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Pride Anthem
Jake is dead. Which doesn't stop him from paying his ex-partner a visit. Ben is getting by, but certainly isn't what one would call happy. Will Jake's ghost, and the other three spirits that visit, save Ben from the path he is on?
55 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 10, 2018
About the author
Rob Browatzke
13 books55 followersRob Browatzke has been writing for as long as he can remember, and is pretty darn excited for someone else to be reading his stuff finally! When it comes to gay bars and booze and drugs and drama, he knows what he's talking about. He came out in the mid-90s, and liquor and drama went hand in hand. He has 25+ years of experience working in gay clubs in Edmonton, Alberta, and his current Wonderlounge is every bit as amazing as Alex's Wonderland. Rob is now 15+ years clean and sober, although there's still a bit of drama once in a while, for old times' sake.
Rob loves the growing market for gay fiction and m/m romance. There are some incredible authors out there, and it's important to be able to see in print (or on the screen) stories about people just like us. Coming out, our relationships, the issues we face, we all have stories to tell. And this book is just one of the stories coming out of Wonderland.
Rob loves the growing market for gay fiction and m/m romance. There are some incredible authors out there, and it's important to be able to see in print (or on the screen) stories about people just like us. Coming out, our relationships, the issues we face, we all have stories to tell. And this book is just one of the stories coming out of Wonderland.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 7, 2018
A sweet and heartbreaking take on A Christmas Carol. Ben is living a half-life after his partner, Jake, died. But one night he's visited by Jake and is taken on a journey by three other ghosts. It's a wonderful read about loss, sadness, and eventually moving on with life. It has a lot of heart and although you understand why Ben is in mourning, you also have hope for Ben's future.
October 10, 2018
Review in English and Polish || Recenzja po angielsku oraz polsku
Ben, although surrounded by people who love him, has closed himself off some time ago and every day, little by little, he moves away from his friends and the life itself. Rejecting all the chances for a better, happier tomorrow, he sinks deeper and deeper into the moving sands of hopelessness and self-destruction. When on the night before the Pride Parade his ex-boyfriend, who died few years ago, appears in his office, Ben tries to be strong, but in fact on the foundations of walls surrounding him that he built by himself, appears a first crack. Soon enough he will meet three other ghosts that will take him on a journey into himself, at the end of which he will have to make a decision regarding his future.
Without a doubt, there's a lot we could say about "A Pride Anthem", but what strikes us even before we start reading this story is the fact that it was based on "A Christmas Carol". I will be honest, to a large extent that was the main reason I reached for this short story. I was very curious how the author would deal with this topic in the context of the Pride Parade. And what can I say now that I've read "A Pride Anthem"? Oh, my gods! It was a masterpiece! Rob Browatzke not only stayed appropriately close to the original version of the story, but also at the right moments he stayed away from it, thanks to which he managed to make this story fully his. What's more, in a truly fantastic way he has woven the diversity and enormity of the LGBTQ + community into this story. He didn't focus solely on the representation of the "first three letters", but he went further and that's how he immediately won my favor. And his choice of the three Ghosts of Pride? It was not only ingenious but even brilliant, and in my opinion, perfectly matched the topic of the past, present and future of the LGBTQ + community. It was amazing.
I admit that before I even started reading "A Pride Anthem", I immediately knew that this novella will make me cry many times, and although I often try to avoid novels which prove that I'm a wimp, I couldn't say "no" to this one. And I was indeed right about this story. Even now, writing this review, I can't hold back my tears. The story presented by Rob Browatzke is really moving and it touches the heart so much that it's sometimes impossible to avoid crying when we read it, as it's full of little stories that move us deeply. In addition, it deals with the subject of many life problems that affect everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation. It is also worth noting that it refers to both good and bad sides of the LGBTQ + community, but it repeatedly emphasize that one should be proud of being part of it. Not without significance is also the fact that the narrator often refers directly to the reader. In this way, it was emphasized that the story we read was created especially for us and whether we want it or not, whether we are willing to admit it or not, it is a part of our life, of ourselves.
