Hard: A Novel

by Wayne Hoffman

Taking place over the course of a single year, Hard periodically stops the action to delve into the sexual psyche of its main characters, exploring what motivates them, what turns them on, what defines their identity — what makes them hard. As Faggots explored the 1970s sexual universe of gay men in New York, Hard takes a serious look a generation later, taking readers into adult theaters, online chat rooms, bedrooms, and into the minds of the gay men who have sex there. But while Faggots was written before AIDS, the characters in Hard are very much affected by the epidemic: Frank lost his lover to the disease, Gene is HIV-positive, Aaron's lover unwittingly puts them both in danger, and Moe's sexual politics are deeply informed by AIDS. There's nobody in Hard who hasn't had his sexuality and politics shaped by the epidemic. There's also a motley crew of activists and sex partners, co-workers and family members, porn stars and B-list celebrities. The complex web of characters and subplots create a rich portrait of New York in the 1990s. And, like Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, Hard does it with edgy humor, snappy dialogue, and a scene-driven episodic structure.

Genres: LGBT, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Queer, M M Romance, Gay

330 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Mark Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastically well-written, this book reminds me of Tales of the City, in the 90s and the city is New York, except I think the book is actually better written. I haven't loved a book like this in quite some time. I could read a whole series of books about Moe, Aaron, Gene (even Frank) and have already bought the sequel. Highly recommended

[Tank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living in New York isn't easy for Moe Pearlman and his peers in Wayne Hoffman's debut novel "Hard"

Set in New York in the late 1990s, the mayor ~ who in this book is not named (*Cough* Rudi Giuliani ) ~ has been closing down the sex-on-site venues around the city with the intention of protecting gay men and the community from HIV.

Cue Moe Pearlman: Jewish, hairy, overweight, 26 years old and the best cocksucker in the city. In Hard we follow Moe and his friends and opponents through a year in New York and all the romance, drama and sex that entails.

I found Hard a very enjoyable and fast read. The dialogue is sharp and witty and the sex scenes are well written and don't feel contrived. Hard is not some pulpy erotic novel.

The major strength of this novel is it's characters. They are well developed, interesting and relatable.

One of my favorite characters is Frank De Soto, who is the antagonist of this novel and truly is a stick in the mud. Frank is one of the most vocal endorsers of the closing down of New York's sexual underbelly. Hoffman keeps the reader ambivalent about his actions and his motivations.

In the promotion of this text we are told that Moe Pearlman is a "Bear" and that was one of my reasons for purchasing this book. I don't believe that Moe is a Bear, rather it is a label that is pushed upon him due to his hairiness and weight. This is perhaps more an observation of body image in queer communities rather than Hard being a "Bear book".

The fact that is was set in 1996 was a curious choice for Hoffman. Perhaps that was a time in Hoffmans own life when he could relate to the characters better, perhaps it was the sexual politics of the time, perhaps Hoffman felt that post 9/11 politics would have distracted too much from the plot. Whatever his reasoning, Hoffman's New York is familiar but different. It's rather pleasing actually.

I strongly recommend this book. It will suck you in on the opening page and wont let go. At the end of the book I felt like I departing from dear friends. Check it out.

You can find more information about Hard at the official website or listen to Ron Suresha's interview with Wayne Hoffman here

[Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sexy, raunchy and reminiscent of Tales of the City, at times. Most of all, it was really interesting to read about the gay politics of that mid-to-late 90s period.

[LARRY · Rating 4 out of 5]

As posted in [http://www.amazon.com]:

Hard basically revolves around Moe, who is not skinny but not on the heavy side. Just a husky bear. Plus, he's also the world's best (at least, in NYC)...uh, how do I say this without offending Amazon.com...oral servicer.

Anyways, Moe is one of those guys who feels that it is his right to have sex anywhere and anytime he feels like it. (Think of Brian from Queer As Folks.) However, his rights are being trampled by Frank DeSoto, a gