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Five Married Men
What causes a man to risk his career and a marriage of twenty years? What comes into this world with him that steals his thoughts and inspires risks that others can't comprehend? David Westin knows. He knows the power of a man's hand on the arm of another man. He has lain awake at night long enough to realize this haunting need will never allow him to go to his grave wondering what might have been. When the day comes his best friend reveals a lifelong secret, their destiny is uprooted and cast to the wind. Together they enter a world of discovery, of elation and joy, of heartache and deception and tears, of physical adventure that neither one could have imagined. Setting themselves apart from the general brotherhood of men, they hear the inner voice that compels them to open a door they can never close. One look inside their soul and you'll understand why this lawyer and contractor give in to their urges.
273 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2006
3 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Martin Brant
32 books23 followersWhat a great concept for book enthusiast. If you're like me, you want to find out a little about the book before it goes on your reading list. This is a great place to learn more.
During the past year, I have been working on what I call "The Nudist Series". This is a series of tales about the nudist lifestyle, the people that enjoy clothes-free activities, and how they discovered nudity and became involved. No two books in the series are alike, as nudists are as diverse as society in general.
If you are a nudist and enjoy this genre, or if you are one of thousands that are intrigued by social nudity, take a look at the books available on the subject, and perhaps you'll find a reason to give it a try.
I've lived in Dallas most of my life and have been writing for many years. My favorite hobbies are reading and bike riding. Here in old east Dallas, we have a beautiful nine mile trail around White Rock Lake. I also enjoy cross-country cycling, especially out in far west Texas, where the soul is nourished by the sky, the mountains and the desert terrain.
During the past year, I have been working on what I call "The Nudist Series". This is a series of tales about the nudist lifestyle, the people that enjoy clothes-free activities, and how they discovered nudity and became involved. No two books in the series are alike, as nudists are as diverse as society in general.
If you are a nudist and enjoy this genre, or if you are one of thousands that are intrigued by social nudity, take a look at the books available on the subject, and perhaps you'll find a reason to give it a try.
I've lived in Dallas most of my life and have been writing for many years. My favorite hobbies are reading and bike riding. Here in old east Dallas, we have a beautiful nine mile trail around White Rock Lake. I also enjoy cross-country cycling, especially out in far west Texas, where the soul is nourished by the sky, the mountains and the desert terrain.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 30, 2016
There is precious little fiction about bisexual men, and this even features PoC, so it gets an extra point just for that.
I think the work nailed some of the emotions of people who suppress part of themselves, hide it from their partners, finally give in to that desire that never went away, and then have to deal with the guilt -- damned if you do, damned if you don't. It also shows convincingly how lies to protect one's relationship might bring about the very outcome that people fear -- losing somebody they love. If all of them had been honest with their wives before marriage, undoubtedly not all the marriages would have taken place, true, but they might have instead found partners who knew them and valued them for who they were.
On the downside, in general the novel struck me as more didactic than realistic, and it perpetuated several unkind stereotypes about bisexual men.. Every bisexual man in this novel is extremely happily married to the perfect woman, but he also can't rid himself of his desire to fuck men. That plays into several stupid stereotypes:
1. that bisexuals can never be truly happy with only one partner, but must have one of each sex to be content. That's of course nonsense. Neither men nor women fit handily into such slots. And most bisexual men are no more polyamorous than most straight men.
2. that when push comes to shove a bisexual man will inevitably choose a woman. That nasty stereotype is particularly prevalent in the gay community. In this book we even get a tragic outcome.
3. that men and women are basically different species. It's all very 1950s mainstream America in that regard; men are manly men, women are feminine women and never the twain shall understand each other.
Annoyingly, of course nobody even ponders the idea of polyamory. Well, David probably does, for a moment there, but before he even dares to give shape to the thought, his wife puts the kibosh on that without even considering it. The women here have all the agency, and the men have to either put up with it, or kiss their relationship goodbye. I guess in the author's mind all bisexuals in monogamous relationships must suffer.
At least the wives are not cardboard cutouts; they each react differently, or at least choose to act differently after the initial shock wears off. I also like that the most flexible marriage has the best outcome; they work through the problem of the initial betrayal probably a bit too easily; I honestly don't know anyone who'd take it as lightly as Sally, even if she had some foreknowledge. But in contrast to the others, this one actually feels like there's actual love that considers the feelings of both people. I also think the outcome for David and Linda is quite realistic -- if your "love" demands sacrifice, don't be surprised if that extinguishes part of the light in your partner, and ultimately dooms your own relationship to be only a shadow of itself.
The writing style didn't allow me to really immerse myself, and I can't quite put my finger on why not, it just felt "heavy". Contrary to another reviewer I didn't find many grammatical and syntax errors here -- I was reading the 2nd edition, so they appear to have been fixed.
It'd be nice if there were more story for David (and maybe Tim, though maybe better not; poor Rosemary), because my heart went out to him.
I think the work nailed some of the emotions of people who suppress part of themselves, hide it from their partners, finally give in to that desire that never went away, and then have to deal with the guilt -- damned if you do, damned if you don't. It also shows convincingly how lies to protect one's relationship might bring about the very outcome that people fear -- losing somebody they love. If all of them had been honest with their wives before marriage, undoubtedly not all the marriages would have taken place, true, but they might have instead found partners who knew them and valued them for who they were.
On the downside, in general the novel struck me as more didactic than realistic, and it perpetuated several unkind stereotypes about bisexual men.. Every bisexual man in this novel is extremely happily married to the perfect woman, but he also can't rid himself of his desire to fuck men. That plays into several stupid stereotypes:
1. that bisexuals can never be truly happy with only one partner, but must have one of each sex to be content. That's of course nonsense. Neither men nor women fit handily into such slots. And most bisexual men are no more polyamorous than most straight men.
2. that when push comes to shove a bisexual man will inevitably choose a woman. That nasty stereotype is particularly prevalent in the gay community. In this book we even get a tragic outcome.
3. that men and women are basically different species. It's all very 1950s mainstream America in that regard; men are manly men, women are feminine women and never the twain shall understand each other.
Annoyingly, of course nobody even ponders the idea of polyamory. Well, David probably does, for a moment there, but before he even dares to give shape to the thought, his wife puts the kibosh on that without even considering it. The women here have all the agency, and the men have to either put up with it, or kiss their relationship goodbye. I guess in the author's mind all bisexuals in monogamous relationships must suffer.
At least the wives are not cardboard cutouts; they each react differently, or at least choose to act differently after the initial shock wears off. I also like that the most flexible marriage has the best outcome; they work through the problem of the initial betrayal probably a bit too easily; I honestly don't know anyone who'd take it as lightly as Sally, even if she had some foreknowledge. But in contrast to the others, this one actually feels like there's actual love that considers the feelings of both people. I also think the outcome for David and Linda is quite realistic -- if your "love" demands sacrifice, don't be surprised if that extinguishes part of the light in your partner, and ultimately dooms your own relationship to be only a shadow of itself.
The writing style didn't allow me to really immerse myself, and I can't quite put my finger on why not, it just felt "heavy". Contrary to another reviewer I didn't find many grammatical and syntax errors here -- I was reading the 2nd edition, so they appear to have been fixed.
It'd be nice if there were more story for David (and maybe Tim, though maybe better not; poor Rosemary), because my heart went out to him.
November 6, 2011
This is a self-published book, and it shows. As the author of some self-published books myself, I don't wish to be unfair, but if you're going to self publish, you must either know grammar or spring for the services of a copy editor.
The story is terrific, and addresses a topic that still, several years after the book was written, demands attention: bisexual men, married to women, who also love men (each other, in this case). The tone is harsh and tragic. In some ways it feels overdone, but based on the reactions I sometimes get to my own fiction, which takes a comic, lighthearted approach to the same subject, perhaps not.
I've seen reviews on Amazon that call this book "beautifully written." It is not (imho). Its style is pedestrian and, for this reader, the constant grammatical errors and bad syntax are like being swarmed by mosquitoes. After a while I need to go inside and spray myself with DEET (or read Jane Austen).
But if you're interestd in the topic, I would still recommend this book. As a woman who actually prefers a bisexual husband (or boyfriend), I was dismayed by the harsh portrayal of the wives who simply cannot understand, much less accept, their husbands' feelings. Surely, I want to protest, we're not all like that? But the point of the story is that some of us are. And the story presents a sad, if extreme, picture of the vicious circle that develops when bisexual men, afraid to tell the truth to the women they love for fear of losing them, end up losing them because of their deceit when the truth inevitably comes out.
Given the scarcity of novels that feature bisexual male protagonists, I wish a publisher would pick up Five Married Men and give it a thorough editing, not only cleaning up the grammar, but possibly streamlining the narrative or lightening the style. I suspect I'm attributing superpowers to hardworking, but only human, editors.
From reading the other reviews, I can see that my English-major hypersensitivity is not shared by all readers. If you're interested in reading a novel about a subject that probably affects more marriages than we imagine, it's worth slogging through all the "He invited James and I" leaden prose. But be prepared for a very unhappy ending.
The story is terrific, and addresses a topic that still, several years after the book was written, demands attention: bisexual men, married to women, who also love men (each other, in this case). The tone is harsh and tragic. In some ways it feels overdone, but based on the reactions I sometimes get to my own fiction, which takes a comic, lighthearted approach to the same subject, perhaps not.
I've seen reviews on Amazon that call this book "beautifully written." It is not (imho). Its style is pedestrian and, for this reader, the constant grammatical errors and bad syntax are like being swarmed by mosquitoes. After a while I need to go inside and spray myself with DEET (or read Jane Austen).
But if you're interestd in the topic, I would still recommend this book. As a woman who actually prefers a bisexual husband (or boyfriend), I was dismayed by the harsh portrayal of the wives who simply cannot understand, much less accept, their husbands' feelings. Surely, I want to protest, we're not all like that? But the point of the story is that some of us are. And the story presents a sad, if extreme, picture of the vicious circle that develops when bisexual men, afraid to tell the truth to the women they love for fear of losing them, end up losing them because of their deceit when the truth inevitably comes out.
Given the scarcity of novels that feature bisexual male protagonists, I wish a publisher would pick up Five Married Men and give it a thorough editing, not only cleaning up the grammar, but possibly streamlining the narrative or lightening the style. I suspect I'm attributing superpowers to hardworking, but only human, editors.
From reading the other reviews, I can see that my English-major hypersensitivity is not shared by all readers. If you're interested in reading a novel about a subject that probably affects more marriages than we imagine, it's worth slogging through all the "He invited James and I" leaden prose. But be prepared for a very unhappy ending.
October 12, 2022
An ok story
At first it was hard to get into the story. I continue to have an issue with the grammatical errors. Once the story gets moving it's a decent story. When a story is good I don't want to put it down. Unfortunately with this story it took me awhile to read as I personally couldn't get invested in the story.
At first it was hard to get into the story. I continue to have an issue with the grammatical errors. Once the story gets moving it's a decent story. When a story is good I don't want to put it down. Unfortunately with this story it took me awhile to read as I personally couldn't get invested in the story.
October 12, 2012
I stumbled on this book while surfing on my nook for something to read, it was a suggestion by them. I had never heard of this author before, but I was captured by the title. I fell in love with this story instantly. It was very easy to visualize the characters as well as the actions they had throughout the story. I hope that there is a continuation of the story between David and Tim and the adventure of the house.
November 24, 2010
This was a book that starts out in a way you have no idea how deep it is going to go. By the end of the book you are hooked and reflecting on your feelings on this subject. For me the ending was way to sad, and really messed it up, IMHO. However, i would recommend this book to anyone. I started reading not that into it and ended it with a feeling of I don't want this book to end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2014
I've started, but have no plans to finish this book. I think I'm still confused!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews