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slintangel's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
i know the narrator was an unbearable asshole but i chose to take that as a satirical sort of thing whether or not that was the intention
faintgirl's review against another edition
2.0
Written as a part memoir of growing up homosexual in the USA of the 1950s, when such things weren't really accepted, this novel reads as a more sympathetic, but no less literate Hollinghurst. In the post HIV era, a lot of the description of the rather lonely, yet promiscuous life of the author reads more as an elegy for a closeted lifestyle that may be best forgotten in a more open society.
While a novel depicting such unfairness in a relatively modern era always causes some stirring of emotion, I thought the book fell apart a little when the author engaged in his first "real" relationships. I found myself yearning for any character to be a little less outrageous, someone who wasn't quite so disturbed by their lifestyle, perhaps content in their skin. Perhaps it stems from the times and from the persecution, but it's something I find difficult to comprehend now. By the time we reach Stonewall, which is thrown in with a couple of pages at the very end, I was struggling to find any sympathy for anyone.
While a novel depicting such unfairness in a relatively modern era always causes some stirring of emotion, I thought the book fell apart a little when the author engaged in his first "real" relationships. I found myself yearning for any character to be a little less outrageous, someone who wasn't quite so disturbed by their lifestyle, perhaps content in their skin. Perhaps it stems from the times and from the persecution, but it's something I find difficult to comprehend now. By the time we reach Stonewall, which is thrown in with a couple of pages at the very end, I was struggling to find any sympathy for anyone.
lindzh2000's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
anpu325's review against another edition
3.0
cw: racism, pedophilia
This book really gave me similar feelings to the first book in the trilogy. His prose is so beautiful and reading about someone's queer experiences in a place that I had inhabited, my college this time, was moving. However, it was really hard to sympathize with the protagonist since he was kind of a jerk. Also, the same issue as in the first book with using racist tropes and a seeming acceptance of pedophilia. The queer love and the uplifting ending were moving, but were ultimately not enough in my mind to redeem a book that turned my stomach at times.
This book really gave me similar feelings to the first book in the trilogy. His prose is so beautiful and reading about someone's queer experiences in a place that I had inhabited, my college this time, was moving. However, it was really hard to sympathize with the protagonist since he was kind of a jerk. Also, the same issue as in the first book with using racist tropes and a seeming acceptance of pedophilia. The queer love and the uplifting ending were moving, but were ultimately not enough in my mind to redeem a book that turned my stomach at times.
perrieraddict's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.0
tmiles's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
tani's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this so much more than I did. The writing was still beautiful, and it was a lot more coherent than the first book, but I just wasn't thrilled. I think a lot of the problem is that I didn't like him, didn't really empathize with him, and then just got bored with him. I'm sad that I didn't get more out of it.
adambwriter's review against another edition
4.0
The Beautiful Room is Empty (1988) by Edmund White: http://classiclit.about.com/od/gaystudies/fl/The-Beautiful-Room-is-Empty-1988-by-Edmund-White.htm
beyondthevalley's review against another edition
4.0
“I caught myself foolishly imagining that gays might someday constitute a community rather than a diagnosis.”
sneesah's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5