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A review by randalm
Alternatives to Sex by Stephen McCauley
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Despite being set a year after 9/11 happened, this book felt rather dated, more so than other gay literature I've read from earlier periods.
It had some mildly clever banter and observations. But its core was made up entirely of the characters' flaws. That made it hard to like anyone. It was slightly cynical about *everything*--yet not fully defeatist or nihilistic.
But it left me wondering why I should care about any of the people in it.
All that said, I did enjoy its flow and some of the settings and Chara came across vividly.
It had some mildly clever banter and observations. But its core was made up entirely of the characters' flaws. That made it hard to like anyone. It was slightly cynical about *everything*--yet not fully defeatist or nihilistic.
But it left me wondering why I should care about any of the people in it.
All that said, I did enjoy its flow and some of the settings and Chara came across vividly.