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mmbancone's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
clari's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
5.0
taborw's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The book has a very meandering plot, but does an excellent job at depicting queer life in mid-century America. The settings and social dynamics of the complex lives of the lgbt community in this time are beautiful described. Despite the near lack of cohesive plot the book still offers many interesting stories.
kingabee's review against another edition
3.0
I stumbled upon this gay cult classic accidentally and went into it without knowing its status or significance. Though, the latter became apparent as I read.
Published in 1963, it’s a picture of the underground gay culture pre-Stonewall, filled with excellent sociological observation and a cast of colourful characters (even if some of them become a little on the nose – I’m looking at you, Nazi masochist with daddy issues).
The character’s journey of wanting love but fearing it and running away from it wasn’t maybe as ground-breaking but his circumstances must’ve been a novelty for a 1960s reader (obviously those readers who didn’t live those circumstances themselves). The public loved the book, but many reviewers were condescending and treated the author as some idiot-savant, denying the book a true literary value that comes from careful consideration, or even straight-out denying the existence of John Rechy.
The narrator of the book never admits to himself he is gay, and in self-delusion insists he only turns tricks for money, and like many others in his position, fully believes one day he will abandon this life and start a wholesome heterosexual existence – the only place where real love is possible. Meanwhile he performs the fantasy of masculinity for his clients. Of course, he keeps returning to this demimonde in every city he goes to – New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans, but never allowing himself true intimacy with another human being. He reacts with anger and contempt for anyone who attempts to get close to him.
The reader gets a glimmer of hope that the narrator can free himself from his all-consuming self-loathing and get a happy ending of sorts if only the post-orgasm shame could be overcome. At least we can comfort ourselves with the knowledge that the author of this semi-autobiographical novel found love and happiness in the end.
Read this book if you’re tired of the polished, Mad Men-like vision of the 50s in America.
Published in 1963, it’s a picture of the underground gay culture pre-Stonewall, filled with excellent sociological observation and a cast of colourful characters (even if some of them become a little on the nose – I’m looking at you, Nazi masochist with daddy issues).
The character’s journey of wanting love but fearing it and running away from it wasn’t maybe as ground-breaking but his circumstances must’ve been a novelty for a 1960s reader (obviously those readers who didn’t live those circumstances themselves). The public loved the book, but many reviewers were condescending and treated the author as some idiot-savant, denying the book a true literary value that comes from careful consideration, or even straight-out denying the existence of John Rechy.
The narrator of the book never admits to himself he is gay, and in self-delusion insists he only turns tricks for money, and like many others in his position, fully believes one day he will abandon this life and start a wholesome heterosexual existence – the only place where real love is possible. Meanwhile he performs the fantasy of masculinity for his clients. Of course, he keeps returning to this demimonde in every city he goes to – New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans, but never allowing himself true intimacy with another human being. He reacts with anger and contempt for anyone who attempts to get close to him.
The reader gets a glimmer of hope that the narrator can free himself from his all-consuming self-loathing and get a happy ending of sorts if only the post-orgasm shame could be overcome. At least we can comfort ourselves with the knowledge that the author of this semi-autobiographical novel found love and happiness in the end.
Read this book if you’re tired of the polished, Mad Men-like vision of the 50s in America.
pennythewanderer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
sam_alex04's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
he_slaughtered's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
dunnadam's review against another edition
5.0
A fantastic book that I read slowly as I wanted to sip it like fine wine.
This book keeps showing up on gay people’s top books of the year every year as new people discover it and there’s a reason. I believe this classic will continue to impress for generations to come.
On the surface a book about a hustler turning tricks, the story to me helped pave the way for Stonewall with some of the first and best vivid pictures of gay life from the early 1960’s presenting drag queens and Johns with a sense of humanity rarely seen. Another thing I loved it the author successfully creates a new language with youngman and sexmoney and a lack of punctuation making the book a style all his own.
One thing less good is the retail kindle edition I purchased from Amazon was not proofread and contained over 250 errors from the conversion from paper. This is really unacceptable and the book deserves better.
The story starts off with the hustling and returns back there often as a base, with many insights as applicable now as they were 50 years ago when the book was published, as in this account of a hustler describing his John and the image being sold:
“If he asks too many questions, he exposes himself to the possibility that he will get an entirely different answer from the one he wants to hear and it will shatter his sexdream.”
I loved Miss Destiny:
“Now Miss Destiny is a youngman possibly 20 but quite as possibly 18 and very probably 25”
And with the despair and suicide in pre-Stonewall literature, to be able to read the following was fabulous, even if the character’s story didn’t end all that well:
“But one day, in the most lavish drag youve evuh seen—heels! and gown! and beads! and spangled earrings!—Im going to storm heaven and protest! Here I am!!!!! I’ll yell—and I’ll shake my beads at Him.... And God will cringe!”
