of Willie's life but also giving time for introspection when needed.
So much gay historical literature centers around tragedy and death, and while there are plenty of darker themes and struggles in this book it also has bright moments of love and companionship that keep the book from feeling too gritty or depressing, such as Willie's friendship with Caroline. I really liked the tone of it – some parts may feel a bit romanticized or idealized, but that was something that made me like the book more rather than less.
There was one event () that I found hard to get to terms with, and I'm still not sure whether to attribute the handling of this to the author or the character. It's a very complex thing that I'm not sure I can find an answer to – not helped by the fact that I otherwise liked Willie a lot and found him to be a quite sympathetic character. I feel that this topic and event deserves an exploration that is too in-depth for this review, so I won't delve deeper into it but I also felt a need to not let it go unmentioned.
Overall, this book worked for me on many different levels. I will always have a soft spot for gay literature that lets its characters have happiness and hope for a good future, and despite all the struggles and twists and turns of Willie's life this book left me with a very good feeling.
The book is written in a style that feels appropriate for the historical period its set in but without being overly stuffy. I found the prose engaging and the pacing to be just right for quickly moving along the events of Willie's life but also giving time for introspection when needed.
So much gay historical literature centers around tragedy and death, and while there are plenty of darker themes and struggles in this book it also has bright moments of love and companionship that keep the book from feeling too gritty or depressing, such as Willie's friendship with Caroline. I really liked the tone of it – some parts may feel a bit romanticized or idealized, but that was something that made me like the book more rather than less.
There was one event (
Spoiler
the sexual assaultOverall, this book worked for me on many different levels. I will always have a soft spot for gay literature that lets its characters have happiness and hope for a good future, and despite all the struggles and twists and turns of Willie's life this book left me with a very good feeling.
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