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Felixitations
One Being - Millennia - Destinies Changed
Facilitator and felicitator, to have winsome young Felix step into a man's life is a transforming the course of destiny is altered. Emotions are unlocked, hidden longings are revealed, luck changes for the better… and sometimes for the worse. When Felix appears pleasurable fun and deserved pure, dreamed-of felicity or punishment ensue.
Over a span of thousands of years this enigmatic being’s random odyssey affects the lives of men attracted to his mesmerizing persona… yet Felix bears no hidden agenda, does not choose when or where he materializes – all happens by felicitous chance… or does it?
Embark on an erotic journey through time. From Ancient Sumer, Egypt and Rome through Renaissance Italy, modern Europe, Africa, and the Americas to the future above Earth, witness a kaleidoscope of human lives felixitated by this most enchanting being, named Felix.
Equivalent to approximately 350 print pages.
Publisher’s This book contains some explicit sexual content.
Facilitator and felicitator, to have winsome young Felix step into a man's life is a transforming the course of destiny is altered. Emotions are unlocked, hidden longings are revealed, luck changes for the better… and sometimes for the worse. When Felix appears pleasurable fun and deserved pure, dreamed-of felicity or punishment ensue.
Over a span of thousands of years this enigmatic being’s random odyssey affects the lives of men attracted to his mesmerizing persona… yet Felix bears no hidden agenda, does not choose when or where he materializes – all happens by felicitous chance… or does it?
Embark on an erotic journey through time. From Ancient Sumer, Egypt and Rome through Renaissance Italy, modern Europe, Africa, and the Americas to the future above Earth, witness a kaleidoscope of human lives felixitated by this most enchanting being, named Felix.
Equivalent to approximately 350 print pages.
Publisher’s This book contains some explicit sexual content.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2012
2 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Roger Kean
38 books86 followersAlso: http//www.cityboiz.com
Film maker, journalist, magazine and book publisher, Roger M. Kean settled down to pen gay fiction. To date he has written Felixitations, Thunderbolt:Torn Enemy of Rome, and the “Empire Trilogy” of late Victorian action-adventure novels A Life Apart, Gregory's Story, and Harry's Great Trek. In between battling through the deserts of Sudan, he wrote the 30,000-word novella about British Premier League football (soccer) What's A Boy Supposed to Do.
Both Felixitations and A Life Apart have been M/M Romance Group Books of the Month.
Writing under the pen name of his lifelong partner, internationally renowned gay artist Zack (a.k.a Oliver Frey), Kean’s “Boys of…” series extends to five full-length novels, graphically illustrated by Zack. The Adventures of Gil Graham and Mike Smith are set in the early 1980s: Boys of Vice City, Boys of Disco City, Boys of Two Cities, Boys of the Fast Lane, and Boy of the West End. After the demise of publisher Bruno Gmümder, these titles and some others under the ZACK pen name are either out of print or only available at ludicrous prices, but selected titles will be republished in due course during 2020.
Due to the same circumstances the BOYS OF IMPERIAL ROME series written under the name of Zack are also out of print in the original illustrated editions, but are now available under Roger M. Kean and Reckless Books imprint (not illustrated due to KDP print restrictions on graphic content):
Deadly Circus of Desire
The Satyr of Capri
The Wrath of Seth
The Wrath of Seth
Film maker, journalist, magazine and book publisher, Roger M. Kean settled down to pen gay fiction. To date he has written Felixitations, Thunderbolt:Torn Enemy of Rome, and the “Empire Trilogy” of late Victorian action-adventure novels A Life Apart, Gregory's Story, and Harry's Great Trek. In between battling through the deserts of Sudan, he wrote the 30,000-word novella about British Premier League football (soccer) What's A Boy Supposed to Do.
Both Felixitations and A Life Apart have been M/M Romance Group Books of the Month.
Writing under the pen name of his lifelong partner, internationally renowned gay artist Zack (a.k.a Oliver Frey), Kean’s “Boys of…” series extends to five full-length novels, graphically illustrated by Zack. The Adventures of Gil Graham and Mike Smith are set in the early 1980s: Boys of Vice City, Boys of Disco City, Boys of Two Cities, Boys of the Fast Lane, and Boy of the West End. After the demise of publisher Bruno Gmümder, these titles and some others under the ZACK pen name are either out of print or only available at ludicrous prices, but selected titles will be republished in due course during 2020.
Due to the same circumstances the BOYS OF IMPERIAL ROME series written under the name of Zack are also out of print in the original illustrated editions, but are now available under Roger M. Kean and Reckless Books imprint (not illustrated due to KDP print restrictions on graphic content):
Deadly Circus of Desire
The Satyr of Capri
The Wrath of Seth
The Wrath of Seth
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 1, 2013
I... I... I have no idea what to say about this book...
I honestly didn't know what this book was all about when I started it. I should have read what the author wrote about the book before I started it. Read it here. I didn't know that this was basically a collection of short stories. Maybe I'm too scatterbrained for this one but I had a hard time keeping all of the characters straight through all of the time jumps. It also isn't a romance book but a book about a bunch of different guys discovering their sexuality. I just wasn't prepared for what this book was actually about so I was pretty confused for the first part of it.
One positive is that the writing is good. I think Roger Kean has some serious stills. Somehow he manages to make this book both erotic yet kind of scholarly feeling. I also liked each little vignette and I always wanted more when each scene ended. However, my problem was with the jumping from scene to scene. I couldn't focus on each story and I felt really discombobulated.
Read what the author says about this book and if it sounds like your cuppa, give it a go. I think the right kind of reader will be in heaven with this one.
I honestly didn't know what this book was all about when I started it. I should have read what the author wrote about the book before I started it. Read it here. I didn't know that this was basically a collection of short stories. Maybe I'm too scatterbrained for this one but I had a hard time keeping all of the characters straight through all of the time jumps. It also isn't a romance book but a book about a bunch of different guys discovering their sexuality. I just wasn't prepared for what this book was actually about so I was pretty confused for the first part of it.
One positive is that the writing is good. I think Roger Kean has some serious stills. Somehow he manages to make this book both erotic yet kind of scholarly feeling. I also liked each little vignette and I always wanted more when each scene ended. However, my problem was with the jumping from scene to scene. I couldn't focus on each story and I felt really discombobulated.
Read what the author says about this book and if it sounds like your cuppa, give it a go. I think the right kind of reader will be in heaven with this one.
March 1, 2013
5+++++Stars another story that deserves more than 5 stars.
I couldn’t immediately sit and write a review, I needed time to think about what I wanted to say. It was impossible to do it justice but I think I've done the best that I can.
It is by far the most fascinating story I have ever read I was totally captivated. It’s erotic with some explicit sex scenes, it has romance but it’s not M/M Romance. It’s Gay Fiction with a Scifi twist.
It’s a difficult book to explain so everyone will understand. Is it a novel or just a series of short stories that are related? The best explanation is here, words by the author about the story and I would recommend anyone wanting to read Felixitations to check that out first.
Felix is the character that is in every short, the constant MC throughout, he’s the ‘facilitator’ that brings lovers together for life or sometimes for just a moment in time. He’s gorgeous, a blonde haired blue eyed young man that draws people to him like a magnet. He can be so sweet in one short/chapter then so annoying in another I wanted to strangle him but no matter what,I loved him and strangely I never questioned his travelling from era to era it just felt right.
The book is extremely well written. This author has a way of transporting me to whatever place or era he is writing about. The descriptions so well done the stories played like movies in my head, movies I never wanted to end but sadly did. Like my uncertainty of whether this is a series of shorts or a cohesively written novel, the ending has me pondering, did I think it was satisfying and complete or does it scream sequel? It didn’t leave me hanging, I just think Felix has so many more adventures that could be told.
Bravo Mr. Kean! Now please can we have a sequel!
One last thing, the illustration on the cover by Oliver Frey is perfect, he is the Felix I see in my head.
Highly,highly recommend!
April 13, 2013
"Felixitations" is a masterful, unforgettable celebration of the human heart expressing itself through its fleshly, sensuous vehicle. It is by far the most powerful thing of beauty I have had the honour to enjoy in recent memory.
I am not, by any account, a great fan of the short story-telling format. To me, it is best suited to exploring ideas rather than relationships. There is not enough contact, not enough time to immerse oneself, and just as one has made new friends they move away forever. Exceptions are, say, detective serials, where one gets to know the characters in different situations, and slowly, delectably and from different angles, to assemble them in one's heart and mind like a puzzle or mosaic.
Well, one gets all that here, and so much more. I won't reveal any more than the blurb does about concept and scope. But apart from falling in love after three stories with a character who isn't, probably, anyone at all, tangible though he may be from time to time, just a force of life, one is immersed in a gripping ode to queer his-story. I have no doubt that the work is meticulously researched as well, even though in its essence a romantic, erotic (and sometimes, heart- and loin-rending) fantastical fiction.
Though one is always guided by the mellifluous, masterful voice of the author, his mood, tone and pacing vary expertly with context; a multi-sensory experience, the read is reminiscent of one of those collections of short subjects by talented, collegial film-makers around a common chosen theme. Several stories set in the 50's and 60's revisit the same characters, or tell parallel stories. Others branch out into these characters' past and future family trees. In this way, a world every bit as detailed and engaging as, if not more so than, an equally well-fashioned long-form novel could offer, emerges. The individual jewels form a beautiful image that is a paean to love between men. And since we know that the people whose lives Felix touches are destined for their just rewards, when we leave them behind we feel secure in knowing that their stories will continue as we would imagine them. Some of them indeed we meet decades later, as they pass through others' stories, still inseparably entwined.
Despite the intricate interrelatedness, each tale can be enjoyed on its own. The connections, as they reveal themselves, merely add an even greater thrill and pleasure.
All this makes a great book for when you may not have too much time all at once (though you will ache to keep reading, and reading). You can pause after any chapter, feeling satisfied and complete, and at the same time look forward to the surprising delights of the next ones in the very near future.
I do have one caveat. While it is a very fine and evidently deeply personal piece of writing, the long short story "Knowing Felix (1980)" to me stands somewhat apart from the atmosphere and the nature of the Felix evoked in the others. It was a difficult read for me. Although he does, in the final analysis, fulfil his consistent role in this incarnation as well, which is revisited and brought to fitting conclusion in "Paradise Lost (1982)." I was going to recommend leaving "Knowing Felix" for later, but after finishing (sadly, and in happy tears) the book, I've changed my mind. It is in the right place, and though it may briefly shock you out of the enchantment of the rest, it provides a breathing space, a time for reflection on the realities of complicated relationships, a plateau from which to survey the ideals and dreamings of the whole. It offers a well-timed pause to consider how you might, as mere fragile flesh and heart, endeavour to bring eternal magic into brief life, through loving others as imperfect and beautiful as yourself.
When all else has faded, Mr Kean seems to leave us with, love itself remains, reified in the memories of those who have had the privilege and courage, to follow its call. In its bounteous reward for having been lent life through us, love forever walks among us, engendering itself by giving of itself, back to us, if we but choose to recognize it. This is Felix, forever.
I am not, by any account, a great fan of the short story-telling format. To me, it is best suited to exploring ideas rather than relationships. There is not enough contact, not enough time to immerse oneself, and just as one has made new friends they move away forever. Exceptions are, say, detective serials, where one gets to know the characters in different situations, and slowly, delectably and from different angles, to assemble them in one's heart and mind like a puzzle or mosaic.
Well, one gets all that here, and so much more. I won't reveal any more than the blurb does about concept and scope. But apart from falling in love after three stories with a character who isn't, probably, anyone at all, tangible though he may be from time to time, just a force of life, one is immersed in a gripping ode to queer his-story. I have no doubt that the work is meticulously researched as well, even though in its essence a romantic, erotic (and sometimes, heart- and loin-rending) fantastical fiction.
Though one is always guided by the mellifluous, masterful voice of the author, his mood, tone and pacing vary expertly with context; a multi-sensory experience, the read is reminiscent of one of those collections of short subjects by talented, collegial film-makers around a common chosen theme. Several stories set in the 50's and 60's revisit the same characters, or tell parallel stories. Others branch out into these characters' past and future family trees. In this way, a world every bit as detailed and engaging as, if not more so than, an equally well-fashioned long-form novel could offer, emerges. The individual jewels form a beautiful image that is a paean to love between men. And since we know that the people whose lives Felix touches are destined for their just rewards, when we leave them behind we feel secure in knowing that their stories will continue as we would imagine them. Some of them indeed we meet decades later, as they pass through others' stories, still inseparably entwined.
Despite the intricate interrelatedness, each tale can be enjoyed on its own. The connections, as they reveal themselves, merely add an even greater thrill and pleasure.
All this makes a great book for when you may not have too much time all at once (though you will ache to keep reading, and reading). You can pause after any chapter, feeling satisfied and complete, and at the same time look forward to the surprising delights of the next ones in the very near future.
I do have one caveat. While it is a very fine and evidently deeply personal piece of writing, the long short story "Knowing Felix (1980)" to me stands somewhat apart from the atmosphere and the nature of the Felix evoked in the others. It was a difficult read for me. Although he does, in the final analysis, fulfil his consistent role in this incarnation as well, which is revisited and brought to fitting conclusion in "Paradise Lost (1982)." I was going to recommend leaving "Knowing Felix" for later, but after finishing (sadly, and in happy tears) the book, I've changed my mind. It is in the right place, and though it may briefly shock you out of the enchantment of the rest, it provides a breathing space, a time for reflection on the realities of complicated relationships, a plateau from which to survey the ideals and dreamings of the whole. It offers a well-timed pause to consider how you might, as mere fragile flesh and heart, endeavour to bring eternal magic into brief life, through loving others as imperfect and beautiful as yourself.
When all else has faded, Mr Kean seems to leave us with, love itself remains, reified in the memories of those who have had the privilege and courage, to follow its call. In its bounteous reward for having been lent life through us, love forever walks among us, engendering itself by giving of itself, back to us, if we but choose to recognize it. This is Felix, forever.
July 12, 2012
Before I say anything else about this novel (or short story anthology, depending on how you choose to view it), I recommend that anyone interested in reading Felixitations start by looking at this article by the author. It is at least somewhat enlightening. Honestly, I think this information should have been included at the beginning of the book in an author's note. It is crucial to understanding what the heck this book is about and what exactly the author was trying to accomplish with it.