A lot of this book was me being surprised I related so well to tales of the gay scene 50 years ago. Tale as old as time, I suppose:
“And then I started driving to the beaches, I guess to make sure there was a whole world ready to welcome me when I finally decided to join it—if I ever decided to. I always came there with the intention of meeting someone. But then I would see a screaming fairy—and suddenly I’d be ashamed. It’s very strange—but I couldnt bear to look into his eyes, afraid, I guess, that he’d look back at me with recognition. And I didnt want a fairy, I knew that I didnt even want them to look at me in that strange, piercing way. So I would drive away—but then I’d come back....”
It was also great seeing some of the dated references and again appreciating the freedom I was able to have. Tales of the vice squad forcing men to cut their hair or:
“In a small clearing surrounded by the tables and benches, a line of six young males danced the Madison: without touching—making it legal.”
And Chi-Chi’s last stand for dignity, similar to Miss Destiny’s in the first half was quite moving.
The early and late parts of the book talk more of the author’s life. The author describes the collision of two worlds when with a John:
““Who gave you that ring?” he asked abruptly. I hesitated to answer. Finally I said: “My father—a long time ago.” Even to mention my father—to recall the memories of that ring—in the presence of this man suddenly seemed blasphemous.”
In this life a lot of what you’re selling is image and the last chapters examine who is selling to whom. The book gets a little bogged down in the last lap, which was disappointing, with the author going on a long head-trip and only occasionally do moments of clarity and understanding of purpose hit the reader.
I got the impression here at the end he was struggling with his purpose and looking toward the future, which I understand and that’s what you do in your twenties. But it’s not until you’re in your thirties, an age the author hadn’t yet attained when the book was published, that you get the answer. So I felt the author was at the last struggling toward a point that he hadn’t yet reached. The realisation that everything will be okay, the point of self-acceptance.
This book keeps showing up on gay people’s top books of the year every year as new people discover it and there’s a reason. I believe this classic will continue to impress for generations to come.
On the surface a book about a hustler turning tricks, the story to me helped pave the way for Stonewall with some of the first and best vivid pictures of gay life from the early 1960’s presenting drag queens and Johns with a sense of humanity rarely seen. Another thing I loved it the author successfully creates a new language with youngman and sexmoney and a lack of punctuation making the book a style all his own.
One thing less good is the retail kindle edition I purchased from Amazon was not proofread and contained over 250 errors from the conversion from paper. This is really unacceptable and the book deserves better.
The story starts off with the hustling and returns back there often as a base, with many insights as applicable now as they were 50 years ago when the book was published, as in this account of a hustler describing his John and the image being sold:
“If he asks too many questions, he exposes himself to the possibility that he will get an entirely different answer from the one he wants to hear and it will shatter his sexdream.”
I loved Miss Destiny:
“Now Miss Destiny is a youngman possibly 20 but quite as possibly 18 and very probably 25”
And with the despair and suicide in pre-Stonewall literature, to be able to read the following was fabulous, even if the character’s story didn’t end all that well:
“But one day, in the most lavish drag youve evuh seen—heels! and gown! and beads! and spangled earrings!—Im going to storm heaven and protest! Here I am!!!!! I’ll yell—and I’ll shake my beads at Him.... And God will cringe!”
A lot of this book was me being surprised I related so well to tales of the gay scene 50 years ago. Tale as old as time, I suppose:
“And then I started driving to the beaches, I guess to make sure there was a whole world ready to welcome me when I finally decided to join it—if I ever decided to. I always came there with the intention of meeting someone. But then I would see a screaming fairy—and suddenly I’d be ashamed. It’s very strange—but I couldnt bear to look into his eyes, afraid, I guess, that he’d look back at me with recognition. And I didnt want a fairy, I knew that I didnt even want them to look at me in that strange, piercing way. So I would drive away—but then I’d come back....”
It was also great seeing some of the dated references and again appreciating the freedom I was able to have. Tales of the vice squad forcing men to cut their hair or:
“In a small clearing surrounded by the tables and benches, a line of six young males danced the Madison: without touching—making it legal.”
And Chi-Chi’s last stand for dignity, similar to Miss Destiny’s in the first half was quite moving.
The early and late parts of the book talk more of the author’s life. The author describes the collision of two worlds when with a John:
““Who gave you that ring?” he asked abruptly. I hesitated to answer. Finally I said: “My father—a long time ago.” Even to mention my father—to recall the memories of that ring—in the presence of this man suddenly seemed blasphemous.”
In this life a lot of what you’re selling is image and the last chapters examine who is selling to whom. The book gets a little bogged down in the last lap, which was disappointing, with the author going on a long head-trip and only occasionally do moments of clarity and understanding of purpose hit the reader.
I got the impression here at the end he was struggling with his purpose and looking toward the future, which I understand and that’s what you do in your twenties. But it’s not until you’re in your thirties, an age the author hadn’t yet attained when the book was published, that you get the answer. So I felt the author was at the last struggling toward a point that he hadn’t yet reached. The realisation that everything will be okay, the point of self-acceptance.
dbarksdale's review against another edition
3.0
Profound at several points, but noticeably overwritten
aja_'s review against another edition
5.0
It's responsible for the entire counter culture movement in America. City of Night is dazzling; never have I read 400 pages so quickly.