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Desmond #1
Desmond
Although Desmond Beckwith is a financial wizard with an international investment empire, a circle of supportive friends, and an elegant New York town house, he feels isolated and cut off from humankind. With good Desmond is a 250-year-old vampire. For two centuries he has lived in New York, looking vainly for love and seeking to satisfy his twin thirsts for the blood and sex of mortal men. Into Desmond's lonely life stumbles Tony Chapman, an unemployed museum curator, down on his luck and one step away from being out on the streets. Tony turns Desmond's protected little world on its head and unlocks pieces of Desmond's past lives and loves that were deeply buried in memory. Desmond may be immortal, but he is not inhuman, and he must find a way to come to grips with his eternal life that includes both his human lover and his acceptance of who - and what - he himself is.
344 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1998
32 people are currently reading
535 people want to read
About the author
Ulysses Grant Dietz
15 books716 followersUlysses Grant Dietz grew up in Syracuse, New York, where his Leave it to Beaver life was enlivened by his fascination with vampires, from Bela Lugosi to Barnabas Collins. He studied French at Yale, and was trained to be a museum curator at the University of Delaware. A curator since 1980, Ulysses has never stopped writing fiction for the sheer pleasure of it. He created the character of Desmond Beckwith in 1988 as his personal response to Anne Rice’s landmark novels. Alyson Books released his first novel, Desmond, in 1998. Vampire in Suburbia is his second novel.
Ulysses lives in suburban New Jersey with his husband of over 40 years and their two almost-grown children.
By the way, the name Ulysses was not his parents’ idea of a joke: he is a great-great grandson of Ulysses S. Grant, and his mother was the President’s last living great-grandchild. Every year on April 27 he gives a speech at Grant’s Tomb in New York City.
Ulysses lives in suburban New Jersey with his husband of over 40 years and their two almost-grown children.
By the way, the name Ulysses was not his parents’ idea of a joke: he is a great-great grandson of Ulysses S. Grant, and his mother was the President’s last living great-grandchild. Every year on April 27 he gives a speech at Grant’s Tomb in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 7, 2011
I am no fan of the Ann Rice/Twilight/romantic obsession with vampires. For me, the best vampire book will always be Bram Stoker’s. I’m just like that. But I was curious about the story of a gay vampire, so I read Desmond.
I’ve seen many people complain about the first chapter and its homage to Anne Rice. I think these criticisms are unfair. Vampires in the modern world certainly would talk about her as she is one of the premiere vampire genre writers. On Buffy, Spike and Angel mentioned her. It makes perfect sense.
But what is more is that people don’t seem to appreciate the simple brilliance of the first chapter. The subject is immaterial. The author masterfully illustrates for us the friendship between Desmond and Roger and the difference between them. As a writer, I was mesmerized by how effortlessly he provided us the essence of both characters through a simple conversation. Though both of a similar age—around 200—Roger speaks with an easy modern dialect while Desmond’s speech is much more elegant, much more austere, demonstrating for us that he is a man out of his time.
This story is rich in details and imagery. The characters are fully realized individuals, each with their own quirks and peculiarities. The romance between Desmond and Tony is very sweet and entirely believable. By the end, I was in love with them as a couple.
I’ve seen many people complain about the first chapter and its homage to Anne Rice. I think these criticisms are unfair. Vampires in the modern world certainly would talk about her as she is one of the premiere vampire genre writers. On Buffy, Spike and Angel mentioned her. It makes perfect sense.
But what is more is that people don’t seem to appreciate the simple brilliance of the first chapter. The subject is immaterial. The author masterfully illustrates for us the friendship between Desmond and Roger and the difference between them. As a writer, I was mesmerized by how effortlessly he provided us the essence of both characters through a simple conversation. Though both of a similar age—around 200—Roger speaks with an easy modern dialect while Desmond’s speech is much more elegant, much more austere, demonstrating for us that he is a man out of his time.
This story is rich in details and imagery. The characters are fully realized individuals, each with their own quirks and peculiarities. The romance between Desmond and Tony is very sweet and entirely believable. By the end, I was in love with them as a couple.
May 13, 2010
The first, like, five pages were two dudes talking about how good of a writer Anne Rice is.
Anne Rice, you sneaky bitch.
Anne Rice, you sneaky bitch.
January 4, 2024
Flames dance in the library fireplace as a couple of friends spend a gray afternoon in chatter, thumbing through autographed copies of Dracula and Queen of the Damned, while idly wondering whether Anne Rice might actually be a vampire ... like them. It’s a droll beginning to an excursion into the personal lives of the undead.
Why, they wonder, do all fictional vampires seem so humorless? Why do they all appear to need extensive psychoanalysis? As demonstrated in Desmond, real vampires are sane, warm, charming folk. These bloodsuckers don’t kill, just sip a little here and there, and there’s none of that sleeping in coffins either. In fact, the title character leads an entirely normal existence, except for completely regenerating every forty years or so. It’s all distinctly Dorian Grayish.
Despite the fact that the gay vampire tale, which has evolved into a distinct subgenre, generally emphasizes the erotic aspect, Dietz never stoops to describing all that biting and sucking in graphic terms, though it’s clear his creatures of the night (unlike, say, Anne Rice’s creations) routinely achieve orgasm. Eternal youth, wealth, sex – so where’s the problem? The titular hero of Desmond has been lonely for a long time, a very long time, and through most of the book he reminisces about his doomed affairs of the heart. Time and again, he seems to have made the poorest imaginable choices.
“You may be a man who loves women, Roger Deland,” said Desmond softly, “but I know that I already love you for what you are.”
Don’t you just want to stake him across the head? It's a pleasant enough ramble, but the tone stays closer to Barbara Cartland than Bram Stoker, and notably lacking is anything remotely redolent of horror. From the tender passion of an English nobleman for his manservant, to French vampires cavorting in the bushes of the Luxembourg gardens, Desmond’s recollections don’t really add up to much beyond a series of plush vignettes replete with immortal longings and ardent embraces. A bit much, really. Even the settings seem overly art directed, the décor leaning heavily to “gilt torchères” and “ormolu girandoles.”
More quaint than eerie, Desmond recounts the tale of a shy, soulful man on a melancholy quest for romance. He just happens to be a vampire, and the one really scary element here is the thought that he’s been cruising the night for centuries and STILL hasn’t got a boyfriend. On the other hand, some fantasies can’t help but exert a certain appeal. Wouldn’t it be nice to have all the time in the world? Not that it does our hero any good. He doesn’t seem to have learned much, and his relationships never work out. (“You may be a man who loves women…”) The ending finds the forlorn fiend back in that book-lined room with all his buddies and, apparently, that’s the point: friendship alone survives the ages… an oddly bittersweet message from a story about monsters.
Why, they wonder, do all fictional vampires seem so humorless? Why do they all appear to need extensive psychoanalysis? As demonstrated in Desmond, real vampires are sane, warm, charming folk. These bloodsuckers don’t kill, just sip a little here and there, and there’s none of that sleeping in coffins either. In fact, the title character leads an entirely normal existence, except for completely regenerating every forty years or so. It’s all distinctly Dorian Grayish.
Despite the fact that the gay vampire tale, which has evolved into a distinct subgenre, generally emphasizes the erotic aspect, Dietz never stoops to describing all that biting and sucking in graphic terms, though it’s clear his creatures of the night (unlike, say, Anne Rice’s creations) routinely achieve orgasm. Eternal youth, wealth, sex – so where’s the problem? The titular hero of Desmond has been lonely for a long time, a very long time, and through most of the book he reminisces about his doomed affairs of the heart. Time and again, he seems to have made the poorest imaginable choices.
“You may be a man who loves women, Roger Deland,” said Desmond softly, “but I know that I already love you for what you are.”
Don’t you just want to stake him across the head? It's a pleasant enough ramble, but the tone stays closer to Barbara Cartland than Bram Stoker, and notably lacking is anything remotely redolent of horror. From the tender passion of an English nobleman for his manservant, to French vampires cavorting in the bushes of the Luxembourg gardens, Desmond’s recollections don’t really add up to much beyond a series of plush vignettes replete with immortal longings and ardent embraces. A bit much, really. Even the settings seem overly art directed, the décor leaning heavily to “gilt torchères” and “ormolu girandoles.”
More quaint than eerie, Desmond recounts the tale of a shy, soulful man on a melancholy quest for romance. He just happens to be a vampire, and the one really scary element here is the thought that he’s been cruising the night for centuries and STILL hasn’t got a boyfriend. On the other hand, some fantasies can’t help but exert a certain appeal. Wouldn’t it be nice to have all the time in the world? Not that it does our hero any good. He doesn’t seem to have learned much, and his relationships never work out. (“You may be a man who loves women…”) The ending finds the forlorn fiend back in that book-lined room with all his buddies and, apparently, that’s the point: friendship alone survives the ages… an oddly bittersweet message from a story about monsters.
January 30, 2014
I absolutely loved this novel; a pleasure to read. A little reminiscent of "Interview with a Vampire" but m/m not homo-erotic in its content, "Desmond" is a beautifully written piece of literature with a great plot and great characters. I downloaded the sequel as soon as I'd finished.
This novel has stories within the story as we are invited to view Desmond's past lives through his conversations, dreams and memories whilst starting a new relationship with Tony Chapman, a young museum curator who shares the same surname with Desmond's first love Jeffrey two hundred years before this story takes place.
A story set in the 1980's we are transported back to 18th Century London and Paris for the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. It is here we are introduced to Desmond's oldest, straight, vampire friend, one Roger Deland.
As I read this book I thought perhaps I had somehow missed some vitally important chapter about Desmond's first love, Jeffrey. Needless to say with some clever writing by the author we hear of the 18th Century Grand Tour and Desmond's consequential turning from mortal protagonist to Vampire.
Really, really loved it. A most resounding 5 stars.
This novel has stories within the story as we are invited to view Desmond's past lives through his conversations, dreams and memories whilst starting a new relationship with Tony Chapman, a young museum curator who shares the same surname with Desmond's first love Jeffrey two hundred years before this story takes place.
A story set in the 1980's we are transported back to 18th Century London and Paris for the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. It is here we are introduced to Desmond's oldest, straight, vampire friend, one Roger Deland.
As I read this book I thought perhaps I had somehow missed some vitally important chapter about Desmond's first love, Jeffrey. Needless to say with some clever writing by the author we hear of the 18th Century Grand Tour and Desmond's consequential turning from mortal protagonist to Vampire.
Really, really loved it. A most resounding 5 stars.
February 19, 2023
This book went between current day and the past as it weaved Desmond's tale from his birth through his many rebirths at age 65, again a different take on Vampires.
He seemed to have a lonely life with those who got close either passing early or being straight, but through all his straight Roger stood beside him.
He seemed to have a lonely life with those who got close either passing early or being straight, but through all his straight Roger stood beside him.
August 30, 2023
This is very much not for me. A little scattered, and quite slow. I stopped at chapter 2.
March 12, 2014
Desmond and I agree when he says,
… I don’t demand great literature, but I do want good stories well told. They may not make it to the classics, but they make magic for their readers.
I believe, with a few reservations that the author made magic in this novel. If you wish all your vampire’s to sparkle in the sunlight or turn to stone with ennui for centuries, this novel is not for you. If you require explicit gay sex again this novel is not for you although there is sex. If however, you want beautiful prose crafted with love about love and informed with a passion for the past and the human spirit, then this novel is most definitely for you. Here I come to my main reservation and I believe Ulysses knows, what my reservation will be. There is a lot of description and whilst some of it sets a wonderfully atmospheric scene,
The library had grown dim with the setting sun, lit only by the fire now. It illuminated the deep, figured green carpet, the tufted leather on the high pointed backs of the armchairs, that Desmond had so carefully kept, and renewed, over the years.The octagonal center table, it’s marble top the same color as that of the bar table and chimney piece…
Ulysses’ description of Desmond‘s house, which is incredible, goes on for too long. This could be a problem if the reader is not interested in antiques and historical ephemera. In another publication, the descriptions of houses, antiques and treasures would be feted. In a vampire novel, they slow the narrative down too much, having said this I did enjoy much of the descriptive writing but found it distracted from the flow of the story.
Desmond is a two hundred years plus vampire whose,
…possessions were a shelter for his past; his house was the shelter of his present…His memories were stored in his things, as if they were dry-cell batteries he could reach for should his energy start to fade.
Into his life comes a handsome, intelligent, young man, Tony, who is almost homeless and desperate. Desmond sees Tony, initially, as a donor of red corpuscles but is attracted and intrigued by this young man beyond his usual non committal feelings with his ‘tricks’and he reminds him of his one love, who he lost. Desmond cannot dismiss Tony from his life easily and the more he knows him, the more Tony becomes an important part of his hitherto isolated existence.
Every sixty-five years, vampires must regenerate back to the age they were turned, which for Desmond was twenty-one. Why he was turned, who turned him and why he has never had a deep love affair, since he was made into a vampire, we find out through his memories and stories. These start to be unlocked during his growing relationship with Tony, during the late 1980′s overshadowed by the AIDS crisis in New York, when Desmond is in his mid-forties. This regeneration cycle creates much of the complication and turmoil in the vampire’s life and underpins much of the story.
As I mentioned sex is a part of this novel in that blood and sex are absolute needs that continue whatever the century. The sex is in the novel is ‘gentlemanly’, maybe a little shyly written but conveys tenderness and love.
Their lovemaking was like a spring breeze to Desmond’s winter-bruised soul.They romped happily and intensely until both were exhausted and content. Tony lay back on the huge square pillows, dreamily running the back of his hand up and down Desmond’s stomach…
Another .5 of a star was maybe lost because even in a gentleman such as Desmond, sex at times needs to be sweaty and visceral and abandoned. However, more wonderful pluses come from the amazing descriptions of the events in Desmond‘s life, which included living in and through Paris in the ‘Reign of Terror’,
…the city of Diderot became a den of political intrigue and public betrayal. The Age of Reason became the Age of Madness…
and during these hostile events Desmond reveals a brave nature in his actions even though he asserts that,
Despite this inhuman power, he shunned danger; the pain had been human enough…
I love Ulysses’ Desmond because despite being told in many vampire novels that they are supremely intelligent and have lived hundreds of years, their intelligence is rarely shown and they have few stories and no character development to sustain their superiority. Ulysses' vampire is shown to be intelligent, describes wonderful historical events, has a profundity above the norm. He is remarkably believable and deals with the basics of a unique life in a very creative and sustainable way. Yes, the novel needs less by way of descriptions of antiques and a bit more passion in the bedroom but I would read this novel again just to reread, the intelligent writing.
I shall be reviewing the sequel to ‘Desmond’ in a few weeks and I shall be very interested to see how the author’s style has changed and what has happened to Desmond who, by the end of this novel had become a dear friend.
Full review at www.prismbookalliance.com
I was provided with a copy by the author.
… I don’t demand great literature, but I do want good stories well told. They may not make it to the classics, but they make magic for their readers.
I believe, with a few reservations that the author made magic in this novel. If you wish all your vampire’s to sparkle in the sunlight or turn to stone with ennui for centuries, this novel is not for you. If you require explicit gay sex again this novel is not for you although there is sex. If however, you want beautiful prose crafted with love about love and informed with a passion for the past and the human spirit, then this novel is most definitely for you. Here I come to my main reservation and I believe Ulysses knows, what my reservation will be. There is a lot of description and whilst some of it sets a wonderfully atmospheric scene,
The library had grown dim with the setting sun, lit only by the fire now. It illuminated the deep, figured green carpet, the tufted leather on the high pointed backs of the armchairs, that Desmond had so carefully kept, and renewed, over the years.The octagonal center table, it’s marble top the same color as that of the bar table and chimney piece…
Ulysses’ description of Desmond‘s house, which is incredible, goes on for too long. This could be a problem if the reader is not interested in antiques and historical ephemera. In another publication, the descriptions of houses, antiques and treasures would be feted. In a vampire novel, they slow the narrative down too much, having said this I did enjoy much of the descriptive writing but found it distracted from the flow of the story.
Desmond is a two hundred years plus vampire whose,
…possessions were a shelter for his past; his house was the shelter of his present…His memories were stored in his things, as if they were dry-cell batteries he could reach for should his energy start to fade.
Into his life comes a handsome, intelligent, young man, Tony, who is almost homeless and desperate. Desmond sees Tony, initially, as a donor of red corpuscles but is attracted and intrigued by this young man beyond his usual non committal feelings with his ‘tricks’and he reminds him of his one love, who he lost. Desmond cannot dismiss Tony from his life easily and the more he knows him, the more Tony becomes an important part of his hitherto isolated existence.
Every sixty-five years, vampires must regenerate back to the age they were turned, which for Desmond was twenty-one. Why he was turned, who turned him and why he has never had a deep love affair, since he was made into a vampire, we find out through his memories and stories. These start to be unlocked during his growing relationship with Tony, during the late 1980′s overshadowed by the AIDS crisis in New York, when Desmond is in his mid-forties. This regeneration cycle creates much of the complication and turmoil in the vampire’s life and underpins much of the story.
As I mentioned sex is a part of this novel in that blood and sex are absolute needs that continue whatever the century. The sex is in the novel is ‘gentlemanly’, maybe a little shyly written but conveys tenderness and love.
Their lovemaking was like a spring breeze to Desmond’s winter-bruised soul.They romped happily and intensely until both were exhausted and content. Tony lay back on the huge square pillows, dreamily running the back of his hand up and down Desmond’s stomach…
Another .5 of a star was maybe lost because even in a gentleman such as Desmond, sex at times needs to be sweaty and visceral and abandoned. However, more wonderful pluses come from the amazing descriptions of the events in Desmond‘s life, which included living in and through Paris in the ‘Reign of Terror’,
…the city of Diderot became a den of political intrigue and public betrayal. The Age of Reason became the Age of Madness…
and during these hostile events Desmond reveals a brave nature in his actions even though he asserts that,
Despite this inhuman power, he shunned danger; the pain had been human enough…
I love Ulysses’ Desmond because despite being told in many vampire novels that they are supremely intelligent and have lived hundreds of years, their intelligence is rarely shown and they have few stories and no character development to sustain their superiority. Ulysses' vampire is shown to be intelligent, describes wonderful historical events, has a profundity above the norm. He is remarkably believable and deals with the basics of a unique life in a very creative and sustainable way. Yes, the novel needs less by way of descriptions of antiques and a bit more passion in the bedroom but I would read this novel again just to reread, the intelligent writing.
I shall be reviewing the sequel to ‘Desmond’ in a few weeks and I shall be very interested to see how the author’s style has changed and what has happened to Desmond who, by the end of this novel had become a dear friend.
Full review at www.prismbookalliance.com
I was provided with a copy by the author.
March 17, 2013
The previous couple of centuries have given us their versions of The Compleat Vampire: In the 19th Century, there's a choice between Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla and Bram Stoker's Dracula. The former giving a prototype for the legion of female (and female-loving) vampires that would follow, and the latter being the sine qua non of vampire literature. In the 20th century, the incomparable Anne Rice brought us the narcissism and the self-reflective musings, respectively, of Lestat de Lioncourt and Louis de Pointe du Lac. Blatantly homoerotic, and steaming with sex and philosophical pondering about where we came from and are going, Mrs. Rice's Vampire Chronicles set an extraordinarily high bar for what vamps might do when they weren't eating people. Now that we're in the 21st Century, meet:
Desmond Beckwith, a man for all centuries, principally because he's been with us since 1724. With a Great Love in each century from the 18th through the 21st, Desmond is a lovably prickly examplar of how being an immortal can be just plain fun.
Like Mrs. Rice, Mr. Dietz has reinvented vampire lore to allow for things Count Dracula couldn't possibly contemplate. Examples? How about when you hit age 65, you regenerate back to the age you were when you were originally turned. (The Tea Party and House Republicans would LOVE this guy; at one stroke, he solves the Medicare and Social Security financing quandaries while simultaneously providing us with a hard-working, free-spending youngster who will age again into the target voting demographic.) Able to walk about by day, it turns out that few of those pesky crucifix-hating, coffin-dwelling myths are actually true. They can even grow out, or cut, their hair, and not have it revert to their "turned" length. Oh, so cool! They can drink booze, get drunk, then piss out the leavings unchanged. I'll have some of that, please!
Rich with characters and historical events, Desmond takes our hero from London to Paris just in time for the French Revolution, the Reign of Terror, and a meeting with Roger Deland, who will be his longest-lived (and straightest) vampire friend. Earlier, we are shown how Desmond was turned, during his Grand Tour, by an unimaginably old baron, in what is now present-day Croatia. True to vampiric luck, Des is travelling with his First True Love, Jeffrey Chapman, who just happens to be his valet, so they can be naked together without raising eyebrows. Jump to the 20th Century, and Lord Beckwith meets Tony Chapman (is there a theme going here?) who tries to hustle the forty-five-year-old Desmond. That doesn't last long. Here's our 20th-Century True Love. Please note that, even though Tony drops his $50 "entrance fee," Desmond still makes a number of snotty remarks about hustling and staying for breakfast "since you're not charging," that prove he has a sandpaper side to his personality.
Since a lot of our time in Desmond is spent in the 1980's, we are brought up against the specter of AIDS, and this is a tough row to hoe for those of us who lived through this era with friends dropping dead left and right. The novel's presentation of the horror that was pre-Cocktail HIV keeps the story very, very real.
At the same time, a Vampire Slasher is cutting his way through a certain group of good-looking young men........and how is this going to affect our lads? Well, that would be telling.
This first novel is a wonderful introduction to a group of men and women, some of whom just happen to be really rich and really immortal. Our hero is truly a man for all seasons and eras who survives whatever life conspires to throw at him, and manages to move forward, through love and adversity, with humor and a lot of slightly more-than-Sean-Kennedy-style sexual encounters. For those of you who want more graphic sexual encounters, and more regenerations, may I recommend Desmond's sequel: Vampire In Suburbia.
Desmond Beckwith, a man for all centuries, principally because he's been with us since 1724. With a Great Love in each century from the 18th through the 21st, Desmond is a lovably prickly examplar of how being an immortal can be just plain fun.
Like Mrs. Rice, Mr. Dietz has reinvented vampire lore to allow for things Count Dracula couldn't possibly contemplate. Examples? How about when you hit age 65, you regenerate back to the age you were when you were originally turned. (The Tea Party and House Republicans would LOVE this guy; at one stroke, he solves the Medicare and Social Security financing quandaries while simultaneously providing us with a hard-working, free-spending youngster who will age again into the target voting demographic.) Able to walk about by day, it turns out that few of those pesky crucifix-hating, coffin-dwelling myths are actually true. They can even grow out, or cut, their hair, and not have it revert to their "turned" length. Oh, so cool! They can drink booze, get drunk, then piss out the leavings unchanged. I'll have some of that, please!
Rich with characters and historical events, Desmond takes our hero from London to Paris just in time for the French Revolution, the Reign of Terror, and a meeting with Roger Deland, who will be his longest-lived (and straightest) vampire friend. Earlier, we are shown how Desmond was turned, during his Grand Tour, by an unimaginably old baron, in what is now present-day Croatia. True to vampiric luck, Des is travelling with his First True Love, Jeffrey Chapman, who just happens to be his valet, so they can be naked together without raising eyebrows. Jump to the 20th Century, and Lord Beckwith meets Tony Chapman (is there a theme going here?) who tries to hustle the forty-five-year-old Desmond. That doesn't last long. Here's our 20th-Century True Love. Please note that, even though Tony drops his $50 "entrance fee," Desmond still makes a number of snotty remarks about hustling and staying for breakfast "since you're not charging," that prove he has a sandpaper side to his personality.
Since a lot of our time in Desmond is spent in the 1980's, we are brought up against the specter of AIDS, and this is a tough row to hoe for those of us who lived through this era with friends dropping dead left and right. The novel's presentation of the horror that was pre-Cocktail HIV keeps the story very, very real.
At the same time, a Vampire Slasher is cutting his way through a certain group of good-looking young men........and how is this going to affect our lads? Well, that would be telling.
This first novel is a wonderful introduction to a group of men and women, some of whom just happen to be really rich and really immortal. Our hero is truly a man for all seasons and eras who survives whatever life conspires to throw at him, and manages to move forward, through love and adversity, with humor and a lot of slightly more-than-Sean-Kennedy-style sexual encounters. For those of you who want more graphic sexual encounters, and more regenerations, may I recommend Desmond's sequel: Vampire In Suburbia.
December 1, 2023
Different from most vampire stories
This book has what many contemporary vampire stories lack - the historical element. We, the readers, are privy to the early life of the young man destined to become one of the "undead." We read about his childhood, his family, and his early romantic friendship. We learn how he travelled with his friend and man servant, Jeffrey, throughout Europe before the fateful night his world changed forever. The story spans over two hundred years, beginning in the mid-1700's up thru the late-20th century. Additionally, this story takes a bit of a twist on the old legends, both in how the vampires retain their youthfulness and in their vampiric abilities. These differences are quite notable. Desmond (after his change) does, however, seem to lack warmth and purpose, but given his circumstances it is expected. This amount of background is rarely found in modern vampire novels. This story is a chronology of Desmond's life before and after his change. While some readers might find the slow but steady pace a bit tedious, I found it fascinating. The amount of character development and the atmosphere in the storytelling were remarkable. There are no orgies of bloodlust or a multitude of graphic sex scenes to heighten the macabre nature of this tale - just great story telling. This is one of my favorite vampire-based novels.
This book has what many contemporary vampire stories lack - the historical element. We, the readers, are privy to the early life of the young man destined to become one of the "undead." We read about his childhood, his family, and his early romantic friendship. We learn how he travelled with his friend and man servant, Jeffrey, throughout Europe before the fateful night his world changed forever. The story spans over two hundred years, beginning in the mid-1700's up thru the late-20th century. Additionally, this story takes a bit of a twist on the old legends, both in how the vampires retain their youthfulness and in their vampiric abilities. These differences are quite notable. Desmond (after his change) does, however, seem to lack warmth and purpose, but given his circumstances it is expected. This amount of background is rarely found in modern vampire novels. This story is a chronology of Desmond's life before and after his change. While some readers might find the slow but steady pace a bit tedious, I found it fascinating. The amount of character development and the atmosphere in the storytelling were remarkable. There are no orgies of bloodlust or a multitude of graphic sex scenes to heighten the macabre nature of this tale - just great story telling. This is one of my favorite vampire-based novels.
June 20, 2025
Really needs new cover art.
March 12, 2013
While Desmond is a vampire, I wouldn't consider this a vampire novel. To me that detail seemed mostly like an excuse for a neat way to tell a bunch of stories of the past, going back to the French Revolution. It's a good way to tell a lot of stories from seemingly different lives, but all using the same characters which didn't take long to like.
While I don't know that any of them stuck out as anything extraordinary, all of the characters in the novel were fun and very likable. The stories that they are part of are interesting and moving. I did get the feeling that the author was using this novel as a soapbox of sorts for his own passions, but I really didn't mind.
On that note, the scenery porn! I almost want to figure out how to edit tvtropes so I can add this book to that page. I did rather enjoy it, so I could pretend to be cultured. If I didn't already know that the author was a museum curator, I think it would still be really obvious. But it was fun. I liked seeing Tony's interest and Desmond's fond memories of the furniture, for example.
There was a bit of an overarching plot about this which I felt was added just to give some structure or urgency or something to the plot, but mostly it felt unnecessary and out of place. At the same time, it wasn't a big part of the story so it didn't really matter much.
One thing that really stuck out at me was the language used for the dialogue. It felt really pompous, like someone was trying to sound sophisticated. Mostly it was just distracting, because nobody talks like that. Shortly after finishing I thought that maybe it only happened in the flashbacks to the past and it was Dietz's way of suggesting old aristocratic speech (maybe they talked like that; I've never met a person from the 18th century to know), but I didn't feel like going back to see if the modern-time speech was more normal.
Overall, it was an enjoyable novel - I did buy and start reading the sequel immediately upon finishing this one - if perhaps nothing exceptional; I'd still recommend it.
While I don't know that any of them stuck out as anything extraordinary, all of the characters in the novel were fun and very likable. The stories that they are part of are interesting and moving. I did get the feeling that the author was using this novel as a soapbox of sorts for his own passions, but I really didn't mind.
On that note, the scenery porn! I almost want to figure out how to edit tvtropes so I can add this book to that page. I did rather enjoy it, so I could pretend to be cultured. If I didn't already know that the author was a museum curator, I think it would still be really obvious. But it was fun. I liked seeing Tony's interest and Desmond's fond memories of the furniture, for example.
There was a bit of an overarching plot about this which I felt was added just to give some structure or urgency or something to the plot, but mostly it felt unnecessary and out of place. At the same time, it wasn't a big part of the story so it didn't really matter much.
One thing that really stuck out at me was the language used for the dialogue. It felt really pompous, like someone was trying to sound sophisticated. Mostly it was just distracting, because nobody talks like that. Shortly after finishing I thought that maybe it only happened in the flashbacks to the past and it was Dietz's way of suggesting old aristocratic speech (maybe they talked like that; I've never met a person from the 18th century to know), but I didn't feel like going back to see if the modern-time speech was more normal.
Overall, it was an enjoyable novel - I did buy and start reading the sequel immediately upon finishing this one - if perhaps nothing exceptional; I'd still recommend it.
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December 11, 2012Originally released in 2000, Desmond is the prototype of many vampire Gay Romances of today; probably written in the wake of successful Anne Rice’s vampire novels, Desmond tried for a less gothic and more romantic approach. Plus it did introduced some original elements, if considering it was written more than 10 years ago.
For example, Desmond, a 250 years old vampire, is not bonded to live only by night, and he actually doesn’t eat anything, but he can drink wine and other beverages. Plus he lives in cycle of 44 years, born again at 21 years old and aging until he is 65 years old. That is quite convenient to explain how he has lived so long without anyone suspecting.
When I started this novel, I was quite impressed by the level of details the author used in describing the townhouse where Desmond has lived since 1820, in the Bowery district of New York City. I did a quick search and discovered that aside from this novel, and its sequel, A Vampire in Suburbia, Ulysses Grant Dietz has written non fictional books in the antique design field. The same background he decided to give to Tony, Desmond’s lover.
That of Desmond and Tony is a classic cinderfella love story: Desmond, 45 years old and wealthy, meets 24 years old Tony, a graduate student who is having a bad time; Tony is hustling, or at least he is trying to, but when he meets Desmond, all his courage left him. Desmond will help Tony, settling him in a nice apartment, finding him a job, and loving him. Exactly like he did for the stray cat he picked up the previous time he was alone wandering the street. That is, Desmond cared for Tony, but I had the feeling he didn’t really love him with all his own, and that is the only point that makes this a good vampire novel, but not a full 100% romance one.
I’m quite curious to see how the author picked up again his characters today for the sequel, and if Desmond will finally have a true and complete romance this time, lasting a life… or maybe more lives.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1555834701/?...
For example, Desmond, a 250 years old vampire, is not bonded to live only by night, and he actually doesn’t eat anything, but he can drink wine and other beverages. Plus he lives in cycle of 44 years, born again at 21 years old and aging until he is 65 years old. That is quite convenient to explain how he has lived so long without anyone suspecting.
When I started this novel, I was quite impressed by the level of details the author used in describing the townhouse where Desmond has lived since 1820, in the Bowery district of New York City. I did a quick search and discovered that aside from this novel, and its sequel, A Vampire in Suburbia, Ulysses Grant Dietz has written non fictional books in the antique design field. The same background he decided to give to Tony, Desmond’s lover.
That of Desmond and Tony is a classic cinderfella love story: Desmond, 45 years old and wealthy, meets 24 years old Tony, a graduate student who is having a bad time; Tony is hustling, or at least he is trying to, but when he meets Desmond, all his courage left him. Desmond will help Tony, settling him in a nice apartment, finding him a job, and loving him. Exactly like he did for the stray cat he picked up the previous time he was alone wandering the street. That is, Desmond cared for Tony, but I had the feeling he didn’t really love him with all his own, and that is the only point that makes this a good vampire novel, but not a full 100% romance one.
I’m quite curious to see how the author picked up again his characters today for the sequel, and if Desmond will finally have a true and complete romance this time, lasting a life… or maybe more lives.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1555834701/?...
tbr2_read-now_tip-top-pile
November 2, 2016Amazon again!
Why everyone seems to only favor selling their books solely on Amazon? Wish they would consider having their books at a few more ebookstores such as Smashwords or Kobobooks where their don't block off buyers just because of where they are located.
Found a used copy of this book online but it was very expensive for a tattered copy and shipping it from overseas would take no less than a month with risk of it going missing during the transition. Sigh... what a dilemma.
If given the chance, I would rather buy this book as a digital copy and support the author. I am quite keen on reading it since the author is a fan of Anne Rice and the book was inspired by her vampires. I am a die-hard fan of her vampire chronicles. Read it when I was still a very young woman. It is one of those books that I have read and reread many times over without tiring.
You could say that this book is a gay version of Anne Rice's vampire stories -- or so I think. I have always wished for Lestat and Louis to be a real couple. If Desmond is anything like the charismatic brat prince, Lestat. I am more than willing to be his victim.
*Frustrated silent scream in head* I don't know. I might just suck it up and grab that tattered copy. *rolls eyes at self*
* September 26th, 2016
-------------------------
Updates:
November 2nd, 2016 - It has arrived! The book has finally arrived from BetterWorldBook.com to my office today. Yay! Actually, I have totally forgotten I have ordered for it. Haha
September 27th, 2016 - I have succumbed. Bought the used copy from BetterWorldBooks.com. Heh, at least the purchase also contributes to a good cause. Although it hurts my
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February 7, 2019This may not be the very first gay vampire novel; it was published in 1998, though the Author's note indicates he wrote it in the late 1980s. But it's certainly an early foray into the genre, many years before vampires captured the fascination of the MM romance community.
Sidenote: an earlier example would be Jeffrey McMahan's 1991 Vampires Anonymous, which I found wonderfully trashy and campy.
The story is a straight-forward (gaily forward?) adaptation of the Anne Rice formula: gothic setting, lengthy passages about the history of the main character--how he came to be, his loves and his travels over the centuries, and the requisite stylishness and sophistication of the immortal. Merely to be descriptive, not critical, I'd call it a tame tale, which has the advantage of being very accessible to the reader. The parts that stood out for me were the eroticism of the blood-sucking (not especially graphic, but it was very sexy) and the way the romantic leads negotiate an open relationship quite naturally and realistically.
Sidenote: an earlier example would be Jeffrey McMahan's 1991 Vampires Anonymous, which I found wonderfully trashy and campy.
The story is a straight-forward (gaily forward?) adaptation of the Anne Rice formula: gothic setting, lengthy passages about the history of the main character--how he came to be, his loves and his travels over the centuries, and the requisite stylishness and sophistication of the immortal. Merely to be descriptive, not critical, I'd call it a tame tale, which has the advantage of being very accessible to the reader. The parts that stood out for me were the eroticism of the blood-sucking (not especially graphic, but it was very sexy) and the way the romantic leads negotiate an open relationship quite naturally and realistically.
Read
July 30, 2023This is not a romance novel by the most common genre definition. I did not enjoy discovering this at 2 in the morning.
With that out of the way, there was a fair amount I enjoyed in this book. It makes perfect sense that when a curator of American decorative writes a vampire book, it would be *really* into how much lovely furniture the vampire has accumulated along his long life. I find that kind of adorable. It was really interesting to read a book that was first written when AIDS was still usually a death sentence and that takes account of that. The relationship between Desmond and Tony was quite sweet until it wasn't.
The two very long flashbacks into Desmond's long history were interesting in themselves, but did make the book feel a little unbalanced.
I read this straight through in a day, having trouble putting it down. I'm not going to give it a star rating, because I'm not sure how to -- it would be a 3 or a 4 for most of my reading experience, but I'm not sure how many to knock off for the wall I ran into at 2 in the morning.
With that out of the way, there was a fair amount I enjoyed in this book. It makes perfect sense that when a curator of American decorative writes a vampire book, it would be *really* into how much lovely furniture the vampire has accumulated along his long life. I find that kind of adorable. It was really interesting to read a book that was first written when AIDS was still usually a death sentence and that takes account of that. The relationship between Desmond and Tony was quite sweet until it wasn't.
The two very long flashbacks into Desmond's long history were interesting in themselves, but did make the book feel a little unbalanced.
I read this straight through in a day, having trouble putting it down. I'm not going to give it a star rating, because I'm not sure how to -- it would be a 3 or a 4 for most of my reading experience, but I'm not sure how many to knock off for the wall I ran into at 2 in the morning.
July 30, 2018
This was a fun adventure f0r me, a foray into a genre I don't normally read. I've somehow missed the entire Anne Rice oeuvre. And I had a fabulous time with this. I loved the modern-day romance, and I loved the flashbacks, including a narrow escape from the Reign of Terror.
November 13, 2017
A gay vampire novel conceived in the 1980’s has to go to certain places. HIV was a vampire to the gay community in a way. It startled victims and either converted them into walking dead (because treatments did not exist, were unavailable, or were insufficient) or it took their life-blood far too soon. It also did the same to the gay community as a whole. Hard-won rights were new and precariously balanced. Something like HIV/AIDS never comes at the right time for anyone. But for the gay community it felt like nails in the coffin of newfound freedoms. There was a fear the erroneously named “gay disease” would corpse equal rights for eternity.
You could certainly study this book and draw out other parallels. Interplay between coffin and closet (‘Only Desmond’s secret hunger had never come out.’); contrast between the undead character’s attitude to life, and the attitude of those taking stupid risks with such a precious gift; internalized homophobia (a gay vampire may have two reasons to think himself unacceptable or damned).
“Desmond” certainly flits its wings to these places. But it never seems engineered in doing so. A book about a gay vamp absolutely must fang such necks. When Dietz does so, it’s with an incidental grace much like the elegance his vamp character exhibits with his victims.
‘As long as we’ve each other we need not bay at the moon.’ I’d stick my neck out (sic.) and say that this is book is a moment in gay literary history.
You could certainly study this book and draw out other parallels. Interplay between coffin and closet (‘Only Desmond’s secret hunger had never come out.’); contrast between the undead character’s attitude to life, and the attitude of those taking stupid risks with such a precious gift; internalized homophobia (a gay vampire may have two reasons to think himself unacceptable or damned).
“Desmond” certainly flits its wings to these places. But it never seems engineered in doing so. A book about a gay vamp absolutely must fang such necks. When Dietz does so, it’s with an incidental grace much like the elegance his vamp character exhibits with his victims.
‘As long as we’ve each other we need not bay at the moon.’ I’d stick my neck out (sic.) and say that this is book is a moment in gay literary history.
November 11, 2023
It is no secret that vampires in fiction often are symbols for current attitudes towards sexuality. I would argue that this book is no different. Published in 1998, this story tells of a 300 year old gay vampire who finds belonging and purpose in the lgbtq+ community. It does not shy away from some of the more heartbreaking depictions of HIV and handles such themes with the compassion of one who survived the AIDS crisis, but has lost too many loved ones. Survivor’s guilt plagues our main character, but he seems to come alive again with a new lover. However, he finds true belonging in the New York’s modern day gay community that his lover introduces him to.
I found the core message beautiful, but I found myself bogged down by the unnecessary descriptions of the furniture. However, the author is a curator and I will be the first to say that you should write first and foremost for yourself being the target audience. Just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean that it is not for someone else.
There is a sequel and I am curious to see where the adventure next takes Desmond, our vampiric hero.
I found the core message beautiful, but I found myself bogged down by the unnecessary descriptions of the furniture. However, the author is a curator and I will be the first to say that you should write first and foremost for yourself being the target audience. Just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean that it is not for someone else.
There is a sequel and I am curious to see where the adventure next takes Desmond, our vampiric hero.
December 12, 2023
“Desmond” by Ulysses Grant Dietz was my first exposure to vampire male/male romance and it blew me away. The writer abandons the old movie vampire tropes like crucifix and sunlight phobias making his undead more versatile characters. His explanations of their habits and lifestyles takes them from the realm of the cartoon villain to credible creatures—creatures at their most sensuous.
Dietz is a master wordsmith, painting both modern and ancient worlds with his lush descriptions. His characters are fully drawn out with emotions that touch the reader’s heart, and while you are hoping for relationships to work, Dietz doesn’t cheat the plot by taking the easy way out. His mastery of language is also reflected in the story’s depiction of sexuality with beautifully crafted erotic passages as opposed to graphic descriptions.
This is some of the finest fantasy and romance writing that I have read in a long time. It took me a while to discover this book (originally published in 1998) but, like some vampires, it has aged well. I’ll be definitely following up with its sequel, Vampire in Suburbia.
Dietz is a master wordsmith, painting both modern and ancient worlds with his lush descriptions. His characters are fully drawn out with emotions that touch the reader’s heart, and while you are hoping for relationships to work, Dietz doesn’t cheat the plot by taking the easy way out. His mastery of language is also reflected in the story’s depiction of sexuality with beautifully crafted erotic passages as opposed to graphic descriptions.
This is some of the finest fantasy and romance writing that I have read in a long time. It took me a while to discover this book (originally published in 1998) but, like some vampires, it has aged well. I’ll be definitely following up with its sequel, Vampire in Suburbia.
September 9, 2016
This is the first LGBT-themed book that I have read. Typically, I stick to history, politics, biographies (especially Presidents and other major figures), and an occasional classic. I wanted to vary my reading just for a few days, and see if I liked this type of book. I was pleasantly surprised, and yet also depressed, with the story.
This is Dietz's first book. For this being his first book, it very well-written, engaging, and - at times - suspenseful. He also managed to hold the story together fairly well - much better than I originally thought he would be able to do. While unknown to me at the time that I bought the book, I subsequently discovered that he is Ulysses Grant's great-great-grandson. So, the presidential theme seems to follow me no matter what I pick out to read!
The story revolves around a 265 year-old vampire named Desmond Beckwith, who lives in New York City. Other than being a vampire, Desmond also happens to be gay. But he is incredibly lonely and isolated, despite being rich. Dietz, who is a curator at a museum for his day job, fills the book with detailed descriptions of medieval buildings in Europe, then old buildings in New York. He takes his passion for this and infuses his main character, as well as the pivotal character of Tony Chapman, with that same love. In fact, Desmond's New York house becomes a main part of the book; being that he regenerates himself every 44 years, going from age 65 back to age 21; he has lived multiple lifetimes by the time of the story, and has lived in this same house for close to 200 years. As the decades have passed, Desmond withdraws into his own stagnant world more and more, refusing to make an attempt to form lasting friendships with anyone (he carries on a fake fiction of having a young son abroad who will come to take over the business when Desmond turns 65. Desmond in effect begins a completely new life, and has to pretend that his "father" died.
Along with this immortality problem (he can be killed by any regular act of violence or accident just like humans), he feels further inhibited due to being gay. To supply his physical need for blood, he seduces young men in parks, but does not kill them - instead only taking what blood he needs to quench his thirst. He has one true friend - Roger Deland. They both became vampires around the same time. Desmond saved Roger's life during the Reign of Terror in 1793 France. Roger (who is straight) is the only one who knows that Desmond is not human, and vice versa. Now Roger lives in San Francisco, causing he and Desmond to only see each other a few times a year. This adds greatly to Desmond's loneliness.
Demons meets handsome Tony Chapman in a gay bar. Tony is intelligent but needs a break; he is next to homeless and has no job. He captivates Desmond as Tony reminds him of his first and only lover in his life - Jeffrey Chapman (Dietz never says whether there ultimately was any connection between the two). Jeffrey was also Desmond's boyhood friend and servant. Killed by a wolf in Italy, his death sparked Desmond to become a vampire (the Doctor who tried to save Jeffrey was one and facilitated Desmond's transformation).
Tony is the only person who is able to break down Desmond's many barriers: staying over at his house, seeing Desmond sleep, examining his library of rare books (which Desmond had purchased as new in prior lifetimes), and generally getting him to loosen up. Desmond in turn basically gets Tony a job at the NY Museum of Art and gets him an apartment. The two grow deeply committed to each other, and Tony, being more astute than Desmond originally thinks, figures out Desmond's secret. If anything, this draws them closer together.
Unfortunately, throughout the story, looming in the background is the occurrence of gay men who are similar in looks and age to Tony, being stabbed to death with an awl. At the first mention of this, I had a feeling that this would be Tony's fate, and that Desmond would end up being alone as before. Before this happens though, Tony is able to draw Desmond out so much so that, on the night of Tony's tragic death, Desmond tells his friend Bill Lawrence his story - something that he would have never dreamed of doing if it had not been for Tony. Following Tony's death, the brief epilogue takes place five years later, with Desmond having jettisoned his house and all of his collections for a townhouse flat. He is having a large dinner party to celebrate his "50th" birthday - both things directly coming as a result of Tony's influence on his life.
This is one of those books where it stays with me after I finish reading it. I am not sure if that is the mark of a good book (depends on your definition of good), or an engaging story. The ending bothered me, as did Tony's death. Part of it is the brutality of it. Part of it is that Desmond inadvertently led Tony down the ultimately fatal path that he took. Part of it is that Desmond, for the second time in his long life, has lost someone whom he truly loved and who loved him in return. So, even though Tony changed Desmond's life for the better, and is someone whom he will always remember, Desmond is at the same time left with a bittersweet experience. Desmond was willing to try to transform Tony into a vampire to save him from dying, but Tony demurred, saying he did not want to live forever. Tony's death saddened me, and cast a pall over what otherwise I thought was a wonderful story. Perhaps because I realize how difficult, if not impossible, it is to actually find true love.
Grade: A-
This is Dietz's first book. For this being his first book, it very well-written, engaging, and - at times - suspenseful. He also managed to hold the story together fairly well - much better than I originally thought he would be able to do. While unknown to me at the time that I bought the book, I subsequently discovered that he is Ulysses Grant's great-great-grandson. So, the presidential theme seems to follow me no matter what I pick out to read!
The story revolves around a 265 year-old vampire named Desmond Beckwith, who lives in New York City. Other than being a vampire, Desmond also happens to be gay. But he is incredibly lonely and isolated, despite being rich. Dietz, who is a curator at a museum for his day job, fills the book with detailed descriptions of medieval buildings in Europe, then old buildings in New York. He takes his passion for this and infuses his main character, as well as the pivotal character of Tony Chapman, with that same love. In fact, Desmond's New York house becomes a main part of the book; being that he regenerates himself every 44 years, going from age 65 back to age 21; he has lived multiple lifetimes by the time of the story, and has lived in this same house for close to 200 years. As the decades have passed, Desmond withdraws into his own stagnant world more and more, refusing to make an attempt to form lasting friendships with anyone (he carries on a fake fiction of having a young son abroad who will come to take over the business when Desmond turns 65. Desmond in effect begins a completely new life, and has to pretend that his "father" died.
Along with this immortality problem (he can be killed by any regular act of violence or accident just like humans), he feels further inhibited due to being gay. To supply his physical need for blood, he seduces young men in parks, but does not kill them - instead only taking what blood he needs to quench his thirst. He has one true friend - Roger Deland. They both became vampires around the same time. Desmond saved Roger's life during the Reign of Terror in 1793 France. Roger (who is straight) is the only one who knows that Desmond is not human, and vice versa. Now Roger lives in San Francisco, causing he and Desmond to only see each other a few times a year. This adds greatly to Desmond's loneliness.
Demons meets handsome Tony Chapman in a gay bar. Tony is intelligent but needs a break; he is next to homeless and has no job. He captivates Desmond as Tony reminds him of his first and only lover in his life - Jeffrey Chapman (Dietz never says whether there ultimately was any connection between the two). Jeffrey was also Desmond's boyhood friend and servant. Killed by a wolf in Italy, his death sparked Desmond to become a vampire (the Doctor who tried to save Jeffrey was one and facilitated Desmond's transformation).
Tony is the only person who is able to break down Desmond's many barriers: staying over at his house, seeing Desmond sleep, examining his library of rare books (which Desmond had purchased as new in prior lifetimes), and generally getting him to loosen up. Desmond in turn basically gets Tony a job at the NY Museum of Art and gets him an apartment. The two grow deeply committed to each other, and Tony, being more astute than Desmond originally thinks, figures out Desmond's secret. If anything, this draws them closer together.
Unfortunately, throughout the story, looming in the background is the occurrence of gay men who are similar in looks and age to Tony, being stabbed to death with an awl. At the first mention of this, I had a feeling that this would be Tony's fate, and that Desmond would end up being alone as before. Before this happens though, Tony is able to draw Desmond out so much so that, on the night of Tony's tragic death, Desmond tells his friend Bill Lawrence his story - something that he would have never dreamed of doing if it had not been for Tony. Following Tony's death, the brief epilogue takes place five years later, with Desmond having jettisoned his house and all of his collections for a townhouse flat. He is having a large dinner party to celebrate his "50th" birthday - both things directly coming as a result of Tony's influence on his life.
This is one of those books where it stays with me after I finish reading it. I am not sure if that is the mark of a good book (depends on your definition of good), or an engaging story. The ending bothered me, as did Tony's death. Part of it is the brutality of it. Part of it is that Desmond inadvertently led Tony down the ultimately fatal path that he took. Part of it is that Desmond, for the second time in his long life, has lost someone whom he truly loved and who loved him in return. So, even though Tony changed Desmond's life for the better, and is someone whom he will always remember, Desmond is at the same time left with a bittersweet experience. Desmond was willing to try to transform Tony into a vampire to save him from dying, but Tony demurred, saying he did not want to live forever. Tony's death saddened me, and cast a pall over what otherwise I thought was a wonderful story. Perhaps because I realize how difficult, if not impossible, it is to actually find true love.
Grade: A-
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2023
Loved the book until the last chapter. It was paced wonderfully right up until then. That last chapter or so just felt rushed and forced. It didn't feel like the conclusion was thought out as much as the rest of the story. Sad and disappointed. It literally went from being in my top 3 books to just a book I read this year in a matter of a couple of pages. :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2025
Absolutely phenomenal read. I was enraptured by the story as early as the first chapter and just fell in love with the characters and with Desmond’s relationship with Tony. The outcome absolutely broke my heart, but the writing and story were fantastic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2024
uneven, occasionally close to being silly rather than emotional, some weird political undertones that are not examined enough, and interesting new vampire lore
August 12, 2016
I first off, want to make it really clear - Ulysses can write his ass off. This was a Faberge egg of a novel. It was opulent, it lush, it was filled with beauty not only in the words but every single detail that Ulysses describes.
This book is about a 250-year-old vampire who - a very long time ago - fell in love with his straight bestie. Been there, done that. ((fall in love with straight bestie, I mean...I wanted to be a vampire but I love Jesus and Christmas too much )) and that was completely relatable. The flashbacks of Desmond's life were incredible. From The Reign of Terror - to growing up on the English countryside- to traveling Europe was breathtakingly gorgeous. I felt like I was reading a diary/ history book an autobiography of sorts.
*possible spoilers*
The downside: Zero adversity in the days Desmond met his lover. Everything was as pristine as the house Desmond lived in. The past - trouble abounded. I would have loved to hear more of that, than the modern stuff with his beau. It came off as a super rich sugar daddy provides for his hot young stud and hangs out with his middle-aged friends where everyone is super nice. I would have hooked up with Desmond and I'm a handful, trust me. I would have shagged him silly just to have access to his wine list (I'm classy, right?)
All in all, this was a breath of fresh air. A literary novel about finding love in later years (albeit a Sestercentennial) with a character who happened to be a vampire with such fascinating and historical writing. Such a great departure from the post-Twilight books where vampires glitter and shifters need alpha's, beta's and a monthly flea treatment and from books whose characters are all named Dirk, Drake, Declan, Dopey, Sleepy, and Crackhead. (That was all the dwarfs, right?)
Methinks there was a lot of the author in this book. ((isn't there always)) so, Ulysses - once it's time for regen time again - gimme a call. I wanna get a look at that wine list *wink wink*
Four solid Stars
This book is about a 250-year-old vampire who - a very long time ago - fell in love with his straight bestie. Been there, done that. ((fall in love with straight bestie, I mean...I wanted to be a vampire but I love Jesus and Christmas too much )) and that was completely relatable. The flashbacks of Desmond's life were incredible. From The Reign of Terror - to growing up on the English countryside- to traveling Europe was breathtakingly gorgeous. I felt like I was reading a diary/ history book an autobiography of sorts.
*possible spoilers*
The downside: Zero adversity in the days Desmond met his lover. Everything was as pristine as the house Desmond lived in. The past - trouble abounded. I would have loved to hear more of that, than the modern stuff with his beau. It came off as a super rich sugar daddy provides for his hot young stud and hangs out with his middle-aged friends where everyone is super nice. I would have hooked up with Desmond and I'm a handful, trust me. I would have shagged him silly just to have access to his wine list (I'm classy, right?)
All in all, this was a breath of fresh air. A literary novel about finding love in later years (albeit a Sestercentennial) with a character who happened to be a vampire with such fascinating and historical writing. Such a great departure from the post-Twilight books where vampires glitter and shifters need alpha's, beta's and a monthly flea treatment and from books whose characters are all named Dirk, Drake, Declan, Dopey, Sleepy, and Crackhead. (That was all the dwarfs, right?)
Methinks there was a lot of the author in this book. ((isn't there always)) so, Ulysses - once it's time for regen time again - gimme a call. I wanna get a look at that wine list *wink wink*
Four solid Stars
January 31, 2024
Desmond is a fantastic read. It’s relatable, funny, dramatic, and now holds a special place in my heart.
I found myself delighted by how realistic the characters feel. They moved me in a way I hadn’t expected when I first picked up the book. Each one of them is complex and memorable. I gasped and giggled at their interactions and excitedly speculated what they were going to do next.
As this is erotica, there were of course many sexual scenes, but they always seemed appropriate. None of them were overly explicit to the point of awkwardness, and most of them were about the vampiric acts of hunting and drinking blood. I suppose some could argue that even the detailed descriptions of the surroundings and furniture could lend itself to the erotic. I never felt that those overstayed their welcome either, although some were slightly repetetive. They painted lovely, picturesque scenes for my mind to run away with.
The story is not entirely linear, with lengthy flashbacks into Desmond’s Gregorian life, giving us the history we need to understand his feelings and choices in the present day. These flashbacks illustrate just how much Desmond is holding onto his past, and hint at him repeating past mistakes if he doesn’t change his actions soon and deal with his trauma.
The only real flaw in my opinion is that the ending felt rushed. I could see it coming- there were enough hints throughout that would have led to it, and that isn’t a bad thing by any means. However, and I will try my best to be vague, I think the lack of discussion between Desmond and Tony about their feelings made the final decision seem out of character. Without the epilogue, I may have been more upset by the way the story ended than I am now after some time has passed, but I am constantly thinking about the ‘what if’…
I found myself delighted by how realistic the characters feel. They moved me in a way I hadn’t expected when I first picked up the book. Each one of them is complex and memorable. I gasped and giggled at their interactions and excitedly speculated what they were going to do next.
As this is erotica, there were of course many sexual scenes, but they always seemed appropriate. None of them were overly explicit to the point of awkwardness, and most of them were about the vampiric acts of hunting and drinking blood. I suppose some could argue that even the detailed descriptions of the surroundings and furniture could lend itself to the erotic. I never felt that those overstayed their welcome either, although some were slightly repetetive. They painted lovely, picturesque scenes for my mind to run away with.
The story is not entirely linear, with lengthy flashbacks into Desmond’s Gregorian life, giving us the history we need to understand his feelings and choices in the present day. These flashbacks illustrate just how much Desmond is holding onto his past, and hint at him repeating past mistakes if he doesn’t change his actions soon and deal with his trauma.
The only real flaw in my opinion is that the ending felt rushed. I could see it coming- there were enough hints throughout that would have led to it, and that isn’t a bad thing by any means. However, and I will try my best to be vague, I think the lack of discussion between Desmond and Tony about their feelings made the final decision seem out of character. Without the epilogue, I may have been more upset by the way the story ended than I am now after some time has passed, but I am constantly thinking about the ‘what if’…
January 31, 2023
First book I bought for my new Kindle!
A new spin on the old vampire tale. Desmond is a long-lived vampire residing in a home in New York City filled with antiques - which he bought when they were brand new. Generally a recluse, Desmond is surprised by love, and begins venturing out beyond his usual comfort zone. Trying really hard to write this without spoilers!
Dietz plays with the tradition. Desmond can walk in broad daylight, but his sleep cannot be disturbed until a minimum time has passed. He can drink any clear liquids (coffee, alcohol), but food causes him to be violently ill. And he's gay. Personally I like writers who bend the rules, but if you're a strict adherent of Bram Stoker-style vamps you might be disappointed. Or maybe not. I liked the book enough that I immediately purchased the sequel, Vampire in Suburbia.
A new spin on the old vampire tale. Desmond is a long-lived vampire residing in a home in New York City filled with antiques - which he bought when they were brand new. Generally a recluse, Desmond is surprised by love, and begins venturing out beyond his usual comfort zone. Trying really hard to write this without spoilers!
Dietz plays with the tradition. Desmond can walk in broad daylight, but his sleep cannot be disturbed until a minimum time has passed. He can drink any clear liquids (coffee, alcohol), but food causes him to be violently ill. And he's gay. Personally I like writers who bend the rules, but if you're a strict adherent of Bram Stoker-style vamps you might be disappointed. Or maybe not. I liked the book enough that I immediately purchased the sequel, Vampire in Suburbia.
February 25, 2020
2.3 stars
“Mr. Beckwith, it is not possible for me to believe that God sees any true love as evil, no matter what the words of man might tell you. Hate is the only truly evil thing in the world. Second only to it false love, followed by its twin, hypocrisy. If your love was true, then it was blessed.”
― Ulysses Grant Dietz
Desmond, a frustrated gay vampire loves his strait friend Roger, but he can't bed, bite, or suck him.
“You may be a man who loves women, Roger Deland,” said Desmond softly, “but I know that I already love you for what you are.”
- Ulysses Grant Dietz
Recommended for fans of frustrated gay men and kinky vamps.
“Mr. Beckwith, it is not possible for me to believe that God sees any true love as evil, no matter what the words of man might tell you. Hate is the only truly evil thing in the world. Second only to it false love, followed by its twin, hypocrisy. If your love was true, then it was blessed.”
― Ulysses Grant Dietz
Desmond, a frustrated gay vampire loves his strait friend Roger, but he can't bed, bite, or suck him.
“You may be a man who loves women, Roger Deland,” said Desmond softly, “but I know that I already love you for what you are.”
- Ulysses Grant Dietz
Recommended for fans of frustrated gay men and kinky vamps.
December 4, 2012
I really liked the parts where Desmond recalled his past, the slices of various historical periods. Would have loved to have more about the 19th and early 20th centuries.
I also really liked the unique vampire mythology.
Looking forward to the sequel, "Vampire in Suburbia", because I'm hoping that it will be a funnier read than "Desmond", which was beautiful, but quite sad in places.
I also really liked the unique vampire mythology.
Looking forward to the sequel, "Vampire in Suburbia", because I'm hoping that it will be a funnier read than "Desmond", which was beautiful, but quite sad in places.
April 24, 2014
Desmond. I am enthralled Mr. Dietz's storytelling style and by Desmond's loving kindness toward others. The absence of graphic sexual behavior made the characters even more endearing. I plan to devour Desmond's next story as soon as I save this update.
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December 4, 2013loved it
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