Felixitations is actually a collection of short stories about a number of characters, many of whom pop up multiple times and in multiple incarnations throughout the book, and all of whom are somehow connected to Felix. The author identifies Felix as "the felicitator, or bringer of joy, and also the facilitator, the one who makes things possible." So he is more the embodiment of an idea than he is an actual character. His existence is never really explained within the novel itself, and each version of Felix is so different that it is hard to view them all as a single entity. As a result, Felix's frequent alterations in personality and purpose from one story to the next weakens the already-thin link between the 19 stories and gives the collection a disjointed feel.
The stories are written in a variety of styles, usually reflecting the location and era in which they are set. Most of the stories are written in third person, past tense, but a few are written in first person, or present tense, or both. Some of the styles are very effective, and some... aren't. The worst of the lot is definitely "Roland and Olivier," which is written in atrocious and unintentionally-hilarious verse. My favorite story was "A Soldier of Fortune," which was one of the few truly romantic stories in the book. I also liked the vicious little cautionary tale, "The Nubian's Boy."
One element that links these various stories together much more effectively than Felix does is sex. So much friggin' sex. There's sweet sex, experimental sex, menage sex, underage sex, rape, sex with beast-like entities, sex with robots, and so on and so forth. Some of these scenes are written well. Some are even hot. Most are neither. The author seems to favor old school sexual terminology, so there is more than one "tumescence" or "sword of desire" that crops up over the course of the book. So mostly, the sex is just awkward. And plentiful. By the end of the book, most of the characters have had multiple partners, and just about everyone has had Felix in one way or another.
For the most part, I don't feel like Felixitations accomplishes the author's goals. The collection fails to form a cohesive whole, and yet most of the individual stories don't stand alone well, either. The end result is a confusing, frustrating mess. Ultimately, it doesn't seem worth the effort to slog through all the disappointing and bewildering stories in this book just to get to the few real gems.
Felixitations is actually a collection of short stories about a number of characters, many of whom pop up multiple times and in multiple incarnations throughout the book, and all of whom are somehow connected to Felix. The author identifies Felix as "the felicitator, or bringer of joy, and also the facilitator, the one who makes things possible." So he is more the embodiment of an idea than he is an actual character. His existence is never really explained within the novel itself, and each version of Felix is so different that it is hard to view them all as a single entity. As a result, Felix's frequent alterations in personality and purpose from one story to the next weakens the already-thin link between the 19 stories and gives the collection a disjointed feel.
The stories are written in a variety of styles, usually reflecting the location and era in which they are set. Most of the stories are written in third person, past tense, but a few are written in first person, or present tense, or both. Some of the styles are very effective, and some... aren't. The worst of the lot is definitely "Roland and Olivier," which is written in atrocious and unintentionally-hilarious verse. My favorite story was "A Soldier of Fortune," which was one of the few truly romantic stories in the book. I also liked the vicious little cautionary tale, "The Nubian's Boy."
One element that links these various stories together much more effectively than Felix does is sex. So much friggin' sex. There's sweet sex, experimental sex, menage sex, underage sex, rape, sex with beast-like entities, sex with robots, and so on and so forth. Some of these scenes are written well. Some are even hot. Most are neither. The author seems to favor old school sexual terminology, so there is more than one "tumescence" or "sword of desire" that crops up over the course of the book. So mostly, the sex is just awkward. And plentiful. By the end of the book, most of the characters have had multiple partners, and just about everyone has had Felix in one way or another.
For the most part, I don't feel like Felixitations accomplishes the author's goals. The collection fails to form a cohesive whole, and yet most of the individual stories don't stand alone well, either. The end result is a confusing, frustrating mess. Ultimately, it doesn't seem worth the effort to slog through all the disappointing and bewildering stories in this book just to get to the few real gems.
April 10, 2012
I must declare an interest: the author is my partner, but what he writes is a constant surprise, and none more so than this.
Strangely haunting, this unusually constructed novel leaves a trail of lasting impressions. Its many individual chapters careen through many timeframes and locations but are firmly connected by the ever-present Felix in his many guises, and subtly interwoven family and name connections create a mysterious sense of `meaning' which is difficult to shake off.
Make no mistake, this is an entertaining gay read, but is more than the sum of its parts and therefore intensely satisfying: vivid personalities in intriguing situations, emotions great and small blended with (explicit) erotic action add up to an ultimately moving rollercoaster ride of gay sensibilities - good and sometimes bad - through the ages.
A read to remember... it actually managed to bring unexpected tears to my eyes. With so much already told, there must be plenty more lives to explore - bring on a sequel!
Strangely haunting, this unusually constructed novel leaves a trail of lasting impressions. Its many individual chapters careen through many timeframes and locations but are firmly connected by the ever-present Felix in his many guises, and subtly interwoven family and name connections create a mysterious sense of `meaning' which is difficult to shake off.
Make no mistake, this is an entertaining gay read, but is more than the sum of its parts and therefore intensely satisfying: vivid personalities in intriguing situations, emotions great and small blended with (explicit) erotic action add up to an ultimately moving rollercoaster ride of gay sensibilities - good and sometimes bad - through the ages.
A read to remember... it actually managed to bring unexpected tears to my eyes. With so much already told, there must be plenty more lives to explore - bring on a sequel!
September 5, 2012
I don't know if it was because the real-life events going on in my life at the time I read this influenced my experience, but I really had a hard time keeping track of what was going on in this story.
Flashbacks are tricky, it's not easy to make them work. Some writers say there is no way to make them work. In this story? No way. Just couldn't keep the thread going clearly enough in my head from one incarnation to the next, with the in-betweens of the same characters a year later or earlier. All changing from one chapter to the next.
But then, it might just be me.
Flashbacks are tricky, it's not easy to make them work. Some writers say there is no way to make them work. In this story? No way. Just couldn't keep the thread going clearly enough in my head from one incarnation to the next, with the in-betweens of the same characters a year later or earlier. All changing from one chapter to the next.
But then, it might just be me.
April 3, 2013
In a recent bog posting Roger keen wrote, "...Felix bears no hidden agenda, does not choose when or where he materializes - all happens by felicitous chance..." Readers and reviewers keep wanting to define the book. Is it a novel or a book of short stories? It is this "felicitous chance" that defines the book. The happenstances that occur throughout Feixitations changes the destinies of the lives of the gay men Felix touches. Felix is very good at one thing: sex. He uses his seductiveness as a tool to change destinies and it is this factor which unifies the book. The universal nature of life changing luck is emphasized by the stories taking place throughout history from the period B.C. to modern times and on into the future. I got the impression that the author might have experienced a fleeting encounter that altered the course of his life and he was showing us how this may be so in many if not all our lives so lets examine them. And examine them he did with great mastery of language and storytelling all tied together by a universal element of destiny (or doom) in our lives that he has personified by creating Felix. I didn't read this book as simply sexy short stories but as the workings of a universal power of fortune, karma, kismet in the lives of gay men specifically and people in general. It is an irresistible force just as Felix is an irresistible character and Felixitations is an irresistible book.
June 5, 2012
This was a stunning collection of stories that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys beautiful, lyrical, challenging writing. Felix pops up all over history and shows men what it is to be with a soul mate and to accept who they are, and who they can be.
The one I found myself skipping through, oddly enough, was the longest of the stories... because I was in the mindset of shorter stories it just appeared to be too long, so it took me a while to get to enjoy it
My favourite stories include:
The western front
The Nubian's boy
Alabaster in waset
A dog called Sartre - The final story for sure... very cleverly written and it choked me up.
It is, in places, a challenging set of stories to read. This I think makes each one all the more rewarding when you finish.
I must admit I was confused by the blurb which didn't appear to tell you much in the way of story line. I was also overwhelmed by the first story which isn't easy to read. However, once I was inside this palette of colours I couldn't stop reading.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes to be challenged when they read. This is no MM fluff piece - this is grown up writing.
Thank you Roger.
The one I found myself skipping through, oddly enough, was the longest of the stories... because I was in the mindset of shorter stories it just appeared to be too long, so it took me a while to get to enjoy it
My favourite stories include:
The western front
The Nubian's boy
Alabaster in waset
A dog called Sartre - The final story for sure... very cleverly written and it choked me up.
It is, in places, a challenging set of stories to read. This I think makes each one all the more rewarding when you finish.
I must admit I was confused by the blurb which didn't appear to tell you much in the way of story line. I was also overwhelmed by the first story which isn't easy to read. However, once I was inside this palette of colours I couldn't stop reading.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes to be challenged when they read. This is no MM fluff piece - this is grown up writing.
Thank you Roger.
May 26, 2012
This is a mosaic novel, displaying a dazzling array of settings and styles. Several threads run through it and keep all the elements building toward a fascinating and compelling conclusion.
Several things stood out as I savored this novel. There is a wealth of finely observed details, made all the more impressive by the diverse times and locations of the stories. The action scenes were truly outstanding, reminding me of the best adventure novels. Characters have very distinctive voices, and the writing style is brilliantly varied to reflect the time period of several stories. Descriptions are vivid. There is sex, but there is even more heart.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It will linger in my memory.
Several things stood out as I savored this novel. There is a wealth of finely observed details, made all the more impressive by the diverse times and locations of the stories. The action scenes were truly outstanding, reminding me of the best adventure novels. Characters have very distinctive voices, and the writing style is brilliantly varied to reflect the time period of several stories. Descriptions are vivid. There is sex, but there is even more heart.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It will linger in my memory.
September 1, 2012
Just finished reading and I feel for Felix. Reminds me a tiny bit of A.I. Artificial Intelligence (film starring Jude Law)
The writing is really good and different time periods are wonderfully shown.
These were my favourite stories: Once Upon A Time in Uruk (2700 BC), A Holiday Treat (1964), Two Little Boys (1955), Soldier of Fortune (1527), Avenging Angel (2012), The Western Front (1916), Roland and Olivier (788) and A Dog Called Sartre (2084)
The Persian Boy (2012), I had an inkling who mysterious young man might be but I didn’t expect that I will be right!
The writing is really good and different time periods are wonderfully shown.
These were my favourite stories: Once Upon A Time in Uruk (2700 BC), A Holiday Treat (1964), Two Little Boys (1955), Soldier of Fortune (1527), Avenging Angel (2012), The Western Front (1916), Roland and Olivier (788) and A Dog Called Sartre (2084)
The Persian Boy (2012), I had an inkling who mysterious young man might be but I didn’t expect that I will be right!
July 28, 2013
This book is a sheer delight As is its central character Felix, the pivot on which these interconnected tales all hang... By the end of the book you'll feel you've known Felix all your life. Actually, you probably have. The stories are set in many different times and places, throughout history and the present day. In addition to using his own voice, Roger Kean is a master of pastiching other styles, with delightful and entertaining results. From Mary Renault to... well, pretty well everybody else.
I had my favourites among these tales. I won't tell you which they were. Yours will be different from mine, of course. At the end of each of them you'll want to give yourself a little hug. Or better still, somebody else. Felix, perhaps...
I had my favourites among these tales. I won't tell you which they were. Yours will be different from mine, of course. At the end of each of them you'll want to give yourself a little hug. Or better still, somebody else. Felix, perhaps...
January 16, 2013
Felixitations is a collection of short stories with a central, spritely character intervening throughout. Mr. Kean's writing is masterful, and all the stories have depth and vivid imagery. There were a couple I didn't care for, both were well-written, they just didn't strike a chord with me. A problem I had, not with the book itself but, reading on kindle, it’s hard to flip back and forth throughout the book to recall characters mentioned later. Also, the unifying theme could have been more pronounced, I was hoping for a grand culmination, which didn't happen. All in all, the stronger stories prevail and it’s quite an enjoyable read.
July 7, 2012
I enjoyed this story, though I often had to flip back to see where I was or to try and link up characters that had appeared before. I liked the premise, but the actual reason for what Felix was doing was often very vague.
I enjoyed the chapters as short stories and as in any anthology, there were some I liked and some I didn't.
I enjoyed the chapters as short stories and as in any anthology, there were some I liked and some I didn't.
September 23, 2014
This book got me all worked up, made me giggle, made me cry and made me laugh. I love this book! I just wish I'd written it.
February 7, 2018
This felt much more like an anthology, with the short stories all connected by the presence of Felix to help events happen.
At first it reminded me of a gay yenta version of the old tv show Quantum Leap. But not all of the stories are happy, and not all of the men are destined for love.
Some of the stories got a little trippy with repeating characters, and implications of reincarnation. But some of them were just lovely, happy, smutty fun.
I was all set to happily give this 4 stars, as I was enjoying it immensely. But then I got to the "Roland and Olivier" chapter... Which tried to be told in verse. (Or at least it tried to rhyme; there weren't line breaks like in actual poetry.) And it was bad. Really bad. Overly forced and choppy and silly, and the meter was off half the time. Just bad. So I can't quite bring myself to give those 4 stars.
Overall, entertaining.
Favorite Quote:
it's Felix who finally welded Oliver's life to mine.
At first it reminded me of a gay yenta version of the old tv show Quantum Leap. But not all of the stories are happy, and not all of the men are destined for love.
Some of the stories got a little trippy with repeating characters, and implications of reincarnation. But some of them were just lovely, happy, smutty fun.
I was all set to happily give this 4 stars, as I was enjoying it immensely. But then I got to the "Roland and Olivier" chapter... Which tried to be told in verse. (Or at least it tried to rhyme; there weren't line breaks like in actual poetry.) And it was bad. Really bad. Overly forced and choppy and silly, and the meter was off half the time. Just bad. So I can't quite bring myself to give those 4 stars.
Overall, entertaining.
Favorite Quote:
it's Felix who finally welded Oliver's life to mine.
June 30, 2012
This book is unique—not a romance, not even one linear story, Felixitations is a series of vignettes whose only constant is Felix, an enigmatic character who materializes for as long as he is needed.
The stories range in time from the days of Gilgamesh to a future we haven’t seen yet, clustering in the early sixties and more or less current times, but with ventures to other eras where historical figures might interact.
The author has a reputation as a historian, which serves him well here—his knowledge is clear but doesn’t overwhelm, and his writing style matches the period. In one or two instances, this works against the story-telling, such as the vignette set against the Song of Roland, where the not quite prose, not quite poetry had me longing for the sequence to be finished, but even when he’s matching the style of The Epic of Gilgamesh¸ he’s consistent with the period.
Felix appears long enough to interact with those who might need a friendly push or a helping hand, although it’s not always clear until the end who’s the true recipient of his assistance, and woe betide him who thinks he knows a better path. Felix disappears, once his mission in that time ends, only to reappear in artwork or as a jolt of memory. Be prepared to leap forward and back in time—it works.
Some characters show up for a second story; others echo as archetypes from one era to the next using the same names. Few of the stories are exactly romances, though there is always a heavy sexual element, not always pleasant or consensual. The one story where Kean reaches for true love within the arc is the weakest. Much more successful are the sequences where Felix exposes another’s heart to himself, to set the man’s feet on the path to happiness. Felix is the felicitator—he makes happiness possible, once a heart is open to it.
The ending brings Felix around full circle—his own happiness is never a consideration until then, nor is his well-being, and his persona is what the times and his persons to assist require, though a thread of core personality remains. All is sacrificed as needed. The ending introduces a slightly peculiar note into Felix’s bouncings through time, but in a book like this, endings aren’t where events stop. He hasn’t helped anyone in Elizabethan England yet.
The stories range in time from the days of Gilgamesh to a future we haven’t seen yet, clustering in the early sixties and more or less current times, but with ventures to other eras where historical figures might interact.
The author has a reputation as a historian, which serves him well here—his knowledge is clear but doesn’t overwhelm, and his writing style matches the period. In one or two instances, this works against the story-telling, such as the vignette set against the Song of Roland, where the not quite prose, not quite poetry had me longing for the sequence to be finished, but even when he’s matching the style of The Epic of Gilgamesh¸ he’s consistent with the period.
Felix appears long enough to interact with those who might need a friendly push or a helping hand, although it’s not always clear until the end who’s the true recipient of his assistance, and woe betide him who thinks he knows a better path. Felix disappears, once his mission in that time ends, only to reappear in artwork or as a jolt of memory. Be prepared to leap forward and back in time—it works.
Some characters show up for a second story; others echo as archetypes from one era to the next using the same names. Few of the stories are exactly romances, though there is always a heavy sexual element, not always pleasant or consensual. The one story where Kean reaches for true love within the arc is the weakest. Much more successful are the sequences where Felix exposes another’s heart to himself, to set the man’s feet on the path to happiness. Felix is the felicitator—he makes happiness possible, once a heart is open to it.
The ending brings Felix around full circle—his own happiness is never a consideration until then, nor is his well-being, and his persona is what the times and his persons to assist require, though a thread of core personality remains. All is sacrificed as needed. The ending introduces a slightly peculiar note into Felix’s bouncings through time, but in a book like this, endings aren’t where events stop. He hasn’t helped anyone in Elizabethan England yet.
June 30, 2012
Felixitations takes us to the miraculous world of Felix who knows no boundaries, especially not time. There is great fun of jumping around back and forth in time as these tales of Felix go where the fates see his talents are needed. His travels and purpose is serendipitous. The destiny of the gay men he appears to is changed, mostly for the better… much better by Felix. He provides a chance for happiness (or at least really good times in bed and elsewhere) as his presence moves life in a direction Fortuna provides.
This is a phenomenon many can relate to since the chances that everything and everyone would be in just the right place to bring us to places in our lives and especially loves is just that—chances. For me Felix is the chance factor we all see working in the world and specifically in relationships.
But Felix is a devious character so each of the stories become very different. Also Felix becomes different too. He may drop into a gay man's life a in a changed appearance.
So Felix is no ordinary time traveler and Felixations is no ordinary book. It a series of magnificent stories some which tie together characters and some of which don't. Because when anything can happen you never know.
Oh, there is one thing readers can count on author Roger Kean provides a titillating variety of sexual situations to spice up Felix's travels and our reading.
I'm afraid I didn't do this book justice in my review. I recommend Boyd Walker's review which can be found at this link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
April 7, 2014
Recommended to me by my friend Goesta.
At first, this book reminded me of one of my favorite Agatha Christie stories, The Mysterious Mr. Quin. Christie's Quin wandered about Depression-era English High Society, uniting lovers and solving crime--that's a simplistic description but the similarity is that Quin is not human and he makes things happen.
Roger Kean's Felix, the Felicitator, moves across eons--or at least that is what I thought was happening. Beginning when he crash lands in ancient Sumer, Felix unites male lovers, over and over again. The same souls over and over, and this volume of short stories, is not ordered linearly. So while I thought they were linear for Felix [he's moving back and forth in human time, but it's all one and the same to him] apparently it is not. This became obvious during "Knowing Felix (1980)", when for the first time Felix has a first person voice.
In the second to last story, "Alabaster in Waset (2010)," Felix and his lover have been to gather for a few years. But in "The Persian Boy (2012)," the same two characters are a few years younger and are just meeting for the first time.
If the writing was not as good as it is, the historical research so accurate, the geographic locations and times given such details, I'd have given up with frustration. It is a very well crafted book, I'll probably re-read and re-write this review later.
At first, this book reminded me of one of my favorite Agatha Christie stories, The Mysterious Mr. Quin. Christie's Quin wandered about Depression-era English High Society, uniting lovers and solving crime--that's a simplistic description but the similarity is that Quin is not human and he makes things happen.
Roger Kean's Felix, the Felicitator, moves across eons--or at least that is what I thought was happening. Beginning when he crash lands in ancient Sumer, Felix unites male lovers, over and over again. The same souls over and over, and this volume of short stories, is not ordered linearly. So while I thought they were linear for Felix [he's moving back and forth in human time, but it's all one and the same to him] apparently it is not. This became obvious during "Knowing Felix (1980)", when for the first time Felix has a first person voice.
In the second to last story, "Alabaster in Waset (2010)," Felix and his lover have been to gather for a few years. But in "The Persian Boy (2012)," the same two characters are a few years younger and are just meeting for the first time.
If the writing was not as good as it is, the historical research so accurate, the geographic locations and times given such details, I'd have given up with frustration. It is a very well crafted book, I'll probably re-read and re-write this review later.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2013
I just finished this one and it is a bit of a conundrum for me. I loved Felix, he is so beautiful and so sexy, how could I not. He is sweet as well as beautiful. Besides Felix, the sex was way hot, and kept me constantly excited about the book. However, I don't think I ever understood all of the characters. I realized they were coming and going all of the time, but I could not follow that line. At times, it seemed like a lot of short stories instead of a novel. I don't know how to turn on a spoiler alert, especially on my iPad, so I won't talk about my reaction to how the book ended.
March 6, 2013
Loved the stories in this book and the overall theme running through it. Felix is the catalyst for all of the stories characters some of them at different points in their live and other connected in different ways. The stories run the gamete of emotions and not only entertain but make you stop to really think about what is being said in each story. Felix shows many men the way to happiness and some to their deserved doom.
Truly wonderful writing and not typical of MM romance. I would actually list it more as Gay literature. I can't wait to read his other works.
Truly wonderful writing and not typical of MM romance. I would actually list it more as Gay literature. I can't wait to read his other works.
September 6, 2015
Wow! How to describe this book. I struggled with it and didn't always love it but man it is good. The author has a way of weaving in history with his characters that is fascinating. The book really highlights the talents of the author. It isn't a romance. It is more a collection of stories that are all interconnected with the main character Felix being in each in some way. Not all the stories end well, Felix doesn't always help but he does provide change in the life of the men in the story. I ended up loving the book.
August 18, 2013
There's a lot of sex in Felixitations, which is never a bad thing. Felix pops up (no pun intended) in many parts of the world at many times through history and the future. And what Felix does is bring people together through the power of sex.
I like the concept and there are some good ideas in the book but I am afraid the sex just left me cold. A big dose of eroticism would have helped.
And some of the sex scenes were unpleasant. I am sure some people enjoy the glorification of abuse, but not me.
It's a shame because it could have been so much better.
I like the concept and there are some good ideas in the book but I am afraid the sex just left me cold. A big dose of eroticism would have helped.
And some of the sex scenes were unpleasant. I am sure some people enjoy the glorification of abuse, but not me.
It's a shame because it could have been so much better.
March 8, 2013
5 stars. Monika's favorite book.
Title: Felixitations
Author: Roger Kean
Cover Artist: Oliver Frey
Publisher: Reckless Books
Reviewer: Monika
Genre: Sci-Fi
Pairing: Gay
Length: Long Novel
Heat Rating: ♨♨♨♨♨
Rating:★★★★★
Read Full Review Here
Title: Felixitations
Author: Roger Kean
Cover Artist: Oliver Frey
Publisher: Reckless Books
Reviewer: Monika
Genre: Sci-Fi
Pairing: Gay
Length: Long Novel
Heat Rating: ♨♨♨♨♨
Rating:★★★★★
Read Full Review Here
August 4, 2012
A very nice series of short stories about various Felixes throughout time, bringing happiness and love through Gay sexual encounters, young, blonde, and blue-eyed.
His character isn't always consistent and there's not always great descriptions of the sex but things are written in a very sophisticated, literary style.
His character isn't always consistent and there's not always great descriptions of the sex but things are written in a very sophisticated, literary style.
May 3, 2014
I both loved and hated Felix depending on his manifestation but when all is said and done who can resist a cupid character who helps you to guide your love life? Send Felix to me now!
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