However, "A Pride Anthem" is not only a story about the LGBTQ + community and the appreciation of the Pride Parade, but above all it's a story about human problems, one of which is closing oneself off from the world and people, escaping from life. There are countless reasons to close ourselves off from our everyday life, just as there are many ways to do it. However, on Ben's example, the author shows us how much we lose because of it, even if we don't want to see it and accept it. I would even dare say that Rob Browatzke wants us to realize that often we ourselves are responsible for condemning ourselves to loneliness that overwhelms us. We are looking for thousands of excuses to say "no" to the life, when we should simply spread our arms wide and embrace what it has to offer. And I would say that all of this was presented not really to emphasize the meaning of carpe diem, but that of a simple "LIVE!".
An equally important topic of this short, but undoubtedly rich in meaning story is passing time and the changes it brings. The author makes us aware that we can't really stop it. For the past is already irretrievably behind us and the future is unpredictable and fluid, but our here and now is rooted in the present. The changes will take place regardless of whether we want it or not, but it only depends on us whether we will be part of those changes and part of the future. By presenting the less real and very distant future in contrast with the one more possible and probably closer, the author shows one thing not only to his main character, but also to the reader. The world moves forward, as well as people. If we come to a halt, no one will wait for us and we ourselves will be guilty of wasting our tomorrow. As Heraclitus wrote, ta panta rhei, everything flows, so we have to get into our boat and let the current take us in the direction of what is ahead of us, because we ourselves have to reach for what we really want.
In summary, "A Pride Anthem" is indeed only a small novella, but it's extremely rich in meaning and very emotional. This is a wonderfully presented story about life, existence and people. Such a story is impossible to forget.
____________________________________
Ben, choć otoczony przez kochających go ludzi, już jakiś czas temu zamknął się w sobie i z dnia na dzień coraz bardziej odsuwa się od bliskich sobie osób oraz od życia. Odrzucając wszystkie szanse na lepsze, szczęśliwsze jutro, zapada się coraz głębiej w ruchome piaski beznadziei i autodestrukcji. Kiedy w noc przed Paradą Dumy w jego biurze pojawia się jego zmarły przed laty były chłopak, Ben stara się być silny, ale tak naprawdę fundamenty otaczających go murów, które sam zbudował zostają naruszone. Przed nim spotkanie z trzema innymi duchami, a na samym końcu drogi w głąb siebie, na którą ma właśnie wkroczyć będzie musiał podjąć decyzję dotyczącą jego przyszłości.
O „A Pride Anthem” bez wątpienia można powiedzieć naprawdę wiele, ale tym, co rzuca się nam w oczy jeszcze zanim w ogóle rozpoczniemy lekturę jest wykorzystanie w tej noweli motywu „Opowieści Wigilijnej”. Nie będę ukrywać, że w dużym stopniu właśnie ten fakt skusił mnie do sięgnięcia po tę krótką opowieść. Byłam bowiem bardzo ciekawa, w jaki sposób autor poradzi sobie z tym tematem w kontekście Parady Dumy (w Polsce najbliższym odpowiednikiem tego wydarzenia jest Parada Równości). I cóż mogę powiedzieć teraz, kiedy lekturę „A Pride Anthem” mam już za sobą? O moi bogowie! To było mistrzostwo! Rob Browatzke nie tylko trzymał się odpowiednio blisko oryginalnej wersji opowieści, ale także odsuwał się od niej w odpowiednich momentach, aby uczynić tę historię w pełni swoją. Co więcej, w naprawdę fantastyczny sposób wplótł w tę nowelę różnorodność i ogrom społeczności LGBTQ+. Nie skupił się bowiem wyłącznie na reprezentacji „pierwszych trzech liter”, ale sięgnął dalej, czym od razu zjednał sobie moją przychylność. A jego dobór trzech Duchów Dumy? To nie było tylko pomysłowe, ale wręcz genialne i w moim odczuciu doskonale dopasowane do tematu przeszłości, teraźniejszości i przyszłości społeczności LGBTQ+. To było coś niesamowitego.
Przyznaję, że sięgając po „A Pride Anthem” z góry domyślałam się, że nowela ta niejednokrotnie zmusi mnie do płaczu i chociaż często staram się unikać powieści, które udowadniają, że jestem mięczakiem, to tym razem nie mogłam sobie tego odmówić. I rzeczywiście nie pomyliłam się, co do tej historii. Nawet teraz, pisząc tę recenzję, nie mogę powstrzymać łez. Przedstawiona przez Roba Browatzke opowieść jest naprawdę wzruszająca i chwyta za serce tak mocno, że nie sposób ustrzec się przed uronieniem łez w czasie jej lektury, a to dlatego, że jest wręcz przepełniona drobnymi historiami, które dogłębnie nas poruszają. Ponadto podejmuje ona temat wielu życiowych problemów, które dotykają każdego z nas, bez względu na naszą orientację seksualną. Warto także zwrócić uwagę na fakt, iż odnosi się ona zarówno do dobrych, jak i złych stron środowiska LGBTQ+, ale niezmiennie podkreśla to, że będąc jego częścią człowiek powinien być z tego dumny. Nie bez znaczenia jest tu też fakt, iż narrator niejednokrotnie zwraca się bezpośrednio do czytelnika. W ten sposób podkreślone zostało bowiem to, że historia, którą czytamy została stworzona specjalnie dla nas i czy tego chcemy, czy nie, czy jesteśmy skłonni się do tego przyznać, czy nie, to jednak stanowi ona część naszego życia, nas samych.
„A Pride Anthem” nie jest jednak opowieścią wyłącznie o społeczności LGBTQ+ i docenianiu Parady Dumy (czy też Parady Równości w odniesieniu do Polskich realiów), ale przede wszystkim o ludzkich problemach z czego jednym z nich jest zamknięcie się na świat i ludzi, ucieczka od życia. Powodów do odcięcia się od otaczającej nas codzienności jest niezliczenie wiele, tak jak wiele jest sposobów w jakie można to robić. Autor pokazuje nam jednak na przykładzie Bena, jak wiele przez to tracimy, nawet jeśli sami nie chcemy tego dostrzec i zaakceptować. Pokusiłabym się nawet o stwierdzenie, że Rob Browatzke pragnie nam uświadomić, że nierzadko sami skazujemy się na samotność, która nas przytłacza. Szukamy tysięcy wymówek aby powiedzieć życiu „nie”, podczas kiedy wystarczyłoby rozłożyć szeroko ramiona i przyjąć to, co ma nam ono do zaoferowania. A wszystko to tak naprawdę nie w myśl idei carpe diem, ale prostego „ŻYJ!”.
Równie istotny temat tej krótkiej, ale niewątpliwie bogatej w przesłanie historii stanowi przemijanie oraz wiążące się z tym zmiany. Autor uświadamia nam, że tak naprawdę nie możemy tego zatrzymać. Przeszłość została już bowiem bezpowrotnie w tyle, a przyszłość jest nieprzewidywalna i płynna, ale nasze tu i teraz zakorzenione jest w teraźniejszości. Zmiany nastąpią bez względu na to, czy tego chcemy, czy nie, jednak tylko od nas zależy, czy będziemy częścią tych zmian i częścią przyszłości. Poprzez ukazanie tej mniej realnej, bardzo odległej przyszłości w kontraście z tą bardziej możliwą i zapewne bliższą, autor uświadamia jedną rzecz nie tylko swojemu głównemu bohaterowi, ale także czytelnikowi. Świat idzie do przodu, ludzie również. Jeśli my się zatrzymamy, nikt nie będzie na nas czekał i to my sami będziemy winni temu, że przekreślimy swoje jutro. Jak pisał Heraklit, ta panta rhei, wszystko płynie, a więc musimy wsiąść do naszej łódki i pozwolić aby nurt poniósł nas w stronę tego, co przed nami, ponieważ po to, czego naprawdę pragniemy musimy sami sięgnąć.
Podsumowując, „A Pride Anthem” to wprawdzie tylko niewielka nowela, ale za to niesamowicie bogata w treść i bardzo emocjonalna. To wspaniale przedstawiona historia traktująca o życiu, istnieniu oraz ludziach. Takiej opowieści nie zapomina się nigdy.
Ben, although surrounded by people who love him, has closed himself off some time ago and every day, little by little, he moves away from his friends and the life itself. Rejecting all the chances for a better, happier tomorrow, he sinks deeper and deeper into the moving sands of hopelessness and self-destruction. When on the night before the Pride Parade his ex-boyfriend, who died few years ago, appears in his office, Ben tries to be strong, but in fact on the foundations of walls surrounding him that he built by himself, appears a first crack. Soon enough he will meet three other ghosts that will take him on a journey into himself, at the end of which he will have to make a decision regarding his future.
Without a doubt, there's a lot we could say about "A Pride Anthem", but what strikes us even before we start reading this story is the fact that it was based on "A Christmas Carol". I will be honest, to a large extent that was the main reason I reached for this short story. I was very curious how the author would deal with this topic in the context of the Pride Parade. And what can I say now that I've read "A Pride Anthem"? Oh, my gods! It was a masterpiece! Rob Browatzke not only stayed appropriately close to the original version of the story, but also at the right moments he stayed away from it, thanks to which he managed to make this story fully his. What's more, in a truly fantastic way he has woven the diversity and enormity of the LGBTQ + community into this story. He didn't focus solely on the representation of the "first three letters", but he went further and that's how he immediately won my favor. And his choice of the three Ghosts of Pride? It was not only ingenious but even brilliant, and in my opinion, perfectly matched the topic of the past, present and future of the LGBTQ + community. It was amazing.
I admit that before I even started reading "A Pride Anthem", I immediately knew that this novella will make me cry many times, and although I often try to avoid novels which prove that I'm a wimp, I couldn't say "no" to this one. And I was indeed right about this story. Even now, writing this review, I can't hold back my tears. The story presented by Rob Browatzke is really moving and it touches the heart so much that it's sometimes impossible to avoid crying when we read it, as it's full of little stories that move us deeply. In addition, it deals with the subject of many life problems that affect everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation. It is also worth noting that it refers to both good and bad sides of the LGBTQ + community, but it repeatedly emphasize that one should be proud of being part of it. Not without significance is also the fact that the narrator often refers directly to the reader. In this way, it was emphasized that the story we read was created especially for us and whether we want it or not, whether we are willing to admit it or not, it is a part of our life, of ourselves.
However, "A Pride Anthem" is not only a story about the LGBTQ + community and the appreciation of the Pride Parade, but above all it's a story about human problems, one of which is closing oneself off from the world and people, escaping from life. There are countless reasons to close ourselves off from our everyday life, just as there are many ways to do it. However, on Ben's example, the author shows us how much we lose because of it, even if we don't want to see it and accept it. I would even dare say that Rob Browatzke wants us to realize that often we ourselves are responsible for condemning ourselves to loneliness that overwhelms us. We are looking for thousands of excuses to say "no" to the life, when we should simply spread our arms wide and embrace what it has to offer. And I would say that all of this was presented not really to emphasize the meaning of carpe diem, but that of a simple "LIVE!".
An equally important topic of this short, but undoubtedly rich in meaning story is passing time and the changes it brings. The author makes us aware that we can't really stop it. For the past is already irretrievably behind us and the future is unpredictable and fluid, but our here and now is rooted in the present. The changes will take place regardless of whether we want it or not, but it only depends on us whether we will be part of those changes and part of the future. By presenting the less real and very distant future in contrast with the one more possible and probably closer, the author shows one thing not only to his main character, but also to the reader. The world moves forward, as well as people. If we come to a halt, no one will wait for us and we ourselves will be guilty of wasting our tomorrow. As Heraclitus wrote, ta panta rhei, everything flows, so we have to get into our boat and let the current take us in the direction of what is ahead of us, because we ourselves have to reach for what we really want.
In summary, "A Pride Anthem" is indeed only a small novella, but it's extremely rich in meaning and very emotional. This is a wonderfully presented story about life, existence and people. Such a story is impossible to forget.
____________________________________
Ben, choć otoczony przez kochających go ludzi, już jakiś czas temu zamknął się w sobie i z dnia na dzień coraz bardziej odsuwa się od bliskich sobie osób oraz od życia. Odrzucając wszystkie szanse na lepsze, szczęśliwsze jutro, zapada się coraz głębiej w ruchome piaski beznadziei i autodestrukcji. Kiedy w noc przed Paradą Dumy w jego biurze pojawia się jego zmarły przed laty były chłopak, Ben stara się być silny, ale tak naprawdę fundamenty otaczających go murów, które sam zbudował zostają naruszone. Przed nim spotkanie z trzema innymi duchami, a na samym końcu drogi w głąb siebie, na którą ma właśnie wkroczyć będzie musiał podjąć decyzję dotyczącą jego przyszłości.
O „A Pride Anthem” bez wątpienia można powiedzieć naprawdę wiele, ale tym, co rzuca się nam w oczy jeszcze zanim w ogóle rozpoczniemy lekturę jest wykorzystanie w tej noweli motywu „Opowieści Wigilijnej”. Nie będę ukrywać, że w dużym stopniu właśnie ten fakt skusił mnie do sięgnięcia po tę krótką opowieść. Byłam bowiem bardzo ciekawa, w jaki sposób autor poradzi sobie z tym tematem w kontekście Parady Dumy (w Polsce najbliższym odpowiednikiem tego wydarzenia jest Parada Równości). I cóż mogę powiedzieć teraz, kiedy lekturę „A Pride Anthem” mam już za sobą? O moi bogowie! To było mistrzostwo! Rob Browatzke nie tylko trzymał się odpowiednio blisko oryginalnej wersji opowieści, ale także odsuwał się od niej w odpowiednich momentach, aby uczynić tę historię w pełni swoją. Co więcej, w naprawdę fantastyczny sposób wplótł w tę nowelę różnorodność i ogrom społeczności LGBTQ+. Nie skupił się bowiem wyłącznie na reprezentacji „pierwszych trzech liter”, ale sięgnął dalej, czym od razu zjednał sobie moją przychylność. A jego dobór trzech Duchów Dumy? To nie było tylko pomysłowe, ale wręcz genialne i w moim odczuciu doskonale dopasowane do tematu przeszłości, teraźniejszości i przyszłości społeczności LGBTQ+. To było coś niesamowitego.
Przyznaję, że sięgając po „A Pride Anthem” z góry domyślałam się, że nowela ta niejednokrotnie zmusi mnie do płaczu i chociaż często staram się unikać powieści, które udowadniają, że jestem mięczakiem, to tym razem nie mogłam sobie tego odmówić. I rzeczywiście nie pomyliłam się, co do tej historii. Nawet teraz, pisząc tę recenzję, nie mogę powstrzymać łez. Przedstawiona przez Roba Browatzke opowieść jest naprawdę wzruszająca i chwyta za serce tak mocno, że nie sposób ustrzec się przed uronieniem łez w czasie jej lektury, a to dlatego, że jest wręcz przepełniona drobnymi historiami, które dogłębnie nas poruszają. Ponadto podejmuje ona temat wielu życiowych problemów, które dotykają każdego z nas, bez względu na naszą orientację seksualną. Warto także zwrócić uwagę na fakt, iż odnosi się ona zarówno do dobrych, jak i złych stron środowiska LGBTQ+, ale niezmiennie podkreśla to, że będąc jego częścią człowiek powinien być z tego dumny. Nie bez znaczenia jest tu też fakt, iż narrator niejednokrotnie zwraca się bezpośrednio do czytelnika. W ten sposób podkreślone zostało bowiem to, że historia, którą czytamy została stworzona specjalnie dla nas i czy tego chcemy, czy nie, czy jesteśmy skłonni się do tego przyznać, czy nie, to jednak stanowi ona część naszego życia, nas samych.
„A Pride Anthem” nie jest jednak opowieścią wyłącznie o społeczności LGBTQ+ i docenianiu Parady Dumy (czy też Parady Równości w odniesieniu do Polskich realiów), ale przede wszystkim o ludzkich problemach z czego jednym z nich jest zamknięcie się na świat i ludzi, ucieczka od życia. Powodów do odcięcia się od otaczającej nas codzienności jest niezliczenie wiele, tak jak wiele jest sposobów w jakie można to robić. Autor pokazuje nam jednak na przykładzie Bena, jak wiele przez to tracimy, nawet jeśli sami nie chcemy tego dostrzec i zaakceptować. Pokusiłabym się nawet o stwierdzenie, że Rob Browatzke pragnie nam uświadomić, że nierzadko sami skazujemy się na samotność, która nas przytłacza. Szukamy tysięcy wymówek aby powiedzieć życiu „nie”, podczas kiedy wystarczyłoby rozłożyć szeroko ramiona i przyjąć to, co ma nam ono do zaoferowania. A wszystko to tak naprawdę nie w myśl idei carpe diem, ale prostego „ŻYJ!”.
Równie istotny temat tej krótkiej, ale niewątpliwie bogatej w przesłanie historii stanowi przemijanie oraz wiążące się z tym zmiany. Autor uświadamia nam, że tak naprawdę nie możemy tego zatrzymać. Przeszłość została już bowiem bezpowrotnie w tyle, a przyszłość jest nieprzewidywalna i płynna, ale nasze tu i teraz zakorzenione jest w teraźniejszości. Zmiany nastąpią bez względu na to, czy tego chcemy, czy nie, jednak tylko od nas zależy, czy będziemy częścią tych zmian i częścią przyszłości. Poprzez ukazanie tej mniej realnej, bardzo odległej przyszłości w kontraście z tą bardziej możliwą i zapewne bliższą, autor uświadamia jedną rzecz nie tylko swojemu głównemu bohaterowi, ale także czytelnikowi. Świat idzie do przodu, ludzie również. Jeśli my się zatrzymamy, nikt nie będzie na nas czekał i to my sami będziemy winni temu, że przekreślimy swoje jutro. Jak pisał Heraklit, ta panta rhei, wszystko płynie, a więc musimy wsiąść do naszej łódki i pozwolić aby nurt poniósł nas w stronę tego, co przed nami, ponieważ po to, czego naprawdę pragniemy musimy sami sięgnąć.
Podsumowując, „A Pride Anthem” to wprawdzie tylko niewielka nowela, ale za to niesamowicie bogata w treść i bardzo emocjonalna. To wspaniale przedstawiona historia traktująca o życiu, istnieniu oraz ludziach. Takiej opowieści nie zapomina się nigdy.
September 13, 2018
What a little gem of a book. Based on Dicken' s Christmas Carol, Ben made a perfect Scrooge, afraid of what has gone before repeating itself. He'd wrapped himself in his loneliness and a 'don't care' attitude, couldn't see away out of it, and actually convinced himself that he was OK as he was. Wasn't he?
A well written short story, with a meaningful tale to tell, sad and incredibly poignant, but with a hopeful ending. It certainly made me think. Definitely worth a read.
A well written short story, with a meaningful tale to tell, sad and incredibly poignant, but with a hopeful ending. It certainly made me think. Definitely worth a read.
October 10, 2018
This was a really interesting book. Ben was the owner of a gay bar who had lost his joy and his pride. In a Christmas Carol kind of way, he was visited by ghosts who forced him to look back on his life, and look ahead, to remember the importance of the Pride Movement to him personally. My heart was absolutely broken by Jake's part of the tale, but I was happy with the way Ben slowly began to really want to live again. Well done!
October 4, 2018
A journey thru the feels of PRIDE
Ben is just getting by in life, not happy but not depressed.. just sort of MEH... meh, like his favorite response when asked about PRIDE. He doesn't see the point of celebrating with his coworkers any longer. What he used to think was a wonderful life, is now just a lonely life.
It starts with a visit from his ex, Jake... or should I say the ghost of Jake. Then comes the other 3 spirits of PRIDE visiting Ben to show him Pride Past, Pride present and Pride Future.
A quick and entertaining read. A bit of a mix of emotions brought on by the story. Tears, laughter, sadness, happiness... a good ride through the feels. A version of Scrooge and his Spirits of Christmas, this story took that tale and made it it's own beautifully.
