River Road

by C.F. Borgman

In the year 2012, famed avant-garde poet Eugene Goessler fakes his suicide, escaping with his lover Octavio to a contemplative life in the Brazilian jungle. The road here is a long one that takes him from a relentlessly ordinary childhood in 1950s Cincinnati through porn stardom in New York and bisexuality in California, to the opening of the Museum of Suburban Art in our near future. Goessler and his sidekick, conceptual artist Lola Hampton, are carried by their boisterous sexuality into an AIDS-constricted future that is imagined with daring enthusiasm. Borgman's satire is effective because he cares for his characters; he may lampoon the fads they follow, but he also shows how they define themselves through those fads. An exhilarating first novel.Rob Schmieder, Boston
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Genres: LGBT

374 pages, Paperback

Published September 30, 1989

Reviews

[Tom Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

No doubt that Borgman can write. It seems to me that he lost some focus toward the end and seemed to want to finish it quickly after some loose ends were tied. I enjoyed the story and the character development was outstanding, especially that of Eugene's mother, Clara. Ooh scary! The book had a definite erotic quality to it which tapered off toward the end. Except for the last fifth of the book, I enjoyed this biographical sketch.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great find in an op shop on Oxford St in Sydney, it's a wonder this dazzling novel isn't more well known. While its ambition often exceeds technique, it contains some truly memorable characters and set-pieces that are as bold as any I've read. Sometimes unwieldy, but always fascinating.

[Vanessa (V.C.) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something about gay fiction in the 80's hit so different. I really enjoyed this but it did go on for way too long and lost steam pretty quickly.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read this wonderful story at the time, it was hard to think about the year 2012.

[Juli]

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