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The Boy I Love #1
The Boy I Love
A tangled web of love and betrayal develops when war hero Paul returns from the trenches. He finds himself torn between desire and duty, his lover Adam awaits but so too does Margot, the pregnant fiancée of his dead brother. Set in a time when homosexuality was still illegal, Paul has to decide where his loyalty and his heart lie.
276 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
May 22, 2010
I devoured this book. It was like comfort food. English to the core and had (for me) the same effect as scoffing steak and kidney pudding. I wallowed.
It’s based just after the First World War and Paul has returned home after 18 months in a mental hospital due to a severe case of shellshock. His brother, whom he and everyone else adored, has been killed – ironically after the armistice -in a car crash. Paul’s “queer”, and is discreetly continuing a relationship with Adam that he had started before the war. When his brother’s girlfriend tells him she’s pregnant by Robbie, Paul has some choices to make. It’s further complicated by Pat, a man damaged by his past, who was Paul’s sergeant and who has, or so he thinks, an unrequited crush on Paul.
What I loved about this was the frank and bleak look at men returning from the trenches. None of them are whole, Paul’s eye was “dug out by a rusty spoon” and he still wakes up screaming with shellshock, Mick (Pat’s brother) has lost his legs, Adam was “unfit for service”, and most families in the town have lost someone, but still – it’s a very English novel, with the world moving on, people drinking tea and getting quietly on with their lives. The country is changing, women are working, women are smoking, women are going out when pregnant! (Another nice touch about this book is that there are women characters who resonate and aren’t just there for decoration or to be The Bitch.)
The author is deft and skilful in the way the story unfolds – which is told partly in flashback. There’s a mystery at the heart of the book too; we are told that something happened to Paul in the trenches (other than the normal!); something involving a man called Jenkins and it takes the book to unravel what happens whilst still coping with about six different plotlines. Impressive.
If I have one tiny quibble, I’d say that it didn’t, to my mind, get deep enough into the character’s points of view, I think Pat was the character who’s head we were deepest into, and with such dark subjects – and with such choices to be made I would have like to have known more of what people were thinking. Perhaps it should have been longer to try and encompass this, perhaps it was a tiny bit ambitious for a first novel. That being said, even without a deeper POV, the characters are very memorable and I was rooting for all of them even though I knew that it couldn’t ALL work out in a pat fashion.
It’s based just after the First World War and Paul has returned home after 18 months in a mental hospital due to a severe case of shellshock. His brother, whom he and everyone else adored, has been killed – ironically after the armistice -in a car crash. Paul’s “queer”, and is discreetly continuing a relationship with Adam that he had started before the war. When his brother’s girlfriend tells him she’s pregnant by Robbie, Paul has some choices to make. It’s further complicated by Pat, a man damaged by his past, who was Paul’s sergeant and who has, or so he thinks, an unrequited crush on Paul.
What I loved about this was the frank and bleak look at men returning from the trenches. None of them are whole, Paul’s eye was “dug out by a rusty spoon” and he still wakes up screaming with shellshock, Mick (Pat’s brother) has lost his legs, Adam was “unfit for service”, and most families in the town have lost someone, but still – it’s a very English novel, with the world moving on, people drinking tea and getting quietly on with their lives. The country is changing, women are working, women are smoking, women are going out when pregnant! (Another nice touch about this book is that there are women characters who resonate and aren’t just there for decoration or to be The Bitch.)
The author is deft and skilful in the way the story unfolds – which is told partly in flashback. There’s a mystery at the heart of the book too; we are told that something happened to Paul in the trenches (other than the normal!); something involving a man called Jenkins and it takes the book to unravel what happens whilst still coping with about six different plotlines. Impressive.
If I have one tiny quibble, I’d say that it didn’t, to my mind, get deep enough into the character’s points of view, I think Pat was the character who’s head we were deepest into, and with such dark subjects – and with such choices to be made I would have like to have known more of what people were thinking. Perhaps it should have been longer to try and encompass this, perhaps it was a tiny bit ambitious for a first novel. That being said, even without a deeper POV, the characters are very memorable and I was rooting for all of them even though I knew that it couldn’t ALL work out in a pat fashion.
June 8, 2010
3.5 stars
The Boy I Love is at once a stunning portrayal of life, love, and reality post-WWI and a rather depressing read. I’m torn because I think this story is technically an absolute masterpiece, well written with heart breaking characters and never afraid to depict poor conditions and disfigured men. While the men and action are unbelievably compelling, keeping you glued to the story page after page, it’s also very dark and no one gets a happy ending. That’s not a bad thing necessarily and normally I never personally mind but the emotional investment is high and the payoff will vary for readers. I can easily and whole heartedly recommend this story based on it’s technically brilliance but whether you’ll enjoy reading the story is going to vary reader to reader.
The summary is rather inadequate to describe the story (as you no doubt guessed). There is a rather large cast but they all revolve around the main character of Paul Harris. Paul is recently released after a lengthy recovery at an asylum after the war. Losing his left eye in the war compounds the mental and emotional anguish Paul experiences following the atrocities he saw and committed. Paul happens to run into his dead brother’s girlfriend and realizes she’s pregnant with Robbie’s child. Deciding to marry Margot, Paul seems at peace but his decision affects everyone differently. From Paul’s lover Adam who he continues to see even after marriage to Patrick, an old military friend with a crush on Paul, the men and women orbiting around Paul all depict different perspectives and goals as they try to etch out lives for themselves.
The story is told in differing third person point of views and is gripping from the very beginning. Husband weaves a slight mystery and question of exactly what Paul did during the war that causes him such anguish into the story so the reader wonders throughout until the answer is revealed at the very end. Besides this question, the rest of the story is character driven with a fully realized, incredibly complicated cast. While every single person included has depth and purpose, a feat in itself, many remain a mystery for the duration. Adam, Patrick, and Margot are all Paul’s lovers at one point or another, and at one point he’s sleeping with all three individually. They each offer something completely different and complex and show individuals trying incredibly hard to create small happiness where they can find it.
Paul is clearly the main character and all others revolve around him either directly or on the periphery but he remains an enigma. His journey is occasionally heart breaking to read as you watch him begin each relationship with excitement and purpose, only to grow restless and distant. Ultimately turning what was a loving encounter into a chore and duty. Paul is perhaps the most damaged of the cast, above and beyond the injured Mick missing both legs. His inability to be happy and deep emotional scaring create a fascinating character but one that is very hard to read. I found myself rooting for Paul to find happiness with any one of his lovers but realized that he never truly could be happy with anyone, but that won’t stop him from trying with person after person. This started to wear on me and I can’t necessarily fault the story or the author but I felt bad for all the characters involved.
Part of this is that the story is so gripping and engaging, I couldn’t put it down. I read it in one sitting, staying up very late to finish and ultimately never got that pay off that I put into the story. Mick gets a happy ending of sorts and I was gratified to see how that worked out but his story is very peripheral. I wanted Adam or Patrick to find something for themselves. Adam especially ends up a sad character with his damp house and resentment while Patrick’s final resolution almost brought me to tears. I felt wrung out with the intensity of the story, honesty of the time period and characters, yet given little hope that any of them would be happy. Content maybe, but not happy so this is ultimately a reader choice that is likely to vary from reader to reader.
The Boy I Love is an ambitious novel that does have a few stumbles, the most notably in that the characters remain mysterious even after close to 300 pages. Yet for that the stunning writing and inspired prose lend well to the honest characters laid open honestly with their flaws and strengths. On the one hand it’s incredibly easy to read and sucks you in to the story immediately, yet the resolutions simply can’t be easy. The book is better for never taking the easy route and keeping each character brutally honest, yet I would have preferred even the hint of hope. I easily and enthusiastically recommend this story to everyone but be careful and read this when you’re in the mood for something intense and moving.
One final note on the rating. I found this book an enigma to rate. It fully deserves the highest marks, 5 stars or more, based on several elements not the least is the incredible writing. Yet I can’t say this is a book I *enjoyed* reading. I couldn’t put it down and may even read it again but I didn’t enjoy it. Thus I ended up with an odd rating that reflects the dichotomy of a great book that I just can’t say I liked reading it even though I felt compelled to. So in this case, ignore the stars and decide for yourself.
The Boy I Love is at once a stunning portrayal of life, love, and reality post-WWI and a rather depressing read. I’m torn because I think this story is technically an absolute masterpiece, well written with heart breaking characters and never afraid to depict poor conditions and disfigured men. While the men and action are unbelievably compelling, keeping you glued to the story page after page, it’s also very dark and no one gets a happy ending. That’s not a bad thing necessarily and normally I never personally mind but the emotional investment is high and the payoff will vary for readers. I can easily and whole heartedly recommend this story based on it’s technically brilliance but whether you’ll enjoy reading the story is going to vary reader to reader.
The summary is rather inadequate to describe the story (as you no doubt guessed). There is a rather large cast but they all revolve around the main character of Paul Harris. Paul is recently released after a lengthy recovery at an asylum after the war. Losing his left eye in the war compounds the mental and emotional anguish Paul experiences following the atrocities he saw and committed. Paul happens to run into his dead brother’s girlfriend and realizes she’s pregnant with Robbie’s child. Deciding to marry Margot, Paul seems at peace but his decision affects everyone differently. From Paul’s lover Adam who he continues to see even after marriage to Patrick, an old military friend with a crush on Paul, the men and women orbiting around Paul all depict different perspectives and goals as they try to etch out lives for themselves.
The story is told in differing third person point of views and is gripping from the very beginning. Husband weaves a slight mystery and question of exactly what Paul did during the war that causes him such anguish into the story so the reader wonders throughout until the answer is revealed at the very end. Besides this question, the rest of the story is character driven with a fully realized, incredibly complicated cast. While every single person included has depth and purpose, a feat in itself, many remain a mystery for the duration. Adam, Patrick, and Margot are all Paul’s lovers at one point or another, and at one point he’s sleeping with all three individually. They each offer something completely different and complex and show individuals trying incredibly hard to create small happiness where they can find it.
Paul is clearly the main character and all others revolve around him either directly or on the periphery but he remains an enigma. His journey is occasionally heart breaking to read as you watch him begin each relationship with excitement and purpose, only to grow restless and distant. Ultimately turning what was a loving encounter into a chore and duty. Paul is perhaps the most damaged of the cast, above and beyond the injured Mick missing both legs. His inability to be happy and deep emotional scaring create a fascinating character but one that is very hard to read. I found myself rooting for Paul to find happiness with any one of his lovers but realized that he never truly could be happy with anyone, but that won’t stop him from trying with person after person. This started to wear on me and I can’t necessarily fault the story or the author but I felt bad for all the characters involved.
Part of this is that the story is so gripping and engaging, I couldn’t put it down. I read it in one sitting, staying up very late to finish and ultimately never got that pay off that I put into the story. Mick gets a happy ending of sorts and I was gratified to see how that worked out but his story is very peripheral. I wanted Adam or Patrick to find something for themselves. Adam especially ends up a sad character with his damp house and resentment while Patrick’s final resolution almost brought me to tears. I felt wrung out with the intensity of the story, honesty of the time period and characters, yet given little hope that any of them would be happy. Content maybe, but not happy so this is ultimately a reader choice that is likely to vary from reader to reader.
The Boy I Love is an ambitious novel that does have a few stumbles, the most notably in that the characters remain mysterious even after close to 300 pages. Yet for that the stunning writing and inspired prose lend well to the honest characters laid open honestly with their flaws and strengths. On the one hand it’s incredibly easy to read and sucks you in to the story immediately, yet the resolutions simply can’t be easy. The book is better for never taking the easy route and keeping each character brutally honest, yet I would have preferred even the hint of hope. I easily and enthusiastically recommend this story to everyone but be careful and read this when you’re in the mood for something intense and moving.
One final note on the rating. I found this book an enigma to rate. It fully deserves the highest marks, 5 stars or more, based on several elements not the least is the incredible writing. Yet I can’t say this is a book I *enjoyed* reading. I couldn’t put it down and may even read it again but I didn’t enjoy it. Thus I ended up with an odd rating that reflects the dichotomy of a great book that I just can’t say I liked reading it even though I felt compelled to. So in this case, ignore the stars and decide for yourself.
December 13, 2020
1.5 stars because I had some fun in the middle of the book.
The Boy I Love is a book I bought on a whim many months ago, tempted by the story. It revolves around five young people who try to manage and mend their lives after the World War I. The main character is Paul, a twenty-something gay man who recently lost his eye during the war, and his older brother died right after it. His path crosses with Margot, young girl who his brother briefly dated and who discovers she is pregnant with said deceased brother. Paul, remaining in a lasting relationship with Adam and being a man of his times where homosexuality is illegal, finds himself facing the dilemma – should he marry Margot to save her from the fate of being a vicar’s daughter pregnant without a husband? Can he build a relationship with her? Is there any future for him otherwise?
If that sounds like a total melodrama – yes, it is a total melodrama, which I like from time to time. However, I couldn’t get into the story for a long time. I was reading more from curiosity what the author wants to do with all these young people marked with the war. Then I got involved with the characters and finished the book being greatly disappointed in the end.
As I said, I like a nice melodrama, I am my mom’s daughter after all. But here it turned out to be a soap opera, where everyone’s path has to cross in a totally accidental way, from which nothing comes out. These moments don't create any reveals. Even those slightly embarrassing but emotional clashes - they are lurkewarm in the end. The real climax never happens, and it means nothing that all these characters seem to know each other or walk into each other at some point. There is no real conclusion, the change in the main hero is there… or is it, really? I am not sure. It all happens somehow outside of the characters, no conflict is resolved, it just goes on and almost everyone is as unhappy as they were in the beginning or more.
I get that this is fiction with quite strong historical background in the way that the author stressed the mentality and the reality of those times. I do understand that homosexuals had to hide and more often than not created some illusion of heterosexuality to be safe. But what we get in the end in the book is that all the gay people are infidel and lying to each other, not to mention to women and their families. They don’t feel any remorse or problem when they cheat on their lovers. All women are so poor and have no influence on their lives (the brothers in the book as much as decide between themselves who the girl is supposed to love.) Finally, the only people who end up happy is a heterosexual couple. Maybe this is supposed to be just realistic in a way, but not something I want to read, to be honest. Also - why? I get that having to hide yourself leads to shady situations. I get that a person was told repeatedly that they were an abomination. BUT can't there be anything pure and good about their love? Plus, the book has so many unrealistic coincidences that it doesn’t feel that truthfulness was the main priority after all….
I also had a problem with Paul. In the beginning he appeared to be a type of a character I usually like a lot, but in the end it felt (and I would like to believe it was meant to be, however, I am under the impression he was supposed to evoke completely different feelings) that he was just a shell of a person, filled with all kinds of traumas, hating himself and with terrible depression, unable to be with anybody and qualifying only for a long and careful treatment.
After I finished the book, I read what the next two books in the series were about, led by curiosity. And I wouldn’t like to touch them with a stick now that I know. Thanks a lot and goodbye. All in all, it could be lovely, but it wasn’t, sadly.
The Boy I Love is a book I bought on a whim many months ago, tempted by the story. It revolves around five young people who try to manage and mend their lives after the World War I. The main character is Paul, a twenty-something gay man who recently lost his eye during the war, and his older brother died right after it. His path crosses with Margot, young girl who his brother briefly dated and who discovers she is pregnant with said deceased brother. Paul, remaining in a lasting relationship with Adam and being a man of his times where homosexuality is illegal, finds himself facing the dilemma – should he marry Margot to save her from the fate of being a vicar’s daughter pregnant without a husband? Can he build a relationship with her? Is there any future for him otherwise?
If that sounds like a total melodrama – yes, it is a total melodrama, which I like from time to time. However, I couldn’t get into the story for a long time. I was reading more from curiosity what the author wants to do with all these young people marked with the war. Then I got involved with the characters and finished the book being greatly disappointed in the end.
As I said, I like a nice melodrama, I am my mom’s daughter after all. But here it turned out to be a soap opera, where everyone’s path has to cross in a totally accidental way, from which nothing comes out. These moments don't create any reveals. Even those slightly embarrassing but emotional clashes - they are lurkewarm in the end. The real climax never happens, and it means nothing that all these characters seem to know each other or walk into each other at some point. There is no real conclusion, the change in the main hero is there… or is it, really? I am not sure. It all happens somehow outside of the characters, no conflict is resolved, it just goes on and almost everyone is as unhappy as they were in the beginning or more.
I get that this is fiction with quite strong historical background in the way that the author stressed the mentality and the reality of those times. I do understand that homosexuals had to hide and more often than not created some illusion of heterosexuality to be safe. But what we get in the end in the book is that all the gay people are infidel and lying to each other, not to mention to women and their families. They don’t feel any remorse or problem when they cheat on their lovers. All women are so poor and have no influence on their lives (the brothers in the book as much as decide between themselves who the girl is supposed to love.) Finally, the only people who end up happy is a heterosexual couple. Maybe this is supposed to be just realistic in a way, but not something I want to read, to be honest. Also - why? I get that having to hide yourself leads to shady situations. I get that a person was told repeatedly that they were an abomination. BUT can't there be anything pure and good about their love? Plus, the book has so many unrealistic coincidences that it doesn’t feel that truthfulness was the main priority after all….
I also had a problem with Paul. In the beginning he appeared to be a type of a character I usually like a lot, but in the end it felt (and I would like to believe it was meant to be, however, I am under the impression he was supposed to evoke completely different feelings) that he was just a shell of a person, filled with all kinds of traumas, hating himself and with terrible depression, unable to be with anybody and qualifying only for a long and careful treatment.
After I finished the book, I read what the next two books in the series were about, led by curiosity. And I wouldn’t like to touch them with a stick now that I know. Thanks a lot and goodbye. All in all, it could be lovely, but it wasn’t, sadly.
April 6, 2014
Being the military junkie that I am, I’ve read a ton of books depicting soldiers fighting and living in war zones. I’ve read about them falling for, and fighting for, love. I’ve read about them coming home to deal with the effects of war, both mentally and physically - and those are a given.
But sometimes, like in this instance, we're lucky enough to come across something out of the ordinary. A story that feels more like real life than fiction with all it’s despair and tragedy. With shortcomings and desperation. And also chances for hope and happiness.
The Boy I Love is a sombre story depicting the life and loves of a small circle of people shortly after the end of WW1. It's about the sacrifices people make for themselves and the people they love.
Above all, the great triumph here is in the characters Husband has created. The living, breathing, wounded souls that wade through their lives with both bravery and fear. I was mesmerised by their stiff politeness; the rigid efforts of communication between strangers trying to muster affection in awkward situations. The desperation each and every character exudes for some happiness, or simply inner peace.
The story is centred around Paul and most of the pain of the story surrounds him. There's a looming sense of unease surrounding him and (both in present time and in flashbacks to the war zone) that adds a sense of mystery to the plot. He is plagued by grief and we wonder the whole time “what happened between Paul and Jenkins?”
It’s a fairly incestuious plot, in that three characters are interwoven quite closely. I struggled with the idea that despite the leagues of soldiers in various deployments and their respective loved ones, they somehow all happen to cross paths. But admittedly that niggle is inconsequential in the grand scheme of this plot considering this final product.
There are no bells and whistles here; there are no grunting alphas, no overbearing displays of masculinity, there are no adrenaline pumped action scenes and there's certainly no cute-meet. This is worlds apart from every soldier themed story I've read. This is about recovery and reconnecting with life after war. And it’s done wonderfully.
*****
Note: The Boy I Love is book one in a three-part series, but I get the feeling that this first book ends well enough to be considered a stand alone story. If you want more, you can simply go onto the next of the books.
But sometimes, like in this instance, we're lucky enough to come across something out of the ordinary. A story that feels more like real life than fiction with all it’s despair and tragedy. With shortcomings and desperation. And also chances for hope and happiness.
The Boy I Love is a sombre story depicting the life and loves of a small circle of people shortly after the end of WW1. It's about the sacrifices people make for themselves and the people they love.
Above all, the great triumph here is in the characters Husband has created. The living, breathing, wounded souls that wade through their lives with both bravery and fear. I was mesmerised by their stiff politeness; the rigid efforts of communication between strangers trying to muster affection in awkward situations. The desperation each and every character exudes for some happiness, or simply inner peace.
The story is centred around Paul and most of the pain of the story surrounds him. There's a looming sense of unease surrounding him and (both in present time and in flashbacks to the war zone) that adds a sense of mystery to the plot. He is plagued by grief and we wonder the whole time “what happened between Paul and Jenkins?”
It’s a fairly incestuious plot, in that three characters are interwoven quite closely. I struggled with the idea that despite the leagues of soldiers in various deployments and their respective loved ones, they somehow all happen to cross paths. But admittedly that niggle is inconsequential in the grand scheme of this plot considering this final product.
There are no bells and whistles here; there are no grunting alphas, no overbearing displays of masculinity, there are no adrenaline pumped action scenes and there's certainly no cute-meet. This is worlds apart from every soldier themed story I've read. This is about recovery and reconnecting with life after war. And it’s done wonderfully.
*****
Note: The Boy I Love is book one in a three-part series, but I get the feeling that this first book ends well enough to be considered a stand alone story. If you want more, you can simply go onto the next of the books.
November 6, 2014
Husband's books came recommended. Sitting on my 'to read' shelf for some years, it's with kind relief to finally finish her first. The Boy I Love, Trilogy No.1, is a gay fiction set after World War 1 in the hoi polloi of England's Midlands. And not your regular white hetero hero saves damsel narrative. There's saving to be done as you'd imagine after a War, the theme of history and its intolerance of acts and persons proving even today because intolerance, is fascinating as you'd foresee.
Why read this book? The setting's detailed, proving meticulous editing and research, Husband, finding her calling, a wonderful writer. Never one for patriarchy, its wars nor reading books online, a first for me - I could imagine a TV adaptation of this.
Daily, I'd sit with tea and love on a chapter, understanding the development of these characters, the rawness of community and a somewhat false commitment to marriage. In the shadows, secretive sex giving the story and the reader, an open and to continue drama.
Whatever your thoughts on identity, and gender constructs of The State, this book will provoke.
“There is no such thing as a homosexual or a heterosexual person. There are only homo or heterosexual acts.” Gore Vidal
Why read this book? The setting's detailed, proving meticulous editing and research, Husband, finding her calling, a wonderful writer. Never one for patriarchy, its wars nor reading books online, a first for me - I could imagine a TV adaptation of this.
Daily, I'd sit with tea and love on a chapter, understanding the development of these characters, the rawness of community and a somewhat false commitment to marriage. In the shadows, secretive sex giving the story and the reader, an open and to continue drama.
Whatever your thoughts on identity, and gender constructs of The State, this book will provoke.
“There is no such thing as a homosexual or a heterosexual person. There are only homo or heterosexual acts.” Gore Vidal
July 29, 2012
Wonderful book. One of those that I just couldn't put down. The character studies went on throughout the book, and you only got a clear picture of them at the end. But they were very well developed, very real and very believable. Very well done and highly recommended.
Update July 2012. Just read this terrific book again in preparation for reading her new book "All the Beauty of the Sun". I think the story is really sad, and I felt bad for nearly everybody, however it is so brilliantly written that I was totally mesmerized. This is a book worth reading over and over, and I'm sure I'll read it again. And now, with great anticipation I'm going to start on "All the Beauty of the Sun".
Update July 2012. Just read this terrific book again in preparation for reading her new book "All the Beauty of the Sun". I think the story is really sad, and I felt bad for nearly everybody, however it is so brilliantly written that I was totally mesmerized. This is a book worth reading over and over, and I'm sure I'll read it again. And now, with great anticipation I'm going to start on "All the Beauty of the Sun".
Read
December 17, 2012If not for the extensive reading I did in the past few years about the WWI was poets and their close relationship with each other, sometime bordering and merging into love, I would have probably considered this as only a good piece of fiction. But I do know about Siegfried Sassoon, and his love for Wilfred Owen, tragically ended with Owen’s death in 1918; his close relationship with Robert Graves, maybe more friendship then love; and his second attempt at happiness Stephen Tennant, that maybe pushed him to marry Hester Gatty and finally having a family, like he had always desired.
I can see the Paul of The Boy I love in Siegfried Sassoon, like probably I can see Adam in Robert Graves, and why not Patrick in Wilfred Owen (with a different ending); there is also Margot in Hester Gatty. Of course the inter-relationships are different, like different are their outcomes. And truth be told, I don’t like so much Paul, there is who sees courage in his decisions, but the only thing I can see is the broken hearts he is leaving behind. Already from the beginning, when he is describing the intense desire he has to be with Adam, and his desire is genuine, I can see that he is already detaching himself from his real life, to build a fake one. On this regard, Patrick is maybe less refined than Paul, but he is more sincere and open in his approaches.
It’s true that all these men, even Adam, were completely and tragically changed by the war, and it’s also true that many of them didn’t have a choice; it was probably easier for the Stephen Tennant of the time, people from aristocracy, being dubbed as “eccentric”, and living as they liked, but for the many Pauls, Adams and Patricks it was not so simple.
Just recently I argued with another reader on what makes a romance; the other opinion was that to be a romance you need to have an uplifting happily ever after; my opinion is that you need to have a love story, and the happily ever after is a bonus, but not a rule. So yes, I consider The Boy I Love a wonderful romance, maybe even comparable to the likes of Maurice, but unlike Maurice, it has not an happily ever after, at least not for Paul. I’m not sure if the author is planning something different for Adam and Patrick, maybe at the time she wrote this novel, she wanted for the reader to build their own finale. Now there are two more books in the series, so it will be interesting to see what is waiting for these men.
I wanted for this novel to have an happily ever after, even if I don’t like so much Paul (but more for the output of his decisions that for him as a character), I was enthralled by his story, as I was by Patrick and Adam (Adam is probably my favorite), but I knew it was not in the star; in a way, it could have been worst, in the end, Paul and Patrick are back from war (and many didn’t make it), Adam is still alive, but what life is without the total happiness of being able to basking to the sun of your love? It’s like living in a perennial shadow, it’s not bad, but not even perfection.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1908262729/?...
I can see the Paul of The Boy I love in Siegfried Sassoon, like probably I can see Adam in Robert Graves, and why not Patrick in Wilfred Owen (with a different ending); there is also Margot in Hester Gatty. Of course the inter-relationships are different, like different are their outcomes. And truth be told, I don’t like so much Paul, there is who sees courage in his decisions, but the only thing I can see is the broken hearts he is leaving behind. Already from the beginning, when he is describing the intense desire he has to be with Adam, and his desire is genuine, I can see that he is already detaching himself from his real life, to build a fake one. On this regard, Patrick is maybe less refined than Paul, but he is more sincere and open in his approaches.
It’s true that all these men, even Adam, were completely and tragically changed by the war, and it’s also true that many of them didn’t have a choice; it was probably easier for the Stephen Tennant of the time, people from aristocracy, being dubbed as “eccentric”, and living as they liked, but for the many Pauls, Adams and Patricks it was not so simple.
Just recently I argued with another reader on what makes a romance; the other opinion was that to be a romance you need to have an uplifting happily ever after; my opinion is that you need to have a love story, and the happily ever after is a bonus, but not a rule. So yes, I consider The Boy I Love a wonderful romance, maybe even comparable to the likes of Maurice, but unlike Maurice, it has not an happily ever after, at least not for Paul. I’m not sure if the author is planning something different for Adam and Patrick, maybe at the time she wrote this novel, she wanted for the reader to build their own finale. Now there are two more books in the series, so it will be interesting to see what is waiting for these men.
I wanted for this novel to have an happily ever after, even if I don’t like so much Paul (but more for the output of his decisions that for him as a character), I was enthralled by his story, as I was by Patrick and Adam (Adam is probably my favorite), but I knew it was not in the star; in a way, it could have been worst, in the end, Paul and Patrick are back from war (and many didn’t make it), Adam is still alive, but what life is without the total happiness of being able to basking to the sun of your love? It’s like living in a perennial shadow, it’s not bad, but not even perfection.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1908262729/?...
March 3, 2017
A beautiful, melancholy book which feels terribly true to it's time and to the characters. It is, after all, set in a a difficult time, just after the Great War, and the characters are faced with difficult circumstances. The psychological and physical scars of that awful war are excruciatingly fresh and the issues they wrestle with allow them little respite. It's the war-at-home that follows the war-in-France, and the book's characters are as ill-equipped to fight that battle as were the soldiers of the 1914-18 war their own. Yet, it's not hopeless. It is a bit sad that none of the characters finds happiness but. they all in their own way muddle through. And that *is* a victory. Not a happy one, perhaps, but a result that feels true.
Marion Husband has written beautifully descriptively of a deeply ironic time in a provincial corner of England. She conveys her characters with the understatement they themselves would use and in a way that feels very true to them. Not unlike peeling an onion. It's also completely impossible to put down. It's not that one dramatic event occurs after the other, more that characters have more of their extraordinary essence exposed though ordinary life.
Marion Husband has written beautifully descriptively of a deeply ironic time in a provincial corner of England. She conveys her characters with the understatement they themselves would use and in a way that feels very true to them. Not unlike peeling an onion. It's also completely impossible to put down. It's not that one dramatic event occurs after the other, more that characters have more of their extraordinary essence exposed though ordinary life.
October 22, 2013
I was very, very disappointed with this. I understand that it is set in a very different era to what we live in now, but I can't even pretend to understand the motivations of the characters. It felt to me like nobody was honest, or true to their word, there was no honour in anyone. For example, Paul claimed to be in love with Adam, yet he married Margot out of duty (which I can sort of understand) and THEN started sleeping with Patrick. Patrick meanwhile claimed to love Paul but was sleeping with Adam. I felt that the only characters who were honest and decent were Hetty and Mick, who never lied to anyone or pretended to be anything they weren't.
I found this a chore to read, and 1* is being generous.
I found this a chore to read, and 1* is being generous.
March 19, 2017
I loved reading it, but it is undeniably Not Very Good, and I can't give it more than two stars. I do wish Husband had done some more research into gay life in the period she's writing it in - it's beyond infuriating to see words used out of their time, and a lot of the Gayngst reads like it's from a fan fiction. A good fan fiction - one you'd read again and again and recommend to all your fellow fans, but fan fiction nonetheless. I'll probably read the second one, though, so she's not failed at getting me invested.
March 10, 2015
Wonderful book. Fantastic three dimensional characters.
August 14, 2013
This is a very fine novel indeed.There is just so much here.The struggle of men returning after war, particularly the FirstWorld War and the tremendous personal struggles that a gay man at that time would have been faced with. This story is intense,it gets to grips with some extreme situations and the human responses to them.The characterisations were among the best I have ever read, (particularly in a novel so short);they were both full and satisfying, I felt I knew these people and the details of both the war experience and English society of the time were accurate in every way. Very believable.
I would go so far as to place the book among some of my favourite authors who dealt with that period including the greats of WW1 writing Graves, Sassoon and Owen. This is a remarkable achievement for the autor reaching across the divides of time,gender and sexuality.
interestingly,there is much about what happens in this story that reflects the actual details of Sassoon's life.Particularly his relationships with Owen and Graves and his marriage despite being gay!
It was a wonderful if emotional read for me.I felt for these people all of them but particularly for the main character Paul.I found myself, as a combat veteran, attuned to much he thinks and feels.I will read the sequel certainly
I would go so far as to place the book among some of my favourite authors who dealt with that period including the greats of WW1 writing Graves, Sassoon and Owen. This is a remarkable achievement for the autor reaching across the divides of time,gender and sexuality.
interestingly,there is much about what happens in this story that reflects the actual details of Sassoon's life.Particularly his relationships with Owen and Graves and his marriage despite being gay!
It was a wonderful if emotional read for me.I felt for these people all of them but particularly for the main character Paul.I found myself, as a combat veteran, attuned to much he thinks and feels.I will read the sequel certainly
August 6, 2019
It took a while for me to get accustomed to the moving back and forth between different moments in time. But I got used to it after a while and then I began to get into it. This is the first book by Marion Husband I read, and it has impelled me to buy her other books. This is mainly due to her extraordinary prose style. I love it, it might not be for everyone, but I love becoming absorbed in character's thoughts and conflicting emotions and motivations.
It's not a rip roaring story line but that is its charm for me, at least. Husband deftly brings to life northern England post war, class snobbery, loneliness, fear and revulsion and of course damage and shell shock.
And her descriptions of passion and love are so beautifully evoked that the book is worth reading for these parts alone. She writes well of family ties and the bitter rivalry, and the conflicting love and hatred between siblings.
The characters are fascinatingly flawed, nobody behaves as you would wish and as in life, you are disappointed and saddened by them and their human failings and failures. Great book and will read the other two parts of the trilogy.
It's not a rip roaring story line but that is its charm for me, at least. Husband deftly brings to life northern England post war, class snobbery, loneliness, fear and revulsion and of course damage and shell shock.
And her descriptions of passion and love are so beautifully evoked that the book is worth reading for these parts alone. She writes well of family ties and the bitter rivalry, and the conflicting love and hatred between siblings.
The characters are fascinatingly flawed, nobody behaves as you would wish and as in life, you are disappointed and saddened by them and their human failings and failures. Great book and will read the other two parts of the trilogy.
June 9, 2007
What starts off as an interesting, thoughtful study of transgression and sexuality in post-war Britain never quite lives up to its promise. The author's constant reliance on insisting that the character of Paul is beautiful begins to grate after a while, and the parts where we see inside the heads of other characters - often heterosexual males - and they too remark on his beauty start to ring false. I found myself rolling my eyes at a lot of the latter plot developments, which wouldn't have looked out of place in a piece of bad internet fanfiction. A shame, because the story began well and there were some interesting characters, but the book loses its way around halfway through and never comes close to recovering.
November 1, 2010
I was apprehensive about reading this story, and it took me a few chapters to get into to it, but I am so glad I did. This is a beautifully and tragically written love story set during WWII. Marion Husband excellently captures the feelings of men affected by war, the dynamics of family, and the difficulty of being gay in that time. It's not a happy ending story by any means, but a realistic depiction of what life was probably like back then. Each character is memorable, distinctly individual and completely believable. Nothing and no one is glamorized and that gives the story a humbling accessibility to it. There is a rawness to this book and it's one of the stories that begs for a second read. I would highly, highly recommended it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2016
Many of the characters were rather unlikeable, or acted very differently when they were seen through others eyes than when we saw them through their own (note, that I felt they were *acting* differently, not just that the perceptions of those actions were different, which we would expect from a different pov character.)
The Paul/Patrick/Adam/Margot plotline ended very bleakly, with misery for all. Which I guess was always going to happen, realistically, but still disappointed me that pretty much everyone in this book except for Mick and Hetty are miserable, unhappy, and with no hope in sight. I sort of think that while the thought was noble, the many characters who tell Paul he was selfish and short-sighted to marry Margot were right.
The Paul/Patrick/Adam/Margot plotline ended very bleakly, with misery for all. Which I guess was always going to happen, realistically, but still disappointed me that pretty much everyone in this book except for Mick and Hetty are miserable, unhappy, and with no hope in sight. I sort of think that while the thought was noble, the many characters who tell Paul he was selfish and short-sighted to marry Margot were right.
December 6, 2013
The trials and tribulations of post WWI Britain entangle the lives of three former soldiers. Paul marries his deceased brother's girlfriend to disguise her pregnancy with his brother's child, as he deals with his war injuries, physical and emotional, all the while loving another. Patrick is fascinated by Paul as he cares for his brother and his injuries from the war. Throw an ex lover into the mix and stir well. This is really a great read. I had trouble putting it down. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
October 2, 2010
This is a stunning book about a gay soldier returning from WW1. It was a time when homosexuality was illegal and he is trapped by the strict moral code of the period. You really empathise with him and the awful dilemmas he faces. It is beautifully written but is also a real pageturner. A must read!
July 3, 2013
Marion Husband writes with an empathy and emotional authenticity that compels engagement with her characters. The text transcends genre and nurtures a sense of universality of feeling.
Husband is notable for her sense of milieu and detail that generates a palpable setting for her stories.
I really enjoyed this book.
Husband is notable for her sense of milieu and detail that generates a palpable setting for her stories.
I really enjoyed this book.
March 14, 2023
Interesting premise of a book focused on the lives of gay men & women navigating collective trauma, relationships, shifting class & disability post WW1. Could be a little slow at times, which caused a low stakes climax
March 6, 2025
Bland despite such a strong premise 🥴😔
April 13, 2015
There is something distancing about this novel that makes the writing flat until, eventually, you are drawn into the story and its characters. It's a desperately sad book about damaged people whose unfortunate lives make you feel very bad on their behalf. It is too bleak to be enjoyable and you'd have to be in the right mood. Characters are brittle and hard to read, and there's a pervasive air of doom. The misery piles on and the ending isn't quite an ending, setting up what I discovered from my Kindle edition is a trilogy.
I found it hard to keep straight in my head who all the characters are and their relationships, and it is frustrating that we only get to know Paul the central character through the eyes of others. And yet Husband depicts very effectively the disconnect between men who served at the front and civilians who cannot know the horrors they have experienced and cannot forget. There is a bond between those who fought that cuts across differences of class and sexuality.
The novel and its characters are painfully English and of their time and I suspect this is the cause of that distance I mentioned above, because characters are to varying degrees bound by repressed emotion, fear of what others would think if they let go, trying to carry on without fuss or bother. It is good to read a gay themed novel that isn't a typical m/m romance. Some readers will say it cannot be classed as a love story at all simply because it lacks the requisite happy (or happy enough for now) ending expected of the genre. I applaud any writer willing to confront reality, especially in a period novel that deals with forbidden love between men. Paul is caught in self-destructive loop, unaccepted for what he is, facing punishment of law should he express his love openly, at the same time punishing himself with self-hate so his relationships are neither healthy nor successful.
There is a mystery element too regarding Paul and Jenkins, the bully who made his school life misery and served under Paul in the trenches, told in flashback through the narrative. Though I felt slightly let down by the final revelation it probably is more realistic for that.
In Kazuo Ishiguro's The Buried Giant Dark Age Britons have lost all memory of the horror and brutalities of war and conquest. As this mist of blessed forgetfulness begins to thin some question the desirability of knowing, but they come to accept they have lost too much in consequence, that it is better to remember even if this is painful. Reading this novel brings understanding why in the immediate aftermath of the Great War most of those who lived through it might opt for the mist.
I found it hard to keep straight in my head who all the characters are and their relationships, and it is frustrating that we only get to know Paul the central character through the eyes of others. And yet Husband depicts very effectively the disconnect between men who served at the front and civilians who cannot know the horrors they have experienced and cannot forget. There is a bond between those who fought that cuts across differences of class and sexuality.
The novel and its characters are painfully English and of their time and I suspect this is the cause of that distance I mentioned above, because characters are to varying degrees bound by repressed emotion, fear of what others would think if they let go, trying to carry on without fuss or bother. It is good to read a gay themed novel that isn't a typical m/m romance. Some readers will say it cannot be classed as a love story at all simply because it lacks the requisite happy (or happy enough for now) ending expected of the genre. I applaud any writer willing to confront reality, especially in a period novel that deals with forbidden love between men. Paul is caught in self-destructive loop, unaccepted for what he is, facing punishment of law should he express his love openly, at the same time punishing himself with self-hate so his relationships are neither healthy nor successful.
There is a mystery element too regarding Paul and Jenkins, the bully who made his school life misery and served under Paul in the trenches, told in flashback through the narrative. Though I felt slightly let down by the final revelation it probably is more realistic for that.
In Kazuo Ishiguro's The Buried Giant Dark Age Britons have lost all memory of the horror and brutalities of war and conquest. As this mist of blessed forgetfulness begins to thin some question the desirability of knowing, but they come to accept they have lost too much in consequence, that it is better to remember even if this is painful. Reading this novel brings understanding why in the immediate aftermath of the Great War most of those who lived through it might opt for the mist.
July 29, 2012
This award winning debut novel by Marion Husband focuses upon Paul Harris, an officer recently returned from World War one. He has been treated for shell shock in a psychiatric hospital and returns to his lover, Adam, who was himself unfit for duty and they pickup their relationship where they left off. Paul learns that the girlfriend of his recently deceased brother Robbie is pregnant and he decides to propose. Margot accepts.