Ben is just getting by in life, not happy but not depressed.. just sort of MEH... meh, like his favorite response when asked about PRIDE. He doesn't see the point of celebrating with his coworkers any longer. What he used to think was a wonderful life, is now just a lonely life.
It starts with a visit from his ex, Jake... or should I say the ghost of Jake. Then comes the other 3 spirits of PRIDE visiting Ben to show him Pride Past, Pride present and Pride Future.
A quick and entertaining read. A bit of a mix of emotions brought on by the story. Tears, laughter, sadness, happiness... a good ride through the feels. A version of Scrooge and his Spirits of Christmas, this story took that tale and made it it's own beautifully.
October 8, 2018
A Pride Anthem is a sweet story that shows us all the progress made by the LGBT community, as well as all the struggles that remain today. It is a wonderful reflection of what Pride means and how important it is. I am glad to have found this Rob Browatzke story.
October 3, 2018
A fun and pride filled play on Dickens' Christmas Carol
Full review to follow.
Full review to follow.
October 12, 2018
This was a bit of a gem! Based on A Christmas Carol, we see Ben’s life from past, present and future based on a world where he disengages from Pride and life in general. There is a subtle ‘moral of the story’ feel, but all in all the book takes a simple path, following the original tale, but is quite charming in this simplicity. I find the random interjections of a narrator perspective disrupted the flow somewhat, but not enough to detract from the tale.
Overall, an enjoyable 3.5 stars, rounded up for the charm.
Overall, an enjoyable 3.5 stars, rounded up for the charm.
September 21, 2018
this was fun and creative and interesting to read. reminded me of scrooge and his 3 ghosts.. and it was sweet and sexy thown into the mix.. this was just a feel good with a bit of sadness twisted into it..and it made me laugh. i really liked it
October 14, 2018
3.5
This is a modern retelling of a Christmas Carol, with Pride being the celebration in question rather than Christmas. The narrator does speak to the reader in first person as in Christmas Carol and it starts with the same type sentence. “Jake was dead.” The Jake in question was co-owner of a gay bar, Good Judy’s, with his ex-love, Ben. “They met while working there, had started dating while working there.” When the boss retired, they took the leap and bought it. They were so happy for so long, then Jake left Ben and two years later, Jake died. The joy of Pride has left Ben and he keeps Good Judy going and it’s successful. But there is no happiness in it for him and he is very “meh” about the whole idea of Pride. There is nothing of Jake left in their office (and how horrible did that have to be, sharing an office with the man you still love who doesn’t want you back) except for the ashes on the shelf. He tries to deny it but he thinks of Jake all the time.
As in Christmas Carol, he wakes one night to his ex-partner’s ghost standing at the foot of his bed. “Ben didn’t believe in ghosts, or God, or much of anything anymore really.” But he believes what he is seeing is the ghost of Jake, who warns him he will be visited by three more ghosts this night and showing the chains he carries through eternity because of how unhappy he made Ben.
“My happiness wasn’t much of a concern when you left me…” Ben said.” Jake died in a car accident while drunk. “That wasn’t about you, you know, or the club, or the break-up, or anything. I was just…lonely.” But because we are never told why Jake threw Ben away, it didn’t make sense to me. Later, in a visit with the other Marsha, ghost of Pride past, Ben brings up that “All Jake had wanted to do was to leave Ben.” She tries to show him that Jake loved him or why would he “…have come here, back to this plane, wearing all those chains, because he wanted to leave you?” I was left confused because he HAD left Ben, two years before he died.
The ghosts follow the idea of Pride Past, Pride Present and Pride Future. The other Marsha shows Ben memories of meeting Jake and falling in love with him, working Good Judy’s and realizing that Jake “…was my everything.” More than he wanted to admit to this ghost, who had such a tragic past. I wanted to cry for Marsha and what she had been through. Ben decides his mother was right, that being gay makes for a lonely life.
The ghost of Pride Present, Marc, is a god-like vision who shows Ben (obviously) what is happening with all the people of Good Judy’s and the community as related to Pride. Ben doesn’t celebrate,
The third ghost, Avenir, is a gender/racial/ethnic fluid sort of thing, which I liked the most of all of them. More than Ben’s future, the possible future presented by Avenir was terrifying. “Make America Straight Again.” It is what we might become in real life and it’s frightening.
Ben is so sure that Pride and maybe gay bars altogether are no longer needed that he doesn’t believe there is a reason for keeping on. Some parts of this came across as a lesson to us, the reader, as opposed to adding to the story, while this is being explained. Some parts came across as a reminder that we are nowhere near where we need to be. “Some found solace in the bottle, some in the needle. Some never found solace at all but succumbed to self-harm. Some were beaten to death by strangers. One was left to hang on a fence and changed a nation. Some were gunned down in their sanctuary but we still feel their spirit’s pulse.” But Micah and his parents give me hope.
The ending is, as the title suggests, Pride Anthems. So many of the songs I love are on this list and there were some new to me. Anthems for Pride.
This is a modern retelling of a Christmas Carol, with Pride being the celebration in question rather than Christmas. The narrator does speak to the reader in first person as in Christmas Carol and it starts with the same type sentence. “Jake was dead.” The Jake in question was co-owner of a gay bar, Good Judy’s, with his ex-love, Ben. “They met while working there, had started dating while working there.” When the boss retired, they took the leap and bought it. They were so happy for so long, then Jake left Ben and two years later, Jake died. The joy of Pride has left Ben and he keeps Good Judy going and it’s successful. But there is no happiness in it for him and he is very “meh” about the whole idea of Pride. There is nothing of Jake left in their office (and how horrible did that have to be, sharing an office with the man you still love who doesn’t want you back) except for the ashes on the shelf. He tries to deny it but he thinks of Jake all the time.
As in Christmas Carol, he wakes one night to his ex-partner’s ghost standing at the foot of his bed. “Ben didn’t believe in ghosts, or God, or much of anything anymore really.” But he believes what he is seeing is the ghost of Jake, who warns him he will be visited by three more ghosts this night and showing the chains he carries through eternity because of how unhappy he made Ben.
“My happiness wasn’t much of a concern when you left me…” Ben said.” Jake died in a car accident while drunk. “That wasn’t about you, you know, or the club, or the break-up, or anything. I was just…lonely.” But because we are never told why Jake threw Ben away, it didn’t make sense to me. Later, in a visit with the other Marsha, ghost of Pride past, Ben brings up that “All Jake had wanted to do was to leave Ben.” She tries to show him that Jake loved him or why would he “…have come here, back to this plane, wearing all those chains, because he wanted to leave you?” I was left confused because he HAD left Ben, two years before he died.
The ghosts follow the idea of Pride Past, Pride Present and Pride Future. The other Marsha shows Ben memories of meeting Jake and falling in love with him, working Good Judy’s and realizing that Jake “…was my everything.” More than he wanted to admit to this ghost, who had such a tragic past. I wanted to cry for Marsha and what she had been through. Ben decides his mother was right, that being gay makes for a lonely life.
The ghost of Pride Present, Marc, is a god-like vision who shows Ben (obviously) what is happening with all the people of Good Judy’s and the community as related to Pride. Ben doesn’t celebrate,
The third ghost, Avenir, is a gender/racial/ethnic fluid sort of thing, which I liked the most of all of them. More than Ben’s future, the possible future presented by Avenir was terrifying. “Make America Straight Again.” It is what we might become in real life and it’s frightening.
Ben is so sure that Pride and maybe gay bars altogether are no longer needed that he doesn’t believe there is a reason for keeping on. Some parts of this came across as a lesson to us, the reader, as opposed to adding to the story, while this is being explained. Some parts came across as a reminder that we are nowhere near where we need to be. “Some found solace in the bottle, some in the needle. Some never found solace at all but succumbed to self-harm. Some were beaten to death by strangers. One was left to hang on a fence and changed a nation. Some were gunned down in their sanctuary but we still feel their spirit’s pulse.” But Micah and his parents give me hope.
The ending is, as the title suggests, Pride Anthems. So many of the songs I love are on this list and there were some new to me. Anthems for Pride.
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