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Bereavements
"Mother Who Lost Son Seeks Son Who Has Lost Mother," read the advertisement in The Village Voice.
Those who replied the curious, the disturbed, the opportunistic were writing to Mrs. Harrington-Smith Evans, one of the ten wealthiest women in the world whose only child, a teenage boy, had died a mysterious death.
Pretentious, theatrical, wantonly self-dramatized, increasingly deranged in her grief, Mrs. Evans indulges in all the extravagant expressions of bereavement that money can buy: a seamless glass coffin; an embalming secret the pharaohs of ancient Egypt must have dreamed of; and a tomb so costly and exquisite, Shan Jahan's ghost surely groaned in its envy.
Finally, the ad: in retrospect so silly and embarrassing she needn't kill herself to die. But if she found him, a surrogate son might ease her grief, forestall her encroaching madness.
From the many respondents, her choice narrows down to three: Angel, an illiterate boy from New York's Spanish ghetto; Martin, a handsome, fatally ambitious young actor; and disarming Bruno, barely eighteen, an aspiring novelist who writes her perfumed letters in an absurd 19th century prose.
The Rivalries, the passions, the bizarre events that follow this strange entourage include murder, suicide, and a "haunting" like no other in this world or the next.
Those who replied the curious, the disturbed, the opportunistic were writing to Mrs. Harrington-Smith Evans, one of the ten wealthiest women in the world whose only child, a teenage boy, had died a mysterious death.
Pretentious, theatrical, wantonly self-dramatized, increasingly deranged in her grief, Mrs. Evans indulges in all the extravagant expressions of bereavement that money can buy: a seamless glass coffin; an embalming secret the pharaohs of ancient Egypt must have dreamed of; and a tomb so costly and exquisite, Shan Jahan's ghost surely groaned in its envy.
Finally, the ad: in retrospect so silly and embarrassing she needn't kill herself to die. But if she found him, a surrogate son might ease her grief, forestall her encroaching madness.
From the many respondents, her choice narrows down to three: Angel, an illiterate boy from New York's Spanish ghetto; Martin, a handsome, fatally ambitious young actor; and disarming Bruno, barely eighteen, an aspiring novelist who writes her perfumed letters in an absurd 19th century prose.
The Rivalries, the passions, the bizarre events that follow this strange entourage include murder, suicide, and a "haunting" like no other in this world or the next.
352 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1980
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 21, 2019
Loss is a queer thing. Losing a person, a family member, a loved one... the impact of loss looks different, depending on the person. There's no standard reaction; even the well-established 5 Stages of Grief don't exactly portray how everyone experiences loss or grief. I run trainings for peer support volunteers throughout the year and one of our key modules is an experiential exercise on loss and grief. It is interesting (and often moving) to see how participants react to the exercise in radically different ways. Many people compartmentalize and the experience is merely an intellectual one for them - have they managed to see this as an exercise and not emotionally invest in it, or is this how they deal with their grief in real life? Other people are all-in during the module, and the exercise brings out tears and/or rage and/or disappointment - is this how they deal with loss and grief that they've experienced, or has the exercise been a cathartic one for them, allowing them the space to release their bottled up emotions? I can't say, and the impression I've had over the years is that the participants can't really say either. We are often mysteries to ourselves, our own motivations and actions and reactions not easily explained or mapped out. And so it is with the cast of Bereavements and their often inexplicable actions and reactions.
Bereavements is a queer novel. It is about loss and grief, obviously. But it goes about exploring those things in such a bizarre way (e.g. there is a body embalmed in honey). Synopsis: an incredibly rich woman's teen son has died; in her near-insane grief, she posts an ad in the Village Voice that seeks a son who has lost their mother. There are many responses, some pornographic, but three of them become actual relationships. There is a mercenary actor in his late 20s who wants to be Mrs. Evans' arm-candy, accompanying her to shows and fancy diners and other social engagements, with the potential of romance on the horizon. There is a little person, a poetic intellectual and a would-be writer seeking a patron, highly intelligent, and a victim of the world's cruelty towards those who are different. And most importantly, there is the teen Angel: looking for genuine maternal love, his own unloving mother slowly wasting away in their small apartment, his studly father complacently drinking beer in his underwear, eyeing Angel hungrily. Angel is Mrs. Evans' dream come true, a substitute for departed son Martin, a symbol of her overpowering grief come to life. Angel becomes Mrs. Evans' angel, and the catalyst for her eventual catharsis. Is he her Death-Angel or her Angel of Life? Well, no spoilers here.
Richard Lortz is a queer writer. And this time I mean "queer" as in "Lortz is from the Land of Gays". Unfortunately, this is not really a good thing (and keep in mind this is coming from a proud queer). Was he actually gay? In the closet? Just interested in gay sexuality? I dunno. There is a certain homoeroticism that comes out in a couple of the novels that made me uncomfortable. I have no issue with homoeroticism, hell I literally love it, but when that eroticism is of the sneaky sort that makes sure his male characters are often portrayed as hairy-chested studs whose bodies are drooled over while forgetting that his female characters have their own bodies, their own sexuality... that's disappointing. So old school! And speaking of old school, I'm pretty over Lortz's not-so-hidden interest in NAMBLA type relationships. Thank God we are in an era where being gay is not automatically equated with wanting to see some man-on-boy action. So despite how fascinating this novel often was, despite the quirky and original prose on display, despite the depth of Bereavement's compelling themes... this book disappointed and at times repelled me (and I don't want to even go into how Lortz turns his sympathetic little person into a standard horrorshow monster full of self-pity and murderous, suicidal rage - UGH). I have one more Lortz on my shelf, an early effort by the author. I really hope it doesn't include some hot-bodied, hairy-chested, pedo-inclined wannabe stud that Lortz is not so covertly drooling over. I mean, everyone has their weird little fantasies, but there are some fantasies that I just don't need to read or even think about.
Bereavements is a queer novel. It is about loss and grief, obviously. But it goes about exploring those things in such a bizarre way (e.g. there is a body embalmed in honey). Synopsis: an incredibly rich woman's teen son has died; in her near-insane grief, she posts an ad in the Village Voice that seeks a son who has lost their mother. There are many responses, some pornographic, but three of them become actual relationships. There is a mercenary actor in his late 20s who wants to be Mrs. Evans' arm-candy, accompanying her to shows and fancy diners and other social engagements, with the potential of romance on the horizon. There is a little person, a poetic intellectual and a would-be writer seeking a patron, highly intelligent, and a victim of the world's cruelty towards those who are different. And most importantly, there is the teen Angel: looking for genuine maternal love, his own unloving mother slowly wasting away in their small apartment, his studly father complacently drinking beer in his underwear, eyeing Angel hungrily. Angel is Mrs. Evans' dream come true, a substitute for departed son Martin, a symbol of her overpowering grief come to life. Angel becomes Mrs. Evans' angel, and the catalyst for her eventual catharsis. Is he her Death-Angel or her Angel of Life? Well, no spoilers here.
Richard Lortz is a queer writer. And this time I mean "queer" as in "Lortz is from the Land of Gays". Unfortunately, this is not really a good thing (and keep in mind this is coming from a proud queer). Was he actually gay? In the closet? Just interested in gay sexuality? I dunno. There is a certain homoeroticism that comes out in a couple of the novels that made me uncomfortable. I have no issue with homoeroticism, hell I literally love it, but when that eroticism is of the sneaky sort that makes sure his male characters are often portrayed as hairy-chested studs whose bodies are drooled over while forgetting that his female characters have their own bodies, their own sexuality... that's disappointing. So old school! And speaking of old school, I'm pretty over Lortz's not-so-hidden interest in NAMBLA type relationships. Thank God we are in an era where being gay is not automatically equated with wanting to see some man-on-boy action. So despite how fascinating this novel often was, despite the quirky and original prose on display, despite the depth of Bereavement's compelling themes... this book disappointed and at times repelled me (and I don't want to even go into how Lortz turns his sympathetic little person into a standard horrorshow monster full of self-pity and murderous, suicidal rage - UGH). I have one more Lortz on my shelf, an early effort by the author. I really hope it doesn't include some hot-bodied, hairy-chested, pedo-inclined wannabe stud that Lortz is not so covertly drooling over. I mean, everyone has their weird little fantasies, but there are some fantasies that I just don't need to read or even think about.
February 25, 2018
Lortz’s manic writing style matches the themes of the book quite well, but I often felt unsatisfied. He would introduce a character’s trait or history and wouldn’t necessarily return. Also, really on the fence about the ending. All this being said, I read the last half of the book all in one sitting (something I rarely do), so something got a hold of me.
March 19, 2024
I have no problem with books tackling taboo subjects but this one did so with no grace and only for the shock factor. It gets 2 stars for some interesting side characters and good pacing but otherwise would not recommend.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews