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Stealing Ganymede
Zeus is the lowest of the a hitman, and muscle for a monster who sells children into sexual slavery. It was only because he learned from the guy who used to do the same job, though, that he made it off the streets. It isn t until he is sent to transport yet another boy that he discovers something that cannot be true, and yet somehow, this boy is Zeus child-self, the part he had to let die to stay alive through the horror, somehow made physically real. The discovery leaves him with a monumental choice to Does he leave things as they have always been and deliver the boy, letting that part of him die once and for all, or, in order to save himself, does he destroy the men he works for in order to let the boy go free?
- GenresM M RomanceFictionDark
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 18, 2010
In author J. Warren’s debut novel, he has delivered a harshly stunning portrayal of a hitman and the choices he’s made in the past and will make in the future. Incredibly well written and told in the first person point of view from Zeus, the story jumps back and forth from the present to the past no chronologically. The story ranges from Zeus’ current actions to situations that were a week ago to horrors visited upon him as a small child. Zeus’ distinct and clear voice threads each memory and scene to the next seamlessly while delivering one uncomfortable horror after the next. This book is not an easy read nor is it meant to be but it is undoubtedly a fascinating and gripping tale.
Zeus is an enigma both to himself and others; his actions and moral compass, or lack thereof, being forged from his difficult and painful past. A monster himself who has suffered endless beatings, rapes, and atrocities, Zeus becomes the image of those who victimized him. Yet, his ability to rise above that is heavily dependent on the illusion of power and control being a hitman gives him. He is now a self-described god who causes others to cower and never challenge his authority. Zeus is able to weave through the emotional and mental demands of his job by simply not allowing him to think of the consequences or the true evil of his actions. It’s a job and he’s good at it.
However, for all his talent and emotional distance, meeting Ganymede cracks Zeus’ icy demeanor. Against all odds, Zeus feels something for this young boy who has had too much inflicted upon him already and in the span of a few hours Gan has come to mean something to the unfeeling and cold hitman. Yet, for all these new-found feelings what has really changed? The rules of Zeus’ life have not changed nor have his job and expectations and to attempt to alter them now would mean more than simply turning in your resignation. In the area of crime, there is no such thing as two weeks notice and Zeus is well aware that not delivering Gan to his future means a bloody confrontation for himself.
Zeus’ past and present actions, his memories and anecdotes create a rich and vivid background that plays out amongst the emotional struggle Zeus has with Gan and furthermore the secondary character of Dubois. Complex characters and hard biting reality make no one likable in this story, yet the genuine and painful honesty of the situation is never questioned. Each character knows their past and future, they are aware of their choices and the moral ambiguity they extort.
I occasionally felt there was a subtle cynicism laced in the book, as if the author doesn’t want you to like the book because the subject matter is terrible. This isn’t a book that wants to be haunting and breathtakingly sad with its painful actions. The characters and story are honest, direct, and make no apologies for their flaws or malicious intents. I can best explain it with an example of Zeus’ actions where he becomes overwhelmed by emotion and starts to cry causing him to turn to his one ally and then beats and rapes him because that’s the only way he knows how to deal with the crush of emotion. Zeus then carefully and almost gently tends to the man and softly kisses him, apologizing for hurting him.
This duality is experienced multiple times in both the characters and subject matter, where young boys learn that a good home is one where you’re fed several times a day, taught martial arts, cared for and sometimes allowed to say no to sex with your provider. This is not the loving home with two wonderful parents. Yet for all the pain the characters experience, there is a thread of hope that each cling to, even if unknowing and deeply hidden. As far as Gan being Zeus’ child-self, I’m not certain I got that out of the book. I easily see the boy as being a metaphor for Zeus’ lost innocence and youth, his ability to potentially recover from the horrors inflicted upon him rather than the path Zeus chose for survival. His attachment to the boy skirts the line of illicit and wrong but ultimately Zeus’ feelings for the boy were more protection and empathy.
In the tradition of hard-hitting books such as those by Chuck Palahniuk, “Stealing Ganymede” delivers an honest and thought provoking portrayal of a damaged man and the choices he makes. With vivid imagery and gritty prose, the author has created a stunning story. While occasionally delving too deeply in the history of literature and writing style, this book left me thinking and will continue to muse on for a long time to come. This is in no way a romance or an easy book to read and as I said earlier, it shouldn’t be but this is a book you should definitely read.
Zeus is an enigma both to himself and others; his actions and moral compass, or lack thereof, being forged from his difficult and painful past. A monster himself who has suffered endless beatings, rapes, and atrocities, Zeus becomes the image of those who victimized him. Yet, his ability to rise above that is heavily dependent on the illusion of power and control being a hitman gives him. He is now a self-described god who causes others to cower and never challenge his authority. Zeus is able to weave through the emotional and mental demands of his job by simply not allowing him to think of the consequences or the true evil of his actions. It’s a job and he’s good at it.
However, for all his talent and emotional distance, meeting Ganymede cracks Zeus’ icy demeanor. Against all odds, Zeus feels something for this young boy who has had too much inflicted upon him already and in the span of a few hours Gan has come to mean something to the unfeeling and cold hitman. Yet, for all these new-found feelings what has really changed? The rules of Zeus’ life have not changed nor have his job and expectations and to attempt to alter them now would mean more than simply turning in your resignation. In the area of crime, there is no such thing as two weeks notice and Zeus is well aware that not delivering Gan to his future means a bloody confrontation for himself.
Zeus’ past and present actions, his memories and anecdotes create a rich and vivid background that plays out amongst the emotional struggle Zeus has with Gan and furthermore the secondary character of Dubois. Complex characters and hard biting reality make no one likable in this story, yet the genuine and painful honesty of the situation is never questioned. Each character knows their past and future, they are aware of their choices and the moral ambiguity they extort.
I occasionally felt there was a subtle cynicism laced in the book, as if the author doesn’t want you to like the book because the subject matter is terrible. This isn’t a book that wants to be haunting and breathtakingly sad with its painful actions. The characters and story are honest, direct, and make no apologies for their flaws or malicious intents. I can best explain it with an example of Zeus’ actions where he becomes overwhelmed by emotion and starts to cry causing him to turn to his one ally and then beats and rapes him because that’s the only way he knows how to deal with the crush of emotion. Zeus then carefully and almost gently tends to the man and softly kisses him, apologizing for hurting him.
This duality is experienced multiple times in both the characters and subject matter, where young boys learn that a good home is one where you’re fed several times a day, taught martial arts, cared for and sometimes allowed to say no to sex with your provider. This is not the loving home with two wonderful parents. Yet for all the pain the characters experience, there is a thread of hope that each cling to, even if unknowing and deeply hidden. As far as Gan being Zeus’ child-self, I’m not certain I got that out of the book. I easily see the boy as being a metaphor for Zeus’ lost innocence and youth, his ability to potentially recover from the horrors inflicted upon him rather than the path Zeus chose for survival. His attachment to the boy skirts the line of illicit and wrong but ultimately Zeus’ feelings for the boy were more protection and empathy.
In the tradition of hard-hitting books such as those by Chuck Palahniuk, “Stealing Ganymede” delivers an honest and thought provoking portrayal of a damaged man and the choices he makes. With vivid imagery and gritty prose, the author has created a stunning story. While occasionally delving too deeply in the history of literature and writing style, this book left me thinking and will continue to muse on for a long time to come. This is in no way a romance or an easy book to read and as I said earlier, it shouldn’t be but this is a book you should definitely read.
March 20, 2013
More later. But holy Christ on a cracker. This book was fucking intense. I loved every word of it. NOT a traditional mm romance or anything approaching it. But for gritty, hardcore reading, this cranks my engine...
October 17, 2014
This book is really difficult for me to rate. It sickened me. Physically sickened me, but it was also like a train wreck. I wanted to look away and I did have to put it down a couple of times, but I couldn't quit it.
Let me start with the technical stuff. The writing is stylistically reminiscent of Guy Ritchie-numerous time jumps, unsavory characters that are morally bankrupt to varying degrees, loads of guns and violence-divided by Catcher in the Rye. I like Guy Ritchie's style, not so much Salinger's. The trouble with writing like this is (a) the language can drift into affected or clichéd territory and (b) you really have to stay on top of continuity and there are some silly continuity errors. The bluntness of the language feels authentic to Zeus but it's also stereotypical and repetitive. I did enjoy the opaque literature and movie references which turned into a game of 'name that movie/book'. Bonus points for Grosse Pointe Blank.
The content is where things got tetchy, definitely a double-edged sword for me. On the one hand, child abuse/neglect/slavery is vile and unpalatable, to put it mildly. Unfortunately, it happens a lot more often than most people want to think about. It's also something I have to hear about frequently in my day job, so I try to avoid it like the plague. Truth be told, I almost DNF'd this multiple times, but the other side of that edge is my day job also brings with it an almost insatiable curiosity about behavior and the human psyche and Zeus is a complex character.
Zeus is as deplorable as they come but he's also a victim. He's erected this disaffected, demigod facade of a callous hitman, but underneath he's still that little boy who was subjected to repeated atrocities. That boy who had to find a way to survive. In many ways I think he sees his former self in Gan and wants to provide the safe haven he was never able to sustain. I could go into a long psychological diatribe on the complexity of Zeus, but suffice to say he revolted and fascinated me which made it impossible for me to DNF no matter how depressing the subject matter.
The journey to save Gan morphs into a catharsis for Zeus. He shows us how pieces of his soul have been chipped away consistently throughout his life and in so doing he purges some of the toxicity he's been carrying. He also posits some radical theories on human nature, societal norms, the difference between the sexes and how boys are expected to endure hardship, pain and even torture. I'm not sure I agree with all of them, but I can't say it didn't make me take stock. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that Stealing Ganymede is treading dangerously close to NAMBLA waters which I take issue with, fundamentally.
The ending felt anticlimactic, which I'm fairly certain was by design, given all the foreshadowing. The transformation Zeus undergoes is instantaneous after meeting Gan which doesn't jibe with the twenty-year-hitman-who's-dead-on-the-inside, plus the Dubois storyline felt unresolved. However, I can't ignore this writer's ability to construct a character and make me feel, but mostly I felt repulsed which is normal under the circumstances. So, I'm left with a morally reprehensible character that I'm sympathetic towards at times, a repugnant subject matter, an offensive NAMBLA undertone and story that's moderately entertaining, so I guess I'll go with 3 hearts.
If you're feeling adventurous or morbidly curious, give it a whirl.
A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Let me start with the technical stuff. The writing is stylistically reminiscent of Guy Ritchie-numerous time jumps, unsavory characters that are morally bankrupt to varying degrees, loads of guns and violence-divided by Catcher in the Rye. I like Guy Ritchie's style, not so much Salinger's. The trouble with writing like this is (a) the language can drift into affected or clichéd territory and (b) you really have to stay on top of continuity and there are some silly continuity errors. The bluntness of the language feels authentic to Zeus but it's also stereotypical and repetitive. I did enjoy the opaque literature and movie references which turned into a game of 'name that movie/book'. Bonus points for Grosse Pointe Blank.
The content is where things got tetchy, definitely a double-edged sword for me. On the one hand, child abuse/neglect/slavery is vile and unpalatable, to put it mildly. Unfortunately, it happens a lot more often than most people want to think about. It's also something I have to hear about frequently in my day job, so I try to avoid it like the plague. Truth be told, I almost DNF'd this multiple times, but the other side of that edge is my day job also brings with it an almost insatiable curiosity about behavior and the human psyche and Zeus is a complex character.
Zeus is as deplorable as they come but he's also a victim. He's erected this disaffected, demigod facade of a callous hitman, but underneath he's still that little boy who was subjected to repeated atrocities. That boy who had to find a way to survive. In many ways I think he sees his former self in Gan and wants to provide the safe haven he was never able to sustain. I could go into a long psychological diatribe on the complexity of Zeus, but suffice to say he revolted and fascinated me which made it impossible for me to DNF no matter how depressing the subject matter.
The journey to save Gan morphs into a catharsis for Zeus. He shows us how pieces of his soul have been chipped away consistently throughout his life and in so doing he purges some of the toxicity he's been carrying. He also posits some radical theories on human nature, societal norms, the difference between the sexes and how boys are expected to endure hardship, pain and even torture. I'm not sure I agree with all of them, but I can't say it didn't make me take stock. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that Stealing Ganymede is treading dangerously close to NAMBLA waters which I take issue with, fundamentally.
The ending felt anticlimactic, which I'm fairly certain was by design, given all the foreshadowing. The transformation Zeus undergoes is instantaneous after meeting Gan which doesn't jibe with the twenty-year-hitman-who's-dead-on-the-inside, plus the Dubois storyline felt unresolved. However, I can't ignore this writer's ability to construct a character and make me feel, but mostly I felt repulsed which is normal under the circumstances. So, I'm left with a morally reprehensible character that I'm sympathetic towards at times, a repugnant subject matter, an offensive NAMBLA undertone and story that's moderately entertaining, so I guess I'll go with 3 hearts.
If you're feeling adventurous or morbidly curious, give it a whirl.
A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2013
*This review might contain spoilers*
Once in a while I come across an impressive book that makes me want to look back at all ratings I gave and re-evaluate them. True, I have read some that compelled me to feel that way and do just that, but somehow, this one is different. I can't exactly point out what about it that is, as I'm unable to explain why I come to care about someone. I just do. And I have to say that besides wishing that this book would be read widely and admired incredibly by more readers, I absolutely love it.
The synopsis has done a good job at informing readers about the themes it revolves around, so I'm not going to go into details. I'm not good at criticizing/analyzing things, never did, anyway. Suffice to say that it's violent - not so much by physical actions as by cruel intentions, expressed or implied - and I do think that the most scary thing is what's in our minds. However, it's brutally honest too, to the extent sometimes I recoiled by its intensity. It speaks of what we're often afraid to say or admit out loud, even though we all know, at one point or another, that that's the truest fact. And no, it's not unethical, or irreparably corrupted or anything like that. Sure, some moments in it are morally ambiguous, but as they're unfolded, if not very sympathetically, but directly and naturally, I had come to understand more fully about the reasons why they did what they did. They all have their own stories. I think, I think that a few of them are just too lonely to do differently.
What I actually want to talk about is the relationship between Zeus and Ganymede. I'm not sure I can call it a romantic one, as there is nothing romantic in this book, and it shouldn't be, really. If I have to use only one word to describe it, I'll go with 'tender'. Such gentleness and sweetness that made me all warm and fuzzy inside, despite of many other sad and vicious things around. It has been a while since some very small gestures brought me a big smile. Like with,
or with,
I can't describe with words (probably because I'm incapable of) how much I love this book, how much I felt for both of them, and how much I adore the author's unique voice, so for a more thoughtful review, you should read this, http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I just want to say that I hope (I can beg if that's what you want) you'll read it. This book is one in a million, maybe much much more.
Once in a while I come across an impressive book that makes me want to look back at all ratings I gave and re-evaluate them. True, I have read some that compelled me to feel that way and do just that, but somehow, this one is different. I can't exactly point out what about it that is, as I'm unable to explain why I come to care about someone. I just do. And I have to say that besides wishing that this book would be read widely and admired incredibly by more readers, I absolutely love it.
