Quote:
Originally Posted by astrangerhere
While I agree with many of you that the book was not all it could have been, consider a different perspective.
The novel was written 20 years ago. Twenty years ago, I was certain that it would not ever be legal for me to marry my wife in my lifetime. There were still many parts of the state in which I live that it was physically unsafe to be out publically in. (Though there are still some of those). I wonder if the self-indulgence in this book came more from wanting to write a gay story and needing a larger plot to nest it in.
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Yes, good point
astrangerhere - things were different 20 years ago and there have certainly been improvements in many areas of our lives, not least in the areas of acceptance and inclusion of many previously marginalised individuals and groups.
My problems with the book were nothing to do with Michael's sexuality, but with his somewhat unbelievable inability to grasp the basics of history, both in terms of what would have happened in Germany after the Great War if Hitler had not existed, and his apparent belief that understanding history is rattling off a series of dates and facts. On top of that, I found him a very irritating protagonist.
Finally, I found Fry's "Look at me, aren't I being clever!" way of writing the book very off-putting. It was a disappointment to me because Fry is a person whose work I have enjoyed over many years, and I had looked forward to reading this book because of that.