It is a story complicated by forbidden love and various relationships, at a time when homosexuality was very much taboo and illegal. The author portrays a realistic account of the post war period and of homosexuality in general. Flashback is used intermittently throughout, creating back story and adding to the detail.
There are some graphic accounts of a homosexual nature which might not be acceptable to some, however these scenes are very short and do not dominate the story. Paul's life becomes very complex as he juggles his relationships, first between his new wife Margot and his old love Adam, and then his new love Patrick. There are also inferences made to an incident that happened between Paul and Jenkins, back in the trenches. Narrated in the third person with uncomplicated language and vivid imagery, the story is an insightful read, delving into the society of a long gone era. It illustrates social change, prejudices and the physical and psychological effects of the atrocities of war.
Husband has created a realistic world with believable characters; rounded characters whom you can visualize and hear perfectly. It is intriguing and well crafted and definitely one I'd recommend.
It is a story complicated by forbidden love and various relationships, at a time when homosexuality was very much taboo and illegal. The author portrays a realistic account of the post war period and of homosexuality in general. Flashback is used intermittently throughout, creating back story and adding to the detail.
There are some graphic accounts of a homosexual nature which might not be acceptable to some, however these scenes are very short and do not dominate the story. Paul's life becomes very complex as he juggles his relationships, first between his new wife Margot and his old love Adam, and then his new love Patrick. There are also inferences made to an incident that happened between Paul and Jenkins, back in the trenches. Narrated in the third person with uncomplicated language and vivid imagery, the story is an insightful read, delving into the society of a long gone era. It illustrates social change, prejudices and the physical and psychological effects of the atrocities of war.
Husband has created a realistic world with believable characters; rounded characters whom you can visualize and hear perfectly. It is intriguing and well crafted and definitely one I'd recommend.
April 15, 2013
A very absorbing read I found. Couldn't wait to get on the train to find out what was going to happen next. I found the characters very believable and their situations after the First World War historically accurate. A man marries the pregnant fiancé of his dead brother to save her from shame and possibly find a way out from his own dilemma of being gay but hating it. The mental anguish this causes him is very realistically delivered. The wife `Margot' merely assumes that the trauma of the trenches causes the nightmares and the bizarre behaviour but we learn his side of the story which shows him in possibly not the best light. I noticed that the characters are not all good or bad. They all have some fatal flaws - even Margot's vicar father comes across as a pompous middle class prejudiced man.
I liked the twins and really felt for Patrick as I felt he was the real loser in the novel - not in the personality sense. He is comfortable in his sexuality but seems condemned to live a life in shadows as the main character abandons him to live `respectfully'. It is a very absorbing novel and once you get to grips with the characters flows effortlessly. Well worth reading.
I liked the twins and really felt for Patrick as I felt he was the real loser in the novel - not in the personality sense. He is comfortable in his sexuality but seems condemned to live a life in shadows as the main character abandons him to live `respectfully'. It is a very absorbing novel and once you get to grips with the characters flows effortlessly. Well worth reading.
March 9, 2019
God, I LOVED it SO MUCH!
I loved everything in it. I finished it in two days. The warm writing, the sympathetic characters, the sexual tension, the beautiful story, the mixed feelings. It was an overwhelming masterpiece from the very beginning and I wish it was more familiar. It had everything in it, I even laughed a bit between lines. It was romantic, and realistic, and turn-on. I felt like giving all the characters a huge hug for everything they had to go through with. I am not sure I would read the squeal, because it might ruined my deep connection to the first one. It was heartwarming and I loved Patrick the most. Recommend for everyone.
I loved everything in it. I finished it in two days. The warm writing, the sympathetic characters, the sexual tension, the beautiful story, the mixed feelings. It was an overwhelming masterpiece from the very beginning and I wish it was more familiar. It had everything in it, I even laughed a bit between lines. It was romantic, and realistic, and turn-on. I felt like giving all the characters a huge hug for everything they had to go through with. I am not sure I would read the squeal, because it might ruined my deep connection to the first one. It was heartwarming and I loved Patrick the most. Recommend for everyone.
August 6, 2014
Loved Marion Husband's writing, even if there are many characters and it was a little bit difficult to understand who was speaking in the dialogues at the beginning for me, as a non-anglophone.
Paul is a lovable character, his story is heartbreaking. The more I read the more I appreciated and hurt with the characters. Patrick and Mick are also so interesting characters.
The psychological damages of the war and, without spoiling the story plot I could add bullying and homophobia, are well depicted.
Paul is a lovable character, his story is heartbreaking. The more I read the more I appreciated and hurt with the characters. Patrick and Mick are also so interesting characters.
The psychological damages of the war and, without spoiling the story plot I could add bullying and homophobia, are well depicted.
September 12, 2023
I read this book over fifteen years ago and enjoyed it immensely - it was also a tale that stayed with me, so for me that shows the book had a great deal of strength. If I had reviewed it at the time I might well have given it four stars but, at this distance, I do not feel right in giving it more then three (if half stars were available I would give one as well) despite my recalled enjoyment because I am not sure how well it may stand up. So until I can pick up another copy of the book and get a up-to-date feel for it the three stars will have to stand.
November 1, 2015
Former doughboy Paul is torn between his affection for Adam and his duty toward his dead brother's pregnant fiance Margot.
This book is as British as they come and swiftly took me back across the pond. Not to the England that I've visited physically as a tourist but to the England that I've visited psychically through all of the dramas and documentaries.
This book is an engrossing read and as with all travel, you'll learn something as well.
This book is as British as they come and swiftly took me back across the pond. Not to the England that I've visited physically as a tourist but to the England that I've visited psychically through all of the dramas and documentaries.
This book is an engrossing read and as with all travel, you'll learn something as well.
June 21, 2013
Really enjoyed this book when I discovered it several years ago, and would recommend it to anyone who prefers the unconventional. Marion has written an amusing and very heartfelt blog post to cheer up disillusioned writers on her website today, tongue-in cheek but very relevant!
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