Jeremy Thrane

by Kate Christensen

Jeremy Thrane seems to have everything. As the long-time boyfriend of the handsome (but deeply closeted) movie star Ted Masterson, he lives rent-free in a beautiful apartment on the top floor of Ted's Manhattan brownstone and has an easy job that gives him plenty of time to read books and write his novel. When an influential gossip columnist overhears Jeremy talking about Ted, Jeremy's perfect world begins to in just a few hours Ted asks him to leave. Although Ted says he needs to spend more time with his wife and daughter, Jeremy suspects another man is involved.
With little more than his books, his sprawling manuscript, and his fickle little bird Juanita, Jeremy finds that he needs to re-connect with the eccentric family whose love he has taken for granted, and determine which of his friends have his true well-being in mind. In a dizzying world of art galleries, rock clubs, trendy restaurants, casual sex, dry wit, and drier martinis, Jeremy Thrane must finally figure out what it means to grow up and fall in love.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Gay, LGBT, Novels

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

KATE CHRISTENSEN is the author of eleven novels, most recently The Arizona Triangle (as Sydney Graves) and Good Company. She has also published two food-centric memoirs. Her fourth novel, The Great Man, won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. Her stories, reviews, and essays have appeared in numerous publications and anthologies. She lives in northern New Mexico with her husband and their two dogs.

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this so much. In some ways, this is a less sophisticated book than Christensen's The Epicure's Lament. Even so, it has more heart. Jeremy is a less memorable but more human character than Hugo is, and there's a poignancy to his journey that Hugo's doesn't share. So much about this book touched me deeply and made me slow down and think--particularly the relationship Jeremy has with his sisters and mother. Christensen's writing, too, is so lyrical and incisive (if writing can do those two things at once...). In sum, loved it.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books about writers who don't do much writing is pretty much its own genre. And into can be entered Jeremy Thrane by Kate Christensen. But just because they don't do much writing doesn't mean they don't employ their writerly skills as we read about them not writing. Jeremy is the long-time secret boyfriend of movie star Ted Masterson. Ted nominally employs him as his "archivist," and lives on the upper floor of his Gramercy Park brownstone. He's been writing his novel, Angus in Efes, based on his father, a Marxist lawyer that ditched his wife and three young kids for Turkey, for the past 10 years. But when Ted ends their relationship, Jeremy is forced to reconcile who he's become and who he wants to become. This involves him finally finishing his novel in between writing gay fantasy for a skeevy, but genuine, publisher, copy editing for a gossip rag, selling his outre, but genuine, screenplay, and getting together with his friend Max, poet mother Emma, musician sister Amanda, and drug-addicted artist friend Felicia, and generally wandering around New York. Jeremy likes to eat, likes to drink, and likes to opine. He makes for entertaining, yet introspective, company. As does the book itself. As we follow a year in the life of Jeremy, nothing major happens (it ends on the cusp of potential). Instead its Jeremy thinking, and healing, and growing, and living. It was written in an era when gay men as characters were being allowed to be more than tragic queens, which is what Jeremy is allowed to be (but not without his own sass). Jeremy Thrane, as well as Jeremy Thrane, may not be revolutionary, but it's genuine in its search for being genuine.

[Michele Hohlfeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost stopped reading this after the first chapter or two....it wasn't awful but it just wasn't "grabbing me"......and generally speaking, if I am not captivated by a book almost immediately, it goes back in the library bag to be returned. But I really enjoyed another book, "The Astral", by this author so I stuck with it.....and am glad I did. The more I read, the more I liked Jeremy, the main character. Christensen's novels make me want to move to NYC....her descriptions of city life are so vivid, not always glamorous but seemingly realistic.

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is underrated. Please add it to your bookshelves. Laugh-out-loud fun and great writing—sublime.

[Luann Ritsema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to be the crankiest character ever -- which I ended up loving.

[Anne Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Kate Christensen's characters are prickly but funny and believable. She sweeps you up into their daily lives and emotional inner dialogues in a funny and yet not overly self-indulgent way. Though they may be self obsessed, they are also self critical and embrace their quirks, damaging self destructive behaviours and foibles as well as their charms. Jeremy Thrane is a vain superficial seeming gay guy living in NYC yet he looks out at the world with an intelligent cynical but endearing eye. He has a heart buried in that superficial wrapping that pokes out and grabs him unexpectedly from time to time and shows his sensitive side and his real attachment to his interesting unorthodox family members. NYC is like another character in her books; vibrant, tough, exciting and grody at the same time.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I have officially read everything Kate Christensen has written, which means she needs to get busy and write some more, fast! While this was my least favorite of her books, it is still quite good. Gay male life in NYC is far from my personal experience, but her characters are all so finely realized that I felt I could follow any one of them off the page and into his/her own story. There's not a lot of action in this book, but quite a lot of personal journeying is done by several characters. I loved the balance of pathos and humor in her other books, which was lacking in this one. Still, a worthwhile read.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised at how much I liked Jeremy Thrane. Protagonist Jeremy Thrane can be snobby, childish, and immature... but I loved having the chance to be a part of his world. Kate Christensen's characterization is incredible -- I enjoyed getting to know Jeremy's eccentric circle of family and friends. I highly recommend this book!

[Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some funy bits, but not all that engaging.

[Amy]

YES: A book I borrowed from the library to try before I buy (tired buying hundreds books and hating half)

I read first ch or more -first 10-100 pages skim around at times. I read many of my GR friend's reviews. This is what I did and didn't like:

Stunning cover of nyc

Jeremy gets dumped by his married (to a woman) boyfriend after a decade of romance. Now he needs to figure himself out.

This is funny and weird . I like Jeremy. Her writing is always good.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was so funny i loved it. its not often that flowery, meandering descriptions of scenery/people can keep me engaged but kate christensen does it right. and also taught me a few new words in the process.

[Jim Leckband · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book concludes my serendipitian (a word probably used by the Tama Janowitz clone in "Jeremy Thrane") trilogy of New York and its artists (Seek My Face, The Wicked Pavilion). It has the satire of "The Wicked Pavilion" and the heart of "Seek My Face". Also like "Seek My Face", it attempts the trick of narrating a book by a character very different than the author (Face: waspy white male => curmudgeon white female painter; Thrane: young female (sexual orientation unknown) => 35 year old gay male writer). I believe Christensen pulls it off better than Updike, though how would I know, being neither female, gay or a writer. However I once was a painter and I fear that while I may not be a card-carrying WASP, some may consider me a fellow-traveling WASP sympathizer.

"Jeremy Thrane" to me was about cages and breaking free. Juanita (Jeremy's bird) was the metaphor for all the cages/constrictions that every character in the book had. Jeremy's first cage was being a live-in lover for a closeted Tom Cruise clone for 10 (!) years. When this situation blows up and the Cruise clone is set free to be what he is (though he doesn't think he's free - another cage!) Jeremy is now free also to finally finish his novel even though he is down on his abilities (another cage he put himself in).

Other characters have addictions, false friends, illnesses, cults and even the burden of a too-large penis (!). But Milton's saying "The mind is its own place and can make a heaven of a hell, a hell of a heaven" is the heart of this book.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just read this for my book club book and I really enjoyed it! I love Kate Christensen's writing style and voice--her characters were funny and interesting and even the "fringe" characters were a little deeper than the usual. I thought the observations and opinions that the characters expressed throughout the book seemed so "real life" and realistic--whether I agreed with them or not, I enjoyed their views, expression and quirks.

My friend Carin said Kate's other books, In the Drink, The Epicure's Lament or The Great Man are all even better than this one so I look forward to reading those eventually as well.

[Robin Malcomson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Jeremy has basically been on hold for the last 10 years. He has been the kept lover of a famous movie star that leads a double life as a happily married man with a child. That comes to an end-the movie star has fallen in love with his "straight life" and doesn't want to take any chances...plus the relationship has probably run it's course. Now that Jeremy is on his own and must figure out how to support himself and basically take care of himself the story begins. He who has been living the privileged life has a lot of growing up to do. Well written. Entertaining. Interesting characters.....including New York City, which I enjoyed.

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is really hard to like the main character of this book – Jeremy Thrane – a thirty something boy-toy who feels entitled to live the easy life and accept little or no responsibility for the choices he makes in his life. However, because the book is actually very well written and because Jeremy evolves, rather painfully into a responsible and caring adult during its course – you actually feel badly when the book is over – because you’d actually like to spend more time with the new and improved adult Jeremy.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant, if slightly odd novel, with a very real, and flawed main character. Jeremy Thrane is a kept man--the mistress? master? what's the corresponding word?--of a successful actor who is both closted and married. When it all falls apart, he has to reinvent himself rather late in life. Jeremy is smug, privileged, and would probably be off-putting in real life, but somehow he ends up being endearing and interesting.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

another weird and funny christensen novel. i loved this one, but not quite as well as epicure's lament. it was almost completely plot-free. how did it ever get published? and yet i kind of liked that about it -- enabled me to really luxuriate in the character's odd life and the author's wonderfully inventive and precise language. didn't quite buy the happily-ever-after ending (though i adore the scene where he cleans his room/psyche).

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Again, loved The Epicure's Lamentso much, that I always want to read more Christensen, and every time I do I'm so disappointed. Got about 100 pages in to this and while I liked Jeremy, thought he was a real and very rich character, there's very little plot, and the book just plods along. I've got better things to read.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is overwritten and bloated, but there are parts that are great and very funny. Jeremy's inner turmoil and insecurities were entertaining. I especially enjoyed reading about his relationships with Ted, Sebastian, and Yoshi. The whole family backstory with Jeremy's sisters and their long-lost father was less interesting to me than his quest to have his novel published and the ways he tries to get his life back on track after his break up with Ted.

[Adele Goetz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is well-written, entertaining, yet deeply annoying. I have discovered that I find books about writers - especially New York City writers who take themselves very seriously - to be infuriating. However, On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the very annoying Emperor's Children, this book only rates a 2 on the annoyance scale.

[Aaron · Rating 1 out of 5]

p. 267: "But, said a louder and more compelling voice, maybe my book wasn't good at all; maybe it was just the kind of pretentious, overwritten thing I most deplored. No, said the smaller voice; it couldn't be."

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that little inner dialog is the author's more than the character's. And this book is pretentious and overwritten. I certainly deplored it.

[Randine · Rating 5 out of 5]

In an interview, Christensen admitted that Jeremy Thrane was the character most like herself so far - I guessed that as I was reading it - he is very likable. I have read so many of her books now I see the common themes - art, music, gay and straight romance, New York, humor, family relationships, shrinks, drinking...lots of drinking....

I like her stuff.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There might be too many characters, and outside of just a few heated conversations, nothing really happens, but I'm still really enjoying this one. The narrator-protagonist Jeremy is a well-mixed cocktail of sympathetic and unlikable, so following him around NYC after he gets dumped is usually fun.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second of Kate Christiansen's "loser lit" books features a gay man in New York City coping with the his Hollywood star boyfriend's decision to break up with him. Many of Kate Christensen's excellent turns of phrase, but also in my opinion her weakest book.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Kate Christensen - want to be her when I grow up. Not as seamless as "The Great Man" but still very interesting - she has an excellent gauge for what is fascinating and fascinatingly mundane. She also likens herself to the title character, a gay man, and I totally relate....

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another score for Kate Christensen. Sometimes she goes on a little too long about something, but this woman can write, has a wonderful wit, and does the most extraordinary job with male narrators. Jeremy cracked me up.

[Freyja Vanadis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about a self-absorbed, unlikeable gay man and his unremarkable life. Kate Christensen writes very well, which is why I gave it as many as 4 stars. I hated Jeremy though, which is why I didn't give it 5.

[Chhavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the Boston Globe reject pile, this belonged to that time in Malden when I was reading coming-of-age book thick and fast. They were just coming at me. I remember liking this one quite a bit, holding on to the paperback through several moves, even.
11 Jan 2017

[Jennifer]

This book is witty urban satire, just like we like.

[Jory Dayne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Drivel.