The synopsis has done a good job at informing readers about the themes it revolves around, so I'm not going to go into details. I'm not good at criticizing/analyzing things, never did, anyway. Suffice to say that it's violent - not so much by physical actions as by cruel intentions, expressed or implied - and I do think that the most scary thing is what's in our minds. However, it's brutally honest too, to the extent sometimes I recoiled by its intensity. It speaks of what we're often afraid to say or admit out loud, even though we all know, at one point or another, that that's the truest fact. And no, it's not unethical, or irreparably corrupted or anything like that. Sure, some moments in it are morally ambiguous, but as they're unfolded, if not very sympathetically, but directly and naturally, I had come to understand more fully about the reasons why they did what they did. They all have their own stories. I think, I think that a few of them are just too lonely to do differently.
What I actually want to talk about is the relationship between Zeus and Ganymede. I'm not sure I can call it a romantic one, as there is nothing romantic in this book, and it shouldn't be, really. If I have to use only one word to describe it, I'll go with 'tender'. Such gentleness and sweetness that made me all warm and fuzzy inside, despite of many other sad and vicious things around. It has been a while since some very small gestures brought me a big smile. Like with,
I want to go to breakfast, but Gan is still asleep. It’s so rare that I ever get to that point that I can’t disturb someone who’s there. Call it a failing of mine.
or with,
He starts humming along with the radio, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the window. The light hits him just right, his hands tapping out a beat on his legs. He’s in his own little universe. I catch myself watching him more than the road.
Something in the back of my skull is screaming at me to look away. To just drive the van. I’m thinking about how warm the window must be against his skin. I’m thinking about how it must be nice to just relax instead of worry about the next ‘client’. I’m thinking about him in his own universe, completely oblivious to me. I’m thinking about how I want to be there. It’s a moment, and you can’t describe those moments with words. Words only get in the way when you try. Like it’s a secret they don’t want you to tell. Words are clumsy that way.
I fell for him.
I can't describe with words (probably because I'm incapable of) how much I love this book, how much I felt for both of them, and how much I adore the author's unique voice, so for a more thoughtful review, you should read this, http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I just want to say that I hope (I can beg if that's what you want) you'll read it. This book is one in a million, maybe much much more.
February 20, 2013
A friend at Goodreads recommended this book to me. Wow, what can I say? Oh, first of all a warning to the romance readers - this is not a romance, like not at all, although there is a possibility that the love story may develop in the future between the main character and another character, if they stay alive that it is. It is not really a spoiler, because the blurb spells out for you who the main character is. And I have to tell you, even in fiction I usually deeply detest the characters who do what main character does. I mean, there were few exceptions here and there, but usually I will not touch a book with the contract killer (and he does other "fun" stuff too) as the main character. I am usually not interested in how the mind of the monster works and while in fiction I may enjoy somebody developing remorse because they killed once, if somebody killed more than once and enjoys what he does, I just do not care to read about it.
Apparently this book is one of the few exceptions. No, I did not care for the main character right away, in fact I did not really care for him almost during the first half of the book. See, he does not develop deep remorse about his job and love for all humanity, but someone touches something in him and that someone reminds him of himself too much. And when I keep thinking about it, isn't it the more believable way to develop somebody's persona change in some ways (but not in other ways) if one grews to care for one person and need to do things for that one person? I do not even mean in the romantic way here.
Combine it with the sometimes cynical, sometimes philosophical and spot on observations, which main character makes throughout the book and you will have a very very enjoyable read.
Please note however that it is not an easy read, because besides the fact of what main character is, subject of sexual slavery is also in this book and it is painful to read at times.
There is another way this book worked for me, when usually it would not have worked - it does not necessarily have flashbacks, but timeline jumps for the most part of the storyline. Usually it would have annoyed me, but I thought it could not have done any other way here and in the last I would say third of the story, it stops jumping and suspense slowly builds up.
Wonderful book, if you are up for not escapist read I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Apparently this book is one of the few exceptions. No, I did not care for the main character right away, in fact I did not really care for him almost during the first half of the book. See, he does not develop deep remorse about his job and love for all humanity, but someone touches something in him and that someone reminds him of himself too much. And when I keep thinking about it, isn't it the more believable way to develop somebody's persona change in some ways (but not in other ways) if one grews to care for one person and need to do things for that one person? I do not even mean in the romantic way here.
Combine it with the sometimes cynical, sometimes philosophical and spot on observations, which main character makes throughout the book and you will have a very very enjoyable read.
Please note however that it is not an easy read, because besides the fact of what main character is, subject of sexual slavery is also in this book and it is painful to read at times.
There is another way this book worked for me, when usually it would not have worked - it does not necessarily have flashbacks, but timeline jumps for the most part of the storyline. Usually it would have annoyed me, but I thought it could not have done any other way here and in the last I would say third of the story, it stops jumping and suspense slowly builds up.
Wonderful book, if you are up for not escapist read I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Want to read
May 17, 2014Santa got me this book for Christmas!:D I have absolutely no idea who my secret Santa is (GR isn't giving me any clues either), and finding out has become a bit of an obsession now, ha!
Omg, Ihate not knowing love surprises! :D
Omg, I
May 26, 2010
Kassa wrote a lovely review that I totally agree with. So if you want to read a review that is detailed and makes sense - you should stop reading here & go to her review.
This book makes me want to babble - it's what I do when a book really moves me. I think this book is best described as a crime novel - it's not romance or even gay fiction.
This might not happen to the majority of other readers, but I moved through all the descriptions of abuse easily. It was like I was looking at everything through Zeus' detached viewpoint.
I do think the book could have flowed a little bit better. The constant flashbacks and flashforwards were a little jarring.
This book makes me want to babble - it's what I do when a book really moves me. I think this book is best described as a crime novel - it's not romance or even gay fiction.
This might not happen to the majority of other readers, but I moved through all the descriptions of abuse easily. It was like I was looking at everything through Zeus' detached viewpoint.
I do think the book could have flowed a little bit better. The constant flashbacks and flashforwards were a little jarring.
December 2, 2012
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first read this book, but I was blown away. Now, months later, I still think about this text. J. Warren has created characters that stick with you. You might not always agree with their decisions, but he does a masterful job of helping the reader see how they got to where they are. The topic of abuse and violence is sometimes a difficult one for me to read, but Stealing Ganymede balances the necessary explicit content with the reflection needed to keep the reader going. Great, moving book!
November 19, 2010
When an author makes me care about a character who stands for things that disturb and possible distress me, I know I've been served! Zeus is such a lost soul who struggles to understand himself as much as the reader struggles to understand how she/he can wish him well. J. Warren takes the reader to the edge of a disturbing scene and then casually walks away, allowing the reader to decide whether to look in the room or not.
February 8, 2012
An unbelievable read about a very dark, disturbing subject matter.
If there was such a thing as a hitman with a heart of gold, it would be Zeus, the protagonist in this ugly but well written novel about the sex trafficking of young boys and men, and to what lengths a man will go to in order to rescue a few of them.
The book works because it is told from Zeus's perspective. We hear what he says in his cynical, strained voice; we know what he feels as he guns people down in hopes of saving that one boy who has already been victimized but whom he believes is worth saving. And we know what hell he himself has gone through with the use of flashbacks.
It's Zeus that makes this story. Never had I liked a hired killer so much in fiction than I do this guy. It can be argued that he has sociopathetic tendencies, that he is cruel and uncaring. Yet he loves to read, he cries, he treats the victims with such tenderness that it is hard to believe that he does what he does.
It's not too graphic but just enough so that the reader understands what unthinkable hell the sexual abuse of boys and men really is like, and that sometimes victims become victimizers, or like Zeus, they take a stand and become hired killers, seeking their own personal justice.
I loved this book and WILL read more by Mr. Warren.
One minor note, I don't care too much for the cover. It shows a guy who seems so bad ass and tough, when in fact, Zeus is more complex than that. The back cover would have been more appropriate for the front, something more subtle with more impact: the young boy in a hoodie, wearing a ballcap pulled low over his eyes, looking down.
If there was such a thing as a hitman with a heart of gold, it would be Zeus, the protagonist in this ugly but well written novel about the sex trafficking of young boys and men, and to what lengths a man will go to in order to rescue a few of them.
The book works because it is told from Zeus's perspective. We hear what he says in his cynical, strained voice; we know what he feels as he guns people down in hopes of saving that one boy who has already been victimized but whom he believes is worth saving. And we know what hell he himself has gone through with the use of flashbacks.
It's Zeus that makes this story. Never had I liked a hired killer so much in fiction than I do this guy. It can be argued that he has sociopathetic tendencies, that he is cruel and uncaring. Yet he loves to read, he cries, he treats the victims with such tenderness that it is hard to believe that he does what he does.
It's not too graphic but just enough so that the reader understands what unthinkable hell the sexual abuse of boys and men really is like, and that sometimes victims become victimizers, or like Zeus, they take a stand and become hired killers, seeking their own personal justice.
I loved this book and WILL read more by Mr. Warren.
One minor note, I don't care too much for the cover. It shows a guy who seems so bad ass and tough, when in fact, Zeus is more complex than that. The back cover would have been more appropriate for the front, something more subtle with more impact: the young boy in a hoodie, wearing a ballcap pulled low over his eyes, looking down.
July 31, 2014
Hmmm, this is difficult to rate. Even as I begin this review, I'm not sure what I'm going to rate it. I put it on my m/m shelf, but I can't really say it qualifies as m/m. It's definitely not a romance or anything approaching that, but the book does center around the (non-sexual) relationship between Zeus and Ganymede.
There are several things about this book that should make me love it: it's dark, it pushes boundaries, has an assassin, it isn't sappy, etc. However, I have a few complaints. It's written in a sort of stream of consciousness style, which I wouldn't have minded except for the frequent flashbacks and dream sequences (two of my pet peeves). It was like every time I started to really get into the story, I'd be yanked out by a memory, or his train of thought would veer off in a new direction that was very distracting. I also didn't find the plot very suspenseful because I was pretty much able to predict what Zeus was going to do and how the story would be wrapped up.
Another couple problems that are not the book's fault:
1) I was under the impression this book would be sort of paranormal and that Ganymede was actually a younger Zeus, but it turns out that was just a metaphor - oops!
2) I started this book 2 months ago then stopped because someone (*ahem* TINKA!) told me she was going to buddy read it with me, and I kept waiting and waiting before finally deciding to go on without her. Because of that, I had to try to remember what had already happened when I went back to it.
Soooo, I guess I'm gonna settle on 2.5 stars.
There are several things about this book that should make me love it: it's dark, it pushes boundaries, has an assassin, it isn't sappy, etc. However, I have a few complaints. It's written in a sort of stream of consciousness style, which I wouldn't have minded except for the frequent flashbacks and dream sequences (two of my pet peeves). It was like every time I started to really get into the story, I'd be yanked out by a memory, or his train of thought would veer off in a new direction that was very distracting. I also didn't find the plot very suspenseful because I was pretty much able to predict what Zeus was going to do and how the story would be wrapped up.
Another couple problems that are not the book's fault:
1) I was under the impression this book would be sort of paranormal and that Ganymede was actually a younger Zeus, but it turns out that was just a metaphor - oops!
2) I started this book 2 months ago then stopped because someone (*ahem* TINKA!) told me she was going to buddy read it with me, and I kept waiting and waiting before finally deciding to go on without her. Because of that, I had to try to remember what had already happened when I went back to it.
Soooo, I guess I'm gonna settle on 2.5 stars.
February 22, 2013
This book was a loaner, I want to thank that person for their kindness. WOW! What a well written and thought provoking book, not a pretty subject, (child slavery), but nonetheless the fact that it was written at all in the context and visionary of the authors well crafted words brought this story, a fictionalized account seem all to real for this reader. The main character has no redeeming qualities until he runs into someone that reminds him of someone...himself at one time when he had a possibility of functioning as normal as a person can possibly be. Before the child in him is all but obiliterated by the stronger and crueler ones of this world he unwillingly finds himself in. And maybe, just maybe, he might give someone a chance he never had, a different way of surviving. Thumbs way up!!
October 15, 2013
I got my hands on a copy! Thank you, Harvard, for having a copy available for Interlibrary Loan. This review is dedicated to you.
It's good. It's really good. It evoked, man. It was describing these horrors and it actually made me feel something. I dunno that it was quite horror, but I definitely felt something.
It took me an embarassingly long time to make the Zeus-Ganymede connection. You know, the one where the MC is Zeus and there's a kid and whatever. I mean, as soon as I saw the kid's name was Gan, I made the "Ganymede!" connection. It wasn't until Chapter 8 ("The Abduction of Ganymede") that it really hit me that the MC's name is Zeus. As in, you know, Zeus.
There's one chapter written with very minimal punctuation. I've discovered that like overpunctuating, underpunctuating slows down your reading. It prevents your mind from inflecting words into sentences and it all kind of comes out a monotone blur.
Once you get used to the style, it sucks you in. I came out of that chapter feeling like I'd just surfaced out of the depths in a fathomless pool of darkness.
There are words capitalized, seemingly at random. It's one of those "...is it stupid or am I actually just not smart enough to appreciate how deep and meaningful this is?" At the same time, part of you says, "Don't be ridiculous. This is one of those 'the curtains were fucking blue' moments."
This book makes some really good points. Some really amazingly deep points. Some points that made me sit back and stare in awe at the words on the page for a moment.
It's nonlinear, but I'm okay with it. That in itself is pretty amazing. There are also some things in here that from someone else, I would despise, but from these characters...I don't forgive it, exactly, but I understand it, where it's coming from, what it means to them, and understanding breeds sympathy.
It's great. It's like the thing they talk about, about the deconstruction, about the layers. And the capitalized words do have a meaning. A meaning you can't really force. It's almost like Carollian logic, but less structured. It's something you have to feel.
The nonlinear structure...it unfolds, and that's what makes it okay. Everything's already there, and it's opening up, like a flower bud, revealing the final product in full bloom. It's complete in itself already, and each layer builds to it, adds depth, but what's there is already complete in itself. And that's what makes it okay. That's what makes it good.
The blurb is interesting. It almost leads you to believe this book is something it's not. It almost seems to imply that it's something else. But it's not that something else. It's exactly that. It's you, though, who are making the assumptions. You who are taking this and making it into something else, before even reading it.
Towards the end, there's one part where the author uses the wrong character's name.
The book makes these allusions, to books, to movies, TV shows. Some of them I recognize. Some of them sound familiar. Some of them I swear I read something similar, but not quite that, and yet I can't even name that "something similar."
The best part is that it somehow puts you back together. It doesn't quite suck you in and chew you up, then spit you out and let you either crash and burn or try to pull the pieces together on your own. It does something even worse. It unsettles you. Unbalances you just enough that you know you're unbalanced, but not enough that you can easily swing back to equilibrium. When you get chewed up, you still have a vague inkling of where the equilibrium is. The contrast is more drastic; it's easier to find the "normal" again.
It unsettles you, pushes you, rocks you around, gently, but insistently, with enough force to force you into the directions it wants you to go, and does so long enough and subtly enough that for a while, you can't tell what's "normal." "Normal" keeps swinging around, circling around that little point that is normal, yet not quite reaching it. It's searching for it, but it can't remember how to find the way because it's too close. It's so close you can't remember which twists and turns were made to get you where you are and so you keep reproducing the similar twists and turns, hoping to hit "normal," and always missing it my millimeters.
It's exactly what you expected, yet nothing like what you expected. And it inspired me to rant incoherently.
I may have to find a way to get a copy of my own...
*sigh
Definitely going to be in book hangover for a while.
How the hell am I supposed to study for Physical Geology now?
Additional details as I ranted to a friend in chat
it made me feel
it didn't quite evoke horror in me, but it made me feel something
that chest-throat-tightening feeling
when it was describing the thing with the thing
hmm
the beginnings of sadness
that kind of thing
the beginnings of depression?
of something negative
some sort of negative feeling I can't put my finger on what term I'm actually searching for.
...
but it made me feel
and it made me care
and it made me understand
and when the characters did things I would have found inexcusable in others, I didn't hate them for it
I didn't forgive them, but I understood
and since understanding breed sympathy
I didn't hate them for it
because I understood
somehow
in that intangible, gut-feeling sort of way
you just get it
and it makes these points
and *I* found them profound
cuz often as I read, I feel so jaded
been there, read that
several times
this is one of those, though
one of those I feel like I could read forever and find new meaning in it each time
the structure is nonlinear, but it's well done
because everything is already there
and each part is whole in and of itself
but each part that unfolds adds to it, gives it further meaning and depth
like a flower, unfolding petal by petal
all of the parts are there, though
which is what makes it not annoying
not like that other story i read
where it was just annoying
because that was a jig-saw puzzle
but one you already knew the pattern of
this one, though
this one's a flower
blossoming
blooming
you're not waiting for parts you already know ought to be slotted in
in each stage it is complete in and of itself
yet each additional one makes it better, more complete
It's good. It's really good. It evoked, man. It was describing these horrors and it actually made me feel something. I dunno that it was quite horror, but I definitely felt something.
It took me an embarassingly long time to make the Zeus-Ganymede connection. You know, the one where the MC is Zeus and there's a kid and whatever. I mean, as soon as I saw the kid's name was Gan, I made the "Ganymede!" connection. It wasn't until Chapter 8 ("The Abduction of Ganymede") that it really hit me that the MC's name is Zeus. As in, you know, Zeus.
There's one chapter written with very minimal punctuation. I've discovered that like overpunctuating, underpunctuating slows down your reading. It prevents your mind from inflecting words into sentences and it all kind of comes out a monotone blur.
Once you get used to the style, it sucks you in. I came out of that chapter feeling like I'd just surfaced out of the depths in a fathomless pool of darkness.
There are words capitalized, seemingly at random. It's one of those "...is it stupid or am I actually just not smart enough to appreciate how deep and meaningful this is?" At the same time, part of you says, "Don't be ridiculous. This is one of those 'the curtains were fucking blue' moments."
This book makes some really good points. Some really amazingly deep points. Some points that made me sit back and stare in awe at the words on the page for a moment.
It's nonlinear, but I'm okay with it. That in itself is pretty amazing. There are also some things in here that from someone else, I would despise, but from these characters...I don't forgive it, exactly, but I understand it, where it's coming from, what it means to them, and understanding breeds sympathy.
It's great. It's like the thing they talk about, about the deconstruction, about the layers. And the capitalized words do have a meaning. A meaning you can't really force. It's almost like Carollian logic, but less structured. It's something you have to feel.
The nonlinear structure...it unfolds, and that's what makes it okay. Everything's already there, and it's opening up, like a flower bud, revealing the final product in full bloom. It's complete in itself already, and each layer builds to it, adds depth, but what's there is already complete in itself. And that's what makes it okay. That's what makes it good.
The blurb is interesting. It almost leads you to believe this book is something it's not. It almost seems to imply that it's something else. But it's not that something else. It's exactly that. It's you, though, who are making the assumptions. You who are taking this and making it into something else, before even reading it.
Towards the end, there's one part where the author uses the wrong character's name.
The book makes these allusions, to books, to movies, TV shows. Some of them I recognize. Some of them sound familiar. Some of them I swear I read something similar, but not quite that, and yet I can't even name that "something similar."
The best part is that it somehow puts you back together. It doesn't quite suck you in and chew you up, then spit you out and let you either crash and burn or try to pull the pieces together on your own. It does something even worse. It unsettles you. Unbalances you just enough that you know you're unbalanced, but not enough that you can easily swing back to equilibrium. When you get chewed up, you still have a vague inkling of where the equilibrium is. The contrast is more drastic; it's easier to find the "normal" again.
It unsettles you, pushes you, rocks you around, gently, but insistently, with enough force to force you into the directions it wants you to go, and does so long enough and subtly enough that for a while, you can't tell what's "normal." "Normal" keeps swinging around, circling around that little point that is normal, yet not quite reaching it. It's searching for it, but it can't remember how to find the way because it's too close. It's so close you can't remember which twists and turns were made to get you where you are and so you keep reproducing the similar twists and turns, hoping to hit "normal," and always missing it my millimeters.
It's exactly what you expected, yet nothing like what you expected. And it inspired me to rant incoherently.
I may have to find a way to get a copy of my own...
*sigh
Definitely going to be in book hangover for a while.
How the hell am I supposed to study for Physical Geology now?
Additional details as I ranted to a friend in chat
it made me feel
it didn't quite evoke horror in me, but it made me feel something
that chest-throat-tightening feeling
when it was describing the thing with the thing
hmm
the beginnings of sadness
that kind of thing
the beginnings of depression?
of something negative
some sort of negative feeling I can't put my finger on what term I'm actually searching for.
...
but it made me feel
and it made me care
and it made me understand
and when the characters did things I would have found inexcusable in others, I didn't hate them for it
I didn't forgive them, but I understood
and since understanding breed sympathy
I didn't hate them for it
because I understood
somehow
in that intangible, gut-feeling sort of way
you just get it
and it makes these points
and *I* found them profound
cuz often as I read, I feel so jaded
been there, read that
several times
this is one of those, though
one of those I feel like I could read forever and find new meaning in it each time
the structure is nonlinear, but it's well done
because everything is already there
and each part is whole in and of itself
but each part that unfolds adds to it, gives it further meaning and depth
like a flower, unfolding petal by petal
all of the parts are there, though
which is what makes it not annoying
not like that other story i read
where it was just annoying
because that was a jig-saw puzzle
but one you already knew the pattern of
this one, though
this one's a flower
blossoming
blooming
you're not waiting for parts you already know ought to be slotted in
in each stage it is complete in and of itself
yet each additional one makes it better, more complete
March 19, 2009
A friend's book. My girlfriend had told me that it was science fiction, and I connected the Ganymede in the title with Jupiter's moon instead of the Greek hero, so early on I was thinking that it was sort of future noir-ish queer crime fiction. It's not future noir, and I'm not sure that "crime fiction" really describes it, but it's really good stuff--Warren does a lot with action/crime fiction's cliches. Big chunks of the book are flashbacks, often right in the middle of action and often going on for several chapters right in the middle of action. There are lessons from a professor whom the narrator dispatched but not before delivering what seems like an entire year of literary history and theory. And the writing is clipped and often drops great perceptive little lines and makes me wonder just what Warren did for a living before getting his PhD. Kind of reminded me of Derek McCormack, in some ways. Worth checking out.
September 2, 2013
Harsh, intense, and not for the trope reader. Loved it.
March 25, 2013
Well, Zeus is a hit man who is working toward getting a young male sex slave , Gan, back from a hit woman. The dialogue is ridiculously dense and just flat boring. The plot could have worked if the style wasn't so heavy. There was a hit or abduction that Zeus carries out and then a full chapter of absolute mud of Zeus' mind. It's a dark book but no suspense, build up or apprehension in sight. There's just not much good about this book. The few glimpses you get of Zeus' heart are canceled by his cold blooded actions. Too bad this wasn't written with a lighter hand.
August 22, 2017
Great story. Unforgettable.
January 30, 2019
I really wish this book didn't jump around so much. It could have been epic. It was still really good but damn. Could have been my favorite book ever! Read it, you will love it.
August 22, 2021
I couldn't put it down. Read it in one night. Fantastic.
December 24, 2018
"Writers are bastards... the reason I call them bastards is because they torture people. Maybe not real people. But they torture people. Especially little boys... I see that every time a guy writes a book, there's some little boy in it who gets tortured or hurt." -- Zeus, from Stealing Ganymede
This book brings into focus the pain that Zeus observes some writers use merely as a plot device. However, in this book, you cannot ignore that pain because of some fantastical monster or because some superhero shows up in a cape. Warren does not simply tell you about it; he shows you. With a gripping plot and some intensely violent scenes, this was a book I often wanted to close so I could take a breather, but that I simply could not put down. I ended up reading this book in roughly 3 sitting spread out over the course of a week, which is unusually fast for me.
Not for the faint of heart, the story is narrated by Zeus, a hit-man, who tries to rescue a boy, Ganymede, from a sex trafficking enterprise. However, throughout the journey, the reader is also privy to Zeus's private musings, which vary between insightful, sad, painful, amusing, or funny. Over the course of the novel, the reader truly gains insight into what makes Zeus tick, recognizing this unique character for who he is, both good and bad.
While definitely an emotionally difficult book to read, I am glad I read it and would certainly recommend it to others who are looking for both a meaningful and gripping book to read.
This book brings into focus the pain that Zeus observes some writers use merely as a plot device. However, in this book, you cannot ignore that pain because of some fantastical monster or because some superhero shows up in a cape. Warren does not simply tell you about it; he shows you. With a gripping plot and some intensely violent scenes, this was a book I often wanted to close so I could take a breather, but that I simply could not put down. I ended up reading this book in roughly 3 sitting spread out over the course of a week, which is unusually fast for me.
Not for the faint of heart, the story is narrated by Zeus, a hit-man, who tries to rescue a boy, Ganymede, from a sex trafficking enterprise. However, throughout the journey, the reader is also privy to Zeus's private musings, which vary between insightful, sad, painful, amusing, or funny. Over the course of the novel, the reader truly gains insight into what makes Zeus tick, recognizing this unique character for who he is, both good and bad.
While definitely an emotionally difficult book to read, I am glad I read it and would certainly recommend it to others who are looking for both a meaningful and gripping book to read.
September 24, 2015
I loved this book. Although the topic was difficult to deal with and the protagonist was despicable yet strangely endearing. I can't wait to read the next one. I seriously recommend this book!
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