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The Butterscotch Prince
When Cordell's best friend and ex-lover is murdered, the only clue is one that the police seem to consider too kinky to followup on. So Cordell decides to track down the killer himself.
164 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 5, 2024
“PREJUDICE, OPPRESSION, INTOLERANCE”
The Butterscotch Prince by Richard Hall, a murder mystery, was first published by Pyramid Books in 1975. Hall revised the novel for publication in 1983 by Alyson Publications. In October 2023, ReQueered Tales reissued The Butterscotch Prince.
In his foreword to the 2023 ReQueered Tales reissue of The Butterscotch Prince, Jeffrey Round writes: “The story in these pages is set in a transitional time as far as gay liberation goes, bridging the gap between the hedonistic freedoms of the mid-70s, when it was first published, and the decade that followed, after AIDS had already reared its ugly head, when Hall revised the book.”
Cordell McGreevey, a young gay man, narrates the novel. His introspection about his life and the dilemmas in which he finds himself are some of the finest sections in The Butterscotch Prince. Although Ellison Greer is murdered in the second chapter, Cord McGreevey’s relationship with him permeates the entire novel. Cord says, “Ellison had taught me how to survive in New York. More than that he had taught me how to care—about my work, my world, myself. And at the graveside, enclosed in the bell-jar of my grief, I promised to unravel the mystery of his death. It was a promise that would have been better unmade and unkept.”
Cord’s quest to find out who killed Ellison Greer also becomes a journey to find himself. Early In the novel, Cord admits, “I’m totally his [Ellison’s] creation.” Roy Renfro, one of Cord’s friends, observes, “Ellison was your colored mammy, we all know that. But he’s gone now. Dead and gone.” At the end of the novel, Cord thinks, “A phrase I had heard once—I couldn’t remember where—rolled over me. Your colored mammy. God! It was one of those nasty half-truths, with enough justice in it to last. Mammy . . . the fake mother. Ellison . . . the fake lover.”
In the sweeping last chapter, during a Pride demonstration. Cord discovers a bravery he didn’t know he had. He concludes, “Prejudice, oppression, intolerance. Knee-jerk words which obscured more than they revealed.”
In The Butterscotch Prince, Richard Hall gives us two unforgettable young gay men. Hall is highly successful in contemporizing the 1975 version of the novel for the early 1980s. In his first book, which is not just a murder mystery, Richard Hall shows that he was on his way to become one of our important gay writers. He should be much, much more known than he is.
Many thanks to ReQueered Tales for reissuing The Butterscotch Prince.
The Butterscotch Prince by Richard Hall, a murder mystery, was first published by Pyramid Books in 1975. Hall revised the novel for publication in 1983 by Alyson Publications. In October 2023, ReQueered Tales reissued The Butterscotch Prince.
In his foreword to the 2023 ReQueered Tales reissue of The Butterscotch Prince, Jeffrey Round writes: “The story in these pages is set in a transitional time as far as gay liberation goes, bridging the gap between the hedonistic freedoms of the mid-70s, when it was first published, and the decade that followed, after AIDS had already reared its ugly head, when Hall revised the book.”
Cordell McGreevey, a young gay man, narrates the novel. His introspection about his life and the dilemmas in which he finds himself are some of the finest sections in The Butterscotch Prince. Although Ellison Greer is murdered in the second chapter, Cord McGreevey’s relationship with him permeates the entire novel. Cord says, “Ellison had taught me how to survive in New York. More than that he had taught me how to care—about my work, my world, myself. And at the graveside, enclosed in the bell-jar of my grief, I promised to unravel the mystery of his death. It was a promise that would have been better unmade and unkept.”
Cord’s quest to find out who killed Ellison Greer also becomes a journey to find himself. Early In the novel, Cord admits, “I’m totally his [Ellison’s] creation.” Roy Renfro, one of Cord’s friends, observes, “Ellison was your colored mammy, we all know that. But he’s gone now. Dead and gone.” At the end of the novel, Cord thinks, “A phrase I had heard once—I couldn’t remember where—rolled over me. Your colored mammy. God! It was one of those nasty half-truths, with enough justice in it to last. Mammy . . . the fake mother. Ellison . . . the fake lover.”
In the sweeping last chapter, during a Pride demonstration. Cord discovers a bravery he didn’t know he had. He concludes, “Prejudice, oppression, intolerance. Knee-jerk words which obscured more than they revealed.”
In The Butterscotch Prince, Richard Hall gives us two unforgettable young gay men. Hall is highly successful in contemporizing the 1975 version of the novel for the early 1980s. In his first book, which is not just a murder mystery, Richard Hall shows that he was on his way to become one of our important gay writers. He should be much, much more known than he is.
Many thanks to ReQueered Tales for reissuing The Butterscotch Prince.
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December 17, 2008by my dear friend Richard Hall
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews