Helpful Score: 3
I had just made the biggest decision to change my life one person can undertake. On the thousand mile car trip to my new home, I listened to an interview on NPR with Paul Monette about winning the National Book Award for this autobiography. Before I even went to unload my car, I stopped at a bookstore and bought this book. It is emotionally and powerfully honest. It is raw with the pain of the closet that imprisons gays. It shares his anger, his joy and his courageous pursuit of truth. Ultimately, this book is a brilliant work, exposing the truth of the man who wrote it. I also recommend Borrowed Time, another brilliant memoir written by Paul Monette and one of the best books I have ever read.
Helpful Score: 2
"Maybe one of the great American autobiographies....A book in which virtually every gay man will see himself; with which virtually every lesbian and bisexual will empathize; which will powerfully move the parents, siblings, and friends of gays....as witty as it is anguished and as full of understanding as of anger, this is Monette's best book." - Booklist
Paul Monette didn't need perfect grammar or perfect sentences to craft a remarkable and moving narrative.
Paul Monette didn't need perfect grammar or perfect sentences to craft a remarkable and moving narrative.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a story of a homosexual man. It helps one understand their misery in not being accepted from childhood for who they are.
Poorly written with too many fragmented sentences and more metaphors than one book should ever contain.
