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Better Angel
Published in 1933, gave readers one of the first positive images of gay life and became an underground classic. Today, it remains a touching story of a young man's discovery of his sexuality in the 1920s and 1930s and is considered to be one of the most important gay books ever written.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1933
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643 people want to read
About the author
Forman Brown
7 books4 followersForman Brown was one of the world's leaders in puppet theatre in his day, as well as an important early gay novelist. He was a member of the Yale Puppeteers and the driving force behind Turnabout Theatre. He was born in Otsego, Michigan, in 1901 and died in 1996, two days after his 95th birthday. Brown briefly taught at North Carolina State College, followed by an extensive tour of Europe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 22, 2022
Such a touching story. Great, well drawn characters. Crazy this was published in 1933.
"Kurt wanted only to be alone, in mind and body. He yearned for it, and played, with a sad sort of satisfaction, with the idea that had formulated itself in his mind with the flow of music in David's room. It made him seem a romantic figure, romantic because of his difference, because of this invisible yet impenetrable wall which was building, building, building between him and the world. How big did one have to be, he wondered, to live so always, feeding always on oneself, and, spider-like, spinning such beauty as one might out of one's own being? The thought of the years ahead, old age, sent his mind huddling and shivering back to a present when loneliness could have, being young, a sad and acrid beauty."
"Kurt wanted only to be alone, in mind and body. He yearned for it, and played, with a sad sort of satisfaction, with the idea that had formulated itself in his mind with the flow of music in David's room. It made him seem a romantic figure, romantic because of his difference, because of this invisible yet impenetrable wall which was building, building, building between him and the world. How big did one have to be, he wondered, to live so always, feeding always on oneself, and, spider-like, spinning such beauty as one might out of one's own being? The thought of the years ahead, old age, sent his mind huddling and shivering back to a present when loneliness could have, being young, a sad and acrid beauty."
March 29, 2022
How come I never heard of this book until recently? First published in 1933 under the pseudonym "Richard Meeker", Better Angel tells the story of a lonely sensitive boy who knows he is different. He knows it, but doesn’t know what it means or how it will work out.
Much more positive and life-affirming than many other early works on the topic of same-sex attraction.
This edition features an epilogue by the 95 year old author, now unmasked, who offers insights into the “real” characters who people this novel.
I have to say I did not understand the attraction between Kurt and David. The epilogue made me understand a little more, but I won’t say why. My lips are sealed!
Much more positive and life-affirming than many other early works on the topic of same-sex attraction.
This edition features an epilogue by the 95 year old author, now unmasked, who offers insights into the “real” characters who people this novel.
I have to say I did not understand the attraction between Kurt and David. The epilogue made me understand a little more, but I won’t say why. My lips are sealed!
July 8, 2007
[Since writing this review I've found my copy of this. I was right that the author, who had originally written it under a pseudonym, lived to acknowledge that he, Forman Brown, was the author. This acknowledgement came in the form of an epilogue written in 1990, when he was almost ninety years old. I'd hate to violate copyright by including the entire epilogue here, but to give you the optimistic tone of Brown's writing, I'll quote a little of it: "Imagine a very old gentleman entering a very modern bookshop and somewhat hesitantly asking the proprietor if by any chance he has a copy of a novel called BETTER ANGEL by one Richard Meeker. The proprietor replies 'Yes, indeed. It's quite popular, and I think you'll like it. It's a well written book.' 'I'm sure I shall,' said the old gentleman. 'You see, I wrote it.' And that is why this old gentleman, Forman Brown, is writing this epilogue for the new edition of the book.'" My edition is a facsimile of the 1933 original, with Hubert Kennedy's introduction added along with Forman Brown's epilogue, which clears up Kennedy's notion that the author would never surface. Finally, I'll mention that Brown and his friends (who formed a theatrical group called the Yale Puppeteers) ran what he describes as "one of the most unusual and successful small theaters in the land," the Turnabout Theatre in Los Angeles. (Okay, here's some more: Forman Brown also worked wrote material for Sophie Tucker, Elsa Lanchester and Bette Midler.) Below is my review as it was before I tracked down my copy of the book.]
This novel was written in the early 1930s. Forman Brown is pictured on the cover of this book. Looks like a witty fellow.
This is a shockingly optimistic look on gay life, written during a time of serious oppression of gays and lesbians. It's an entertaining story which moves quickly. The prose is clear.
I've read a little about Forman Brown. I have forgotten whether this was originally published under a psuedonym, but he did live to see it published under his own name. He provided an introduction for it. I'm not sure if this edition contains that or not. In any case, that is his picture on the cover. He lived to a ripe, old age and was apparently happy.
As the bard of Armagh says, "The merry-hearted boys make the best of old men."
This novel was written in the early 1930s. Forman Brown is pictured on the cover of this book. Looks like a witty fellow.
This is a shockingly optimistic look on gay life, written during a time of serious oppression of gays and lesbians. It's an entertaining story which moves quickly. The prose is clear.
I've read a little about Forman Brown. I have forgotten whether this was originally published under a psuedonym, but he did live to see it published under his own name. He provided an introduction for it. I'm not sure if this edition contains that or not. In any case, that is his picture on the cover. He lived to a ripe, old age and was apparently happy.
As the bard of Armagh says, "The merry-hearted boys make the best of old men."
February 17, 2020
Though worth reading for it's historical perspective on gay life in the early part of the 20th century and coming to terms with one's sexuality in that restrictive society, the story also resonates with the conflicting voices, both internal and external, that shape gay lives and thereby has significance as a lovely "coming of age story" as well.
There are a few old-fashioned terms and references to popular culture of the time that date the prose, but it is so well-written that the story reminds us that feelings and fears about our inner-most secrets can transcend time and place.
There are a few old-fashioned terms and references to popular culture of the time that date the prose, but it is so well-written that the story reminds us that feelings and fears about our inner-most secrets can transcend time and place.
June 2, 2021
Better Angel is a timeless and well written novel about a young man discovering his sexuality and navigating the confusion of new relationships. Kurt's religious upbringing weighs on him into his adulthood despite him believing himself to have moved on from it and it results in him being rather innocent and prudish (for lack of a better word) - especially in comparison to the two other gay main characters. I thought his journey of self discovery was relatable and relevant today - his thoughts and feelings were realistic and thorough. The love triangle/square that develops was also entertaining and interesting as each person involved was unique in how they cope with the world around them.
A notable part of the novel that stood out to me was the entrapment of one character by the police for being gay. This was common in most major cities and caused many gay men to lose their jobs, be ostracised by their friends and family and be publicly humiliated. Seeing it reflected in this novel was interesting as it isn't a topic commonly talked about and not one that I have read in any literature up until this point.
A notable part of the novel that stood out to me was the entrapment of one character by the police for being gay. This was common in most major cities and caused many gay men to lose their jobs, be ostracised by their friends and family and be publicly humiliated. Seeing it reflected in this novel was interesting as it isn't a topic commonly talked about and not one that I have read in any literature up until this point.
December 2, 2019
What was it like to grow up and live as a gay man in the dark past? That temporal puzzle enlivens the literature of the early twentieth century in which the subject is broached or alluded to. This book, published in 1933 under a pseudonym just as homophobia was reaching its high point in American culture, gives readers a unique glimpse into the dark.
The story has a story all its own. Four of the characters represented real people who, after the book was published, had achieved some degree of fame. This the long-lived author tells us in the 1995 epilogue to the Alyson Books edition, where he at last identifies himself. The story is based on their youthful relationships with Forman Brown. The protagonist (i.e., Forman Brown) and his friends cross paths in the America of the 1920's, moving through life in a societal vacuum so complete they have only one another to work out the ramifications of their sexuality.
The "fellows" (the word crops up often) have a sense of who they are based on ancient Greek culture and Oscar Wilde, but not much else. But the protagonist figures out a lot. Sex and marriage with women, he sees, is a false path. Confinement in what we now call the closet means an inevitable and even desirable alienation from one's biological family. Segregation from straight society is a matter of survival. The importance of mentoring younger homosexuals is both a reward and a duty. In these pages the idea of "families we create" finds its first tentative suggestion.
Only once does the word "homosexual" come up. The characters often talk about "our kind," and the word "queer" invites ambivalence. Originally (see Gay New York) a somewhat value-neutral word to distinguish between "fairies" and less flamboyant homosexuals, the word queer was, by the time of the novel, starting to be used as an epithet:
"... that you weren't - 'queer' - he laughed in derision at the word ..."
"We queer ones can spot our kind anywhere, anytime."
"I thought when I was in Henry Street that I ran up against queer people, but this has me beat."
"You don't want to queer my cure [for being openly gay - Tyler], do you?"
The coterie in this book have none but one another for support, and as they figure out how to live as homosexuals the narrative becomes slightly didactic. But Better Angel is also a touchstone in the evolution of a modern gay self-awareness. It uncovers themes that gay readers still must grapple with, even if in a more modern form. For its historical cachet and insight into the origins of modern gay culture, this book should be high on the list for gay fiction readers.
The story has a story all its own. Four of the characters represented real people who, after the book was published, had achieved some degree of fame. This the long-lived author tells us in the 1995 epilogue to the Alyson Books edition, where he at last identifies himself. The story is based on their youthful relationships with Forman Brown. The protagonist (i.e., Forman Brown) and his friends cross paths in the America of the 1920's, moving through life in a societal vacuum so complete they have only one another to work out the ramifications of their sexuality.
The "fellows" (the word crops up often) have a sense of who they are based on ancient Greek culture and Oscar Wilde, but not much else. But the protagonist figures out a lot. Sex and marriage with women, he sees, is a false path. Confinement in what we now call the closet means an inevitable and even desirable alienation from one's biological family. Segregation from straight society is a matter of survival. The importance of mentoring younger homosexuals is both a reward and a duty. In these pages the idea of "families we create" finds its first tentative suggestion.
Only once does the word "homosexual" come up. The characters often talk about "our kind," and the word "queer" invites ambivalence. Originally (see Gay New York) a somewhat value-neutral word to distinguish between "fairies" and less flamboyant homosexuals, the word queer was, by the time of the novel, starting to be used as an epithet:
"... that you weren't - 'queer' - he laughed in derision at the word ..."
"We queer ones can spot our kind anywhere, anytime."
"I thought when I was in Henry Street that I ran up against queer people, but this has me beat."
"You don't want to queer my cure [for being openly gay - Tyler], do you?"
The coterie in this book have none but one another for support, and as they figure out how to live as homosexuals the narrative becomes slightly didactic. But Better Angel is also a touchstone in the evolution of a modern gay self-awareness. It uncovers themes that gay readers still must grapple with, even if in a more modern form. For its historical cachet and insight into the origins of modern gay culture, this book should be high on the list for gay fiction readers.
March 10, 2020
Really beautifully written, thoroughly modern, and could have been an incredible help had it been assigned in high school.
It is unreal how much I saw myself in this book and I lament that this isn't more regularly available. Time to publish it again!
It is unreal how much I saw myself in this book and I lament that this isn't more regularly available. Time to publish it again!
March 24, 2021
Two loves I have of comfort and despair,
Which like two spirits do suggest me still:
The better angel is a man right fair
I can only imagine what it must have been like for a gay man to read such a book as Better Angel when it was published in 1933, and for several decades after that too. Here is the coming-of-age, coming out story of a naïve and idealistic young man, that is affirming and doesn't end in tragedy.
Until the last 30-odd years, before the advent of the Internet and the incredible access to information it offers, books, and novels in particular, have been a central way for young (and not so young) gay men to learn about themselves and others like them. Sadly many of the authors of those books daring to deal with the subject of homosexuality in the face of public disapproval, have felt compelled to make allowances for society's views by leading their heroes and heroines along tortuous dark paths, that all too often end tragically.
Not so with "Richard Meeker". Forman Brown had to resort to the protection of a nom de plume, but as he explains in the epilogue, "(and surprise ending) for the new edition," the book, named after a quote from Shakespeare's sonnet No 144, is largely autobiographical, and the ending was indeed very much the happy one suggested by the book.
This is not by any means a perfect book, but the writing is good and it presents a believable, engaging story that feels unabashedly addressed to gay men, rather than heterosexual readers. The characters and relationships are shown without embellishments and without pleading for acceptance, as other early gay books can sometimes do.
As Perrier says on page 228, in what is clearly Meeker/Brown's manifesto for the novel, such a book"'s got to be a sort of vindication of our kind of loving, you see. A vindication to the world. Nobody's ever done it, really." Interestingly, all the straight relationships presented in the book are somehow failing. The only excepting being that of Gray's parents, which hardly qualifies as a relationship anyway.
In the last section, the books takes on an almost militant tone, and a jarring rhythm as a result. Meeker/Brown includes a number of episodes that seem artificially tacked on to the story to allow himself the chance to make points about the injustices faced by gay men.
While Meeker/Brown, like Gray, seems to be yearning for some romantic ideal, it is remarkable that, unlike in many other similar books (see for example the contemporaneous The Hustler), there is no slut and/or sissy shaming here. This is perhaps an influence of Edward Carpenter and Havelock Ellis, who are both mentioned in the book.
The book ends with Gray in darkness agreeing to letting a servant put the lights on. This is a symbol of the future Meeker/Brown rightly imagined both for his characters and for himself, but also no doubt for all gay men. Almost 90 years later, there is still much darkness surrounding too many of us, but there is also some light. Better Angel was and remains a bright flicker of hope, particularly with the information provided in the epilogue of the 1990 edition.
Which like two spirits do suggest me still:
The better angel is a man right fair
I can only imagine what it must have been like for a gay man to read such a book as Better Angel when it was published in 1933, and for several decades after that too. Here is the coming-of-age, coming out story of a naïve and idealistic young man, that is affirming and doesn't end in tragedy.
Until the last 30-odd years, before the advent of the Internet and the incredible access to information it offers, books, and novels in particular, have been a central way for young (and not so young) gay men to learn about themselves and others like them. Sadly many of the authors of those books daring to deal with the subject of homosexuality in the face of public disapproval, have felt compelled to make allowances for society's views by leading their heroes and heroines along tortuous dark paths, that all too often end tragically.
Not so with "Richard Meeker". Forman Brown had to resort to the protection of a nom de plume, but as he explains in the epilogue, "(and surprise ending) for the new edition," the book, named after a quote from Shakespeare's sonnet No 144, is largely autobiographical, and the ending was indeed very much the happy one suggested by the book.
This is not by any means a perfect book, but the writing is good and it presents a believable, engaging story that feels unabashedly addressed to gay men, rather than heterosexual readers. The characters and relationships are shown without embellishments and without pleading for acceptance, as other early gay books can sometimes do.
As Perrier says on page 228, in what is clearly Meeker/Brown's manifesto for the novel, such a book"'s got to be a sort of vindication of our kind of loving, you see. A vindication to the world. Nobody's ever done it, really." Interestingly, all the straight relationships presented in the book are somehow failing. The only excepting being that of Gray's parents, which hardly qualifies as a relationship anyway.
In the last section, the books takes on an almost militant tone, and a jarring rhythm as a result. Meeker/Brown includes a number of episodes that seem artificially tacked on to the story to allow himself the chance to make points about the injustices faced by gay men.
While Meeker/Brown, like Gray, seems to be yearning for some romantic ideal, it is remarkable that, unlike in many other similar books (see for example the contemporaneous The Hustler), there is no slut and/or sissy shaming here. This is perhaps an influence of Edward Carpenter and Havelock Ellis, who are both mentioned in the book.
The book ends with Gray in darkness agreeing to letting a servant put the lights on. This is a symbol of the future Meeker/Brown rightly imagined both for his characters and for himself, but also no doubt for all gay men. Almost 90 years later, there is still much darkness surrounding too many of us, but there is also some light. Better Angel was and remains a bright flicker of hope, particularly with the information provided in the epilogue of the 1990 edition.
June 26, 2022
A beautiful story, ever more poignant for the period in which it was written and the 60 years it took for the author to identify himself.
I feel the epilogue in this edition is a necessity to the story, as without it, I felt the ending did not quite satisfy. I suspect I would have rated it lower if I'd read an earlier edition. (Seek out any post-1995 edition to read.)
This is an important work, a powerful treatise on the basic universal humanity of love, and is recommended reading.
I feel the epilogue in this edition is a necessity to the story, as without it, I felt the ending did not quite satisfy. I suspect I would have rated it lower if I'd read an earlier edition. (Seek out any post-1995 edition to read.)
This is an important work, a powerful treatise on the basic universal humanity of love, and is recommended reading.
October 29, 2017
The novel’s primary claim to fame is that it is unusually positive in its treatment of homosexuality for the time. It’s also a well-constructed work, with believable characters, and a protagonist that’s likable enough. The initial part, about childhood, resonated most with me. I found less compelling the account of the main character’s love life when he grows up. I think that, with novels centred around same-sex desire, I like to feel an attraction for the characters, and that didn’t happen here. The novel is heavily autobiographical, so that might account for it - the author is not aiming to make you fall in love with his lovers, but presumably simply to portray them as they really were. It just so happens that whatever the author could see in them failed to resonate with me.
March 29, 2015
I've read Better Angel multiple times; I've bought this book multiple times - originally in the '80s, before the Foreman Brown revelations came out. Either that original or its first replacement edition was from Alyson Books. The last time I bought Better Angel was later in the 90s, with the formal 'coming out'(?) by Foreman Brown; I bought two copies, and wound up giving both away - again.
I'd been incredibly moved by the story the first time I read it, and it only gets better on repeated readings.
I'd been incredibly moved by the story the first time I read it, and it only gets better on repeated readings.
July 6, 2022
Really beautiful, starkly written but conveys so much depth of emotion. It's so comforting to see a story about queer love from an earlier era, especially one that chooses to affirm that queerness.
January 13, 2025
“In a strong dark flood the sense of the destiny of this boy swept over him, the destiny of all such boys everywhere — their heritage of desire and shame, of uncertainty, of deception, of hypocrisy, and of tumultuous joy and burning regret, of friends without friendship, of concealing the truth and revealing the lie, and ultimately — what? Would such a one be better off never to know, never to recognize his inversion for what it was — but to live lonely and apart in an incomprehensible and unfriendly world? No. No.”
One of my goals this year was to read more pre-Stonewall era queer literature, so I shopped around for several books and added them to my bowl of TBR titles. Better Angel by Forman Brown was my first selection. Written in 1933, the novel focuses on Kurt Gray, a shy boy growing up in small-town Michigan. Even as a child he recognizes that he is different. He is much more sensitive than the other boys in his community and takes no interest in sports or their rough games. Gradually, he begins to recognize his own desire for love and companionship with another man. As an adult, Kurt begins to plant the seeds of his own happiness, although he must also grapple with his own naivety.
I felt such a kinship with Kurt. The opening passages of the novel introduce us to the sensitive boy with his nose buried in a book. The way his parents worry over him, his mother's fear that he is too pliant, the invisible, contrived barrier between him and his father, all felt so familiar and still so relevant that it made the ninety some year gap between the writing of this novel and the present feel much smaller. Kurt was thirteen in the early 1900s, while I was 13 in the early 2000s, yet so much of his childhood experience was similar to my own. It is difficult to not feel a need to offer the young Kurt a hug or some reassurance.
"When Kurt would come home as he too often did, white-face and trembling — when she would should put her arms around his narrow shoulders — when she would kiss his cheek and he would shake her off, ashamed that she should see his racking bitterness — when, at last, hesitantly, perhaps in a flood of tears, he would admit that the boys at school had teased him about his fair skin: ‘Where’d ya buy yer paint, sissy? Sissy! Sissy!’–when, with a body shaking and hands clenched, eyes strangely dark in his white face, he would sob, ‘Why–Mom–why, why, why? Why can’t they leave me alone?’”
There’s nothing particularly remarkable about the story of Better Angel, but what does make it remarkable is the early depiction of a somewhat happy ending for the gay protagonist. Sure, Kurt wrestles with his demons, especially as a child, but by the end of the novel he really has come to accept himself, the limitations imposed on him by society, and the inherent beauty of his love. It really does function quite well as a coming-of-age novel. I do think there is a bit of a cynical view of monogamy and the gay man in the novel, but I can’t protest too much. It’s still a topic that inspires controversy, besides both monogamy and other relationship models are entirely valid. Maybe it even adds to the book’s modern sensibility. What impressed me most, however, was the way that I could really my own experiences and my own certainties in Kurt. Parts of Better Angel felt like taking a peek at my own soul and I’m not ashamed to admit that reading the epilogue, penned in 1995 by a 94-year-old Brown, brought a tear to my eye.
August 5, 2025
"In Kurt there was growing a feeling for Derry that he did not for a long time try to analyze or understand. He only knew that this mercurial person could cause him more delight and more misery than anyone he had ever known."
Better Angel is a novel which follows Kurt, a young man trying to find himself amidst a world in which he cannot be himself. But still, he finds the strength to go on, in spite of bullying, in spite of homophobia, in spite of everything the world throws at him. This, of course, is a huge conflict in the story: being homosexual.
This novel was published in 1933, but it doesn't paint gayness as something terrible or horrifying or something that needs to be erased. It paints queerness in a positive light, it shows the beauty of adolescent to teenage to adult relationships in such an evocative way, it's actually insane, considering the time period. I was so invested in Kurt's relationships with everyone. I actually audibly gasped at times, which is crazy, because that doesn't happen for me. And there are some paragraphs of dialogue that you just know is filled with rage and hatred. "The only difference is—the only damned difference is that for us there's no way of getting social sanction—so we go around the world like a lot of sorry ghosts, being forever ashamed of a thing we've no reason to be ashamed of." I know damn well that our Forman Brown here wrote this section with pure abhorrence in his bones, and god is it refreshing, god it is beautiful. And you're telling me that this was printed? I'm still getting over how such a book was published, but that's not a bad thing. I personally find it amazing how Brown wrote such beautiful (and sometimes hateful) paragraphs, and would have thought for sure that his vile commentary on the injustice of homosexuality would've been enough to veer publishers away. But it hasn't, and so I read the earliest depiction of positive gay representation in media. If he were still alive, Brown, I would make every damned effort to thank him for writing this book. Because it is amazing.
One of the best parts of the book, in my opinion, is the prose. One way to ensure I five-star a book is to write it with the most beautiful, poetic, lyrical prose (see How We Named the Stars, In Memoriam, The Song of Achilles). I actually, genuinely believe that this might be the best instance of poetic prose that I've read, ever. It's that good. Forman writes in such a vivid and evocative and distinctive way, it elegantly plays itself in your mind, even when you don't expect it. For example, about 40 pages in, I annotated this book, and there were times when I would have entire paragraphs underlined in ink, just because I found the writing to be that good. I was scared that I'd have a hard time reading this, being written so long ago. But the writing surpassed my expectations by a damned mile.
Something I wasn't expecting was the literary merit in this novel. I spent an entire paragraph talking about the prose above, so obviously that's a plus. But the characters, they're all so fleshed-out, and they aren't all good or all bad! They have nuance! Tony, for example, he's a good guy, but some of his opinions I cannot find myself agreeing with. And yet still he's so charming and likeable that I kinda just overlook that, like how Kurt does. Plus, this book is packed with symbolism. I found myself theorizing on the pages what this means and what that means, and I noticed all the callbacks to previous moments, and all the times the setting or the dialogue or how a sentence was structured affected a moment or paralleled a certain scene or character, and it was kinda fun, lowkey.
While on the topic of unexpected surprises, this novel had a lot of funny moments. I was kinda just laughing at the things these people say (not in a bad way, of course). Like stated earlier, Tony. He's so enjoyable to be around, so I just forgive him from his opinions. And Kurt's gets kinda mean at times, and it's awesome, cause reading when Kurt's annoyed at someone is so damn entertaining.
All of these things here are factors into why I rated this 5 stars (which is a rarity, btw!), but the biggest reason is that the love that Kurt holds is beautiful. He loves quite a few people throughout the course of the novel, and every single one of them is so amazing to read about. Now that I'm writing this, I realize that every single one of his loves are so completely different from one another. Platonic, romance, love, lust. Each relationship Kurt has had shows a different side of him, because really, the only common thread between each character is that they are homosexual, and that they are men. Plus, they're so relatable, too. Kurt discovering himself and his accompanying shame is exactly how I felt when figuring out I liked guys as well. His anger on his mistreatment on society could've been taken word from word when I used to rant about it to anyone who would listen. David's love and his hopelessness and his yearning still conveys how I feel when thinking about another man. I see bits and pieces of myself in every character that Forman introduces, and it is this that forces my hand into that 5th star.
Forman Brown was a man who essentially wrote about himself here. He had so much to say about society, about youth, about love. And I'm so damned happy he said them. Better Angel is a cornerstone of queer literature, and I wish he was here so I could personally thank him for writing this.
Thank you, Forman Brown, for writing one of, if not the best books I have ever read, and for authoring one of the best novels I will have ever read.
Better Angel is a novel which follows Kurt, a young man trying to find himself amidst a world in which he cannot be himself. But still, he finds the strength to go on, in spite of bullying, in spite of homophobia, in spite of everything the world throws at him. This, of course, is a huge conflict in the story: being homosexual.
This novel was published in 1933, but it doesn't paint gayness as something terrible or horrifying or something that needs to be erased. It paints queerness in a positive light, it shows the beauty of adolescent to teenage to adult relationships in such an evocative way, it's actually insane, considering the time period. I was so invested in Kurt's relationships with everyone. I actually audibly gasped at times, which is crazy, because that doesn't happen for me. And there are some paragraphs of dialogue that you just know is filled with rage and hatred. "The only difference is—the only damned difference is that for us there's no way of getting social sanction—so we go around the world like a lot of sorry ghosts, being forever ashamed of a thing we've no reason to be ashamed of." I know damn well that our Forman Brown here wrote this section with pure abhorrence in his bones, and god is it refreshing, god it is beautiful. And you're telling me that this was printed? I'm still getting over how such a book was published, but that's not a bad thing. I personally find it amazing how Brown wrote such beautiful (and sometimes hateful) paragraphs, and would have thought for sure that his vile commentary on the injustice of homosexuality would've been enough to veer publishers away. But it hasn't, and so I read the earliest depiction of positive gay representation in media. If he were still alive, Brown, I would make every damned effort to thank him for writing this book. Because it is amazing.
One of the best parts of the book, in my opinion, is the prose. One way to ensure I five-star a book is to write it with the most beautiful, poetic, lyrical prose (see How We Named the Stars, In Memoriam, The Song of Achilles). I actually, genuinely believe that this might be the best instance of poetic prose that I've read, ever. It's that good. Forman writes in such a vivid and evocative and distinctive way, it elegantly plays itself in your mind, even when you don't expect it. For example, about 40 pages in, I annotated this book, and there were times when I would have entire paragraphs underlined in ink, just because I found the writing to be that good. I was scared that I'd have a hard time reading this, being written so long ago. But the writing surpassed my expectations by a damned mile.
Something I wasn't expecting was the literary merit in this novel. I spent an entire paragraph talking about the prose above, so obviously that's a plus. But the characters, they're all so fleshed-out, and they aren't all good or all bad! They have nuance! Tony, for example, he's a good guy, but some of his opinions I cannot find myself agreeing with. And yet still he's so charming and likeable that I kinda just overlook that, like how Kurt does. Plus, this book is packed with symbolism. I found myself theorizing on the pages what this means and what that means, and I noticed all the callbacks to previous moments, and all the times the setting or the dialogue or how a sentence was structured affected a moment or paralleled a certain scene or character, and it was kinda fun, lowkey.
While on the topic of unexpected surprises, this novel had a lot of funny moments. I was kinda just laughing at the things these people say (not in a bad way, of course). Like stated earlier, Tony. He's so enjoyable to be around, so I just forgive him from his opinions. And Kurt's gets kinda mean at times, and it's awesome, cause reading when Kurt's annoyed at someone is so damn entertaining.
All of these things here are factors into why I rated this 5 stars (which is a rarity, btw!), but the biggest reason is that the love that Kurt holds is beautiful. He loves quite a few people throughout the course of the novel, and every single one of them is so amazing to read about. Now that I'm writing this, I realize that every single one of his loves are so completely different from one another. Platonic, romance, love, lust. Each relationship Kurt has had shows a different side of him, because really, the only common thread between each character is that they are homosexual, and that they are men. Plus, they're so relatable, too. Kurt discovering himself and his accompanying shame is exactly how I felt when figuring out I liked guys as well. His anger on his mistreatment on society could've been taken word from word when I used to rant about it to anyone who would listen. David's love and his hopelessness and his yearning still conveys how I feel when thinking about another man. I see bits and pieces of myself in every character that Forman introduces, and it is this that forces my hand into that 5th star.
Forman Brown was a man who essentially wrote about himself here. He had so much to say about society, about youth, about love. And I'm so damned happy he said them. Better Angel is a cornerstone of queer literature, and I wish he was here so I could personally thank him for writing this.
Thank you, Forman Brown, for writing one of, if not the best books I have ever read, and for authoring one of the best novels I will have ever read.
September 6, 2023
A gay Bildungsroman, relating the development of sensitive Kurt Gray from adolescence to early manhood, and his coming to terms with his sexuality. This novel, with its optimistic conclusion, is something of a miracle as an artefact from 1933. This is not intended as a spoiler, rather an inducement: nobody, for a change, dies at the end. As a teenager, Kurt enjoys putting on plays in his neighbour’s barn: ‘The plays were always romantic… for Kurt loved to pretend being a prince, or, still better, a princess,’ which is pretty much the keynote of his character. Although I always wanted the best for him, I found him slightly tiresome, devoted to tortured self-analysis and the striking of attitudes. Kurt exists in a high (and highfaluting) register of idealism, which is perhaps the only way the book could have been written. He is spirituel, just about believably so, an aspirational figure in which those early readers who so badly needed the book could locate themselves and perhaps aim to imitate. At the close of Part Two, his lover David sets out a creed for himself, Kurt and their friend and sometime lover, Derry, to live by:
‘He spoke of a cathedral, dim with incense, trembling with music, to which young men such as they came to worship. Some were priests in the temple, others were urchins defiling its beauty. They, these three, David and Derry and Kurt, should be a priestly trinity. What they felt for each other was high and fine and worthy. No one outside the cathedral could understand this. They would sneer and perhaps even persecute, but the faith in the rightness of their strange creed must stand, shining and perfect.’
There is really no humour in Better Angel. It isn’t that I wanted or expected a comic novel, but life is nothing without humour, and a little of it here and there might have leavened the melodrama. The only time I laughed was when Kurt, having ecstatically agreed with David’s theorizing, praises (‘You’ve said it so beautifully’) and kisses him: ‘He would have kissed Derry too, but Derry, somewhat disappointingly, had fallen asleep.’ A side effect of Kurt’s mildly oppressive idealism was that I tended to develop a sneaking sympathy for the characters who were more urchin than priest: the materialistic, easily swayed Derry; the extrovert, sexually adventurous actor Tony (physically, I saw him as a Phillips Holmes type).
This was the only novel by Meeker, and his inexperience does show, especially in the last third, where new characters are abruptly introduced and dropped, transparently for reasons of plot. The end is something of a muddle too: Kurt is betrayed by a lover – but then, maybe not? – and as it turns out, this needn’t affect his tremendous idealism and the faith he has in their future together. But as well as inexperience, what also shows is Meeker’s sincerity and conviction; and it is moving to imagine generations of gay readers finding consolation and encouragement in its pages (republished in 1951, it was dishonestly retitled – not by Meeker – Torment, no doubt to fit better with the repressive cultural climate of that era).
‘He spoke of a cathedral, dim with incense, trembling with music, to which young men such as they came to worship. Some were priests in the temple, others were urchins defiling its beauty. They, these three, David and Derry and Kurt, should be a priestly trinity. What they felt for each other was high and fine and worthy. No one outside the cathedral could understand this. They would sneer and perhaps even persecute, but the faith in the rightness of their strange creed must stand, shining and perfect.’
There is really no humour in Better Angel. It isn’t that I wanted or expected a comic novel, but life is nothing without humour, and a little of it here and there might have leavened the melodrama. The only time I laughed was when Kurt, having ecstatically agreed with David’s theorizing, praises (‘You’ve said it so beautifully’) and kisses him: ‘He would have kissed Derry too, but Derry, somewhat disappointingly, had fallen asleep.’ A side effect of Kurt’s mildly oppressive idealism was that I tended to develop a sneaking sympathy for the characters who were more urchin than priest: the materialistic, easily swayed Derry; the extrovert, sexually adventurous actor Tony (physically, I saw him as a Phillips Holmes type).
This was the only novel by Meeker, and his inexperience does show, especially in the last third, where new characters are abruptly introduced and dropped, transparently for reasons of plot. The end is something of a muddle too: Kurt is betrayed by a lover – but then, maybe not? – and as it turns out, this needn’t affect his tremendous idealism and the faith he has in their future together. But as well as inexperience, what also shows is Meeker’s sincerity and conviction; and it is moving to imagine generations of gay readers finding consolation and encouragement in its pages (republished in 1951, it was dishonestly retitled – not by Meeker – Torment, no doubt to fit better with the repressive cultural climate of that era).
May 17, 2024
No quisiera que esta reseña fuera solo un resumen o una síntesis del libro. En su lugar les diré que deben leer esta novela porque fue escriba en 1933, y el autor nos muestra que puede haber un final feliz para un chico que ama a otro chico.
Resalta de entre las novelas de su género por esto mismo, ya que otros autores optaban por un final triste l desgarrador, donde no cabía la idea de un desenlace diferente. Ante este panorama Brown (originalmente se publicó con un seudónimo) opta por decir “sí es posible imaginar algo distinto, donde podamos ser felices”. Y eso no significa que todo será color de rosa, pero el protagonista irá creciendo, y como lectores iremos viendo como madura, toma decisiones, veremos sus miedos, sus inseguridades, y cómo se solucionaban diferentes situaciones.
Debo decir que el cierre es fabuloso, pues se enlaza muy bien con el inicio, experiencia que deberán comprobar cuando lo lean.
También debo señalar la forma en que se puede empatizar con su protagonista. Sus miedos serán los del lector, lo mismo con sus inseguridades, y de cierta manera podemos decir que todos hemos pasado por esos mismos caminos, e inclusive tomado soluciones similares.
Realmente la recomiendo, es una novela adelantada a su época, que nos muestra que es posible un final feliz, no necesariamente tipo cuento de hadas, pero sí uno que nos haga felices a nuestra manera.
Resalta de entre las novelas de su género por esto mismo, ya que otros autores optaban por un final triste l desgarrador, donde no cabía la idea de un desenlace diferente. Ante este panorama Brown (originalmente se publicó con un seudónimo) opta por decir “sí es posible imaginar algo distinto, donde podamos ser felices”. Y eso no significa que todo será color de rosa, pero el protagonista irá creciendo, y como lectores iremos viendo como madura, toma decisiones, veremos sus miedos, sus inseguridades, y cómo se solucionaban diferentes situaciones.
Debo decir que el cierre es fabuloso, pues se enlaza muy bien con el inicio, experiencia que deberán comprobar cuando lo lean.
También debo señalar la forma en que se puede empatizar con su protagonista. Sus miedos serán los del lector, lo mismo con sus inseguridades, y de cierta manera podemos decir que todos hemos pasado por esos mismos caminos, e inclusive tomado soluciones similares.
Realmente la recomiendo, es una novela adelantada a su época, que nos muestra que es posible un final feliz, no necesariamente tipo cuento de hadas, pero sí uno que nos haga felices a nuestra manera.
May 15, 2024
Known for its rare positive depiction of gay men in the 1930's, Better Angel is of its time and yet ahead of its time. It won't be the most interesting and exciting book that you'll ever read. I can't say that it's really that well written. The pacing is really slow and not much happens, and when things do happen, it doesn't really seem to keep the momentum going, while still somehow keeping our attention anyway. What Better Angel may lack in style, it really makes up for it in its honest and tender observation of a young gay man who's trying to figure his sexuality out in a time when there not only wasn't much language around queerness, but it was sensationalized and stigmatized. It was refreshing how every female character, from the mother to the MC's best friend, are gay friendly and accepting of their son/friend, and how the story not only didn't lean on trauma porn, but how that was hardly present at all. There are some over the top moments, sure, but again, it definitely feels of its time, but in the best way. Better Angel is a gay coming-of-age story, and a really beautiful one at that. While it has definitely aged over time, it certainly still deserves to be read and appreciated.
September 30, 2024
Although written more than 90 years ago (!), many LGBT folks of a certain age today can certainly relate to this story of having to seeking a meaningful life and relationship, while staying tucked away in the closet out of fear of societal rejection and even arrest. The story -- an autobiographical novel -- is well told to keep the reader's interest. Interesting cultural asides, both in the US and Europe, are included. I discovered that this work was also issued under the title "Tormented," a much more ominous title than this work deserves. In my view, best to read the volume with the Epilogue by Forman Brown, but save for reading until finished with the rest of the work to avoid spoilers.
December 1, 2024
A rather typical gay lit coming of age story, most notable for the fact that it was printed in 1933 AND that it contained an optimistic(ish) ending. Generally well written in an auto fiction context.
I didn't love the characterization of David and his crew (and pansies in general) as somehow bad for their open sexuality and rejection of a gender binary. However, I suppose Kurt's love of David (which we find out in an epilogue lasted for 50 years) stands in contrast to his discomfort and judgement. Which leads to a bigger point...some of the isolation the main character felt was because he seemed unwilling or unable to seek out queer community that did in fact exist in the 20s and 30s, especially in New York and probably even in Ann Arbor.
I didn't love the characterization of David and his crew (and pansies in general) as somehow bad for their open sexuality and rejection of a gender binary. However, I suppose Kurt's love of David (which we find out in an epilogue lasted for 50 years) stands in contrast to his discomfort and judgement. Which leads to a bigger point...some of the isolation the main character felt was because he seemed unwilling or unable to seek out queer community that did in fact exist in the 20s and 30s, especially in New York and probably even in Ann Arbor.
July 8, 2021
This book holds up shockingly well to modern standards. There are sentiments and norms that queer people can still relate to, while others dearly make me wish that Brown/Meeker could have lived into the 21st century to see that, while we still have a long way to go, we have come so far.
I don’t typically binge read older books, but I was hooked from the start and had to know what happened at every turn.
This book deserves to be known far more than it is, and is officially among my favorite books.
(Did have 7 old timey cringes that I could count but as far as 1933 goes 7 is not so bad)
I don’t typically binge read older books, but I was hooked from the start and had to know what happened at every turn.
This book deserves to be known far more than it is, and is officially among my favorite books.
(Did have 7 old timey cringes that I could count but as far as 1933 goes 7 is not so bad)
August 29, 2017
Here in Minneapolis we have a library called Quatrefoil - an LGBT library named after a book from the '50s the founders enjoyed because of its upbeat ending. That ending is not nearly as upbeat of this ending. Nor was it even close to legitimizing love and sex between two guys. This is worth reading if only because it goes so completely against the grain of we expect from a 'gay novel' from this time period.
December 8, 2019
This 1933 gay novel is a superb artifact of the coming of age of a young gay man and his dilemmas, friends, relationships etc. It shows coming out in a positive light and actually has an upbeat ending. If you can locate the second edition of the Alyson publication, it has an epilogue by the author himself who comments on the autobiographical nature of the book which is quite moving in itself.
June 8, 2020
This book is a must read. It is an early 20th century story describing a gay lifestyle without condemning homosexuality and is truly heartwarming. It is a pure, innocent story and was pretty emotional to read. I loved the character development and the path to self discovery. Hidden love is a beautiful but tragic thing.
April 26, 2025
My home town
Forman grew up in my home town. That was how I first heard about his books. I felt so sorry that he had such a hard time living in that time percoid. I really enjoyed his writing and bought the “Punch’s Progress” book and then the “LIFE ON A STRING”. I then found the coloring book “THE GENEROUS JEFFERSON BARTLY JONES”. I feel like I know Forman as a friend.
Forman grew up in my home town. That was how I first heard about his books. I felt so sorry that he had such a hard time living in that time percoid. I really enjoyed his writing and bought the “Punch’s Progress” book and then the “LIFE ON A STRING”. I then found the coloring book “THE GENEROUS JEFFERSON BARTLY JONES”. I feel like I know Forman as a friend.
May 4, 2020
1930s gay novel with a surprisingly healthy hero--he is tortured occasionally by his sexuality and engages in some wordy philosophical rambling to justify it, but he is pretty well-adjusted by the standards of the era. The prose is quite readable, not feeling too dated.
February 28, 2021
I read this knowing the ending but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the writing and characters. Hard to believe the author was SO brave to put all these emotions into this story which was so timely though it was written almost one hundred years ago.
September 12, 2022
To re-read since I've saved my copy all these years.
January 14, 2023
not good..strange ending
Author scared himself out a true finish. A good start to something that could have been great. Just strange in the end.
Author scared himself out a true finish. A good start to something that could have been great. Just strange in the end.
March 19, 2023
Beautiful story and shocked this was published in the 1930s. A must read!
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