Bruiser (A Five Star Title) by Richard House
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Book Reviews of Bruiser (A Five Star Title)
Book Review: Disappointing
Summary: 3 Stars
I thought the idea of reading a novel is for entertainment and to be taken away from the present. This was like reading a reality show whereby the reader is watching day to day occurrances.. then - the ending is 'to be continued'. Perhaps I missed some deeper meaning in this story. Perhaps the author is writing this story on an existencial level that I don't get! Perhaps it is meant to be studied in an English class to find deeper meanings! However, I very much liked the tender and poignant relationship between the 2 characters. That part of the story was touching. I hoped it would last for both of them. They both seemed so fragile and vulnerable. But what was 'the story'?? We are following 2 lovers as they seek change, and new beginnings. The story is easy to read and flows nicely but if it wasn't for the occasional sex romp I wouldn't believe I was reading the book I ordered. I am glad it wasn't any longer.
Then it ends with a weather report.
Book Review: Complexities of gay relationships
Summary: 4 Stars
This is an excellent exploration of the complexities and subtle tensions of a relationship between Paul, a middle-aged somewhat disillusioned expatriate and Adrian, a young vulnerable hustler and waiter. The story is set against a bleak landscape of middle America with its anonymous and drab motels and diners. If you want a neat and happy ending you will not find it here. But the tone is fundamentally optimistic, showing that two very different and unsettled people can find real comfort in each other. I look forward to reading the author's second book, Uninvited.Book Review: Hoping for a good book, got a lot less than expected.
Summary: 2 Stars
I was expecting a novel that had something to tell. I was hoping Adrian and Paul would find a happy medium somewhere but they just seem to settle for what is in front of them.Book Review: It must be all relative
Summary: 1 Stars
After reading this book and then going back to the reviews posted here, I have to suspect that the reviewers are either relatives, good friends or publishing associates of the author. This book is one of the worst books I have read, and I am an avid reader! The story is simplistic, pointless and old. If you're interested in this type of story, I strongly suggest reading "The Night Listener" instead, if only to see what a master does with a similar storyline. I finished this book while on a New York subway, and the only reason I didn't deposit the book in the trash when I left the station was that I was afraid someone would pick it up and waste their time on it like I did. Sorry, Mr. House, but I really, really did not like your book!Book Review: Bruiser Is A Pleaser
Summary: 4 Stars
"Bruiser" is the sort of book I usually hate but it was so well done I liked it in spite of myself. It is a love story, but very low key, told in that sort of flatfooted tone that some critics call "K-Mart realism." It concerns a British importer living in Chicago who meets a young amateur boxer, who winds up living with him.The two men struggle through the necessary adaptations of living together such as conflicting schedules and HIV status. They plan (although "plan" is perhaps too firm a verb) a motor trip to South America but don't make it past Texas. The setting for the second half of the book is depressing but what redeems it is the obvious love the men feel for each other even though we never hear "I love you."
In other words, this book is so well told that we readers feel the two men's affection for each other and how it motivates their actions without string-pulling. As a Chicago resident, I can certainly say that the Chicago locales were well rendered. Overall "Bruiser" is a good job, and I look for further works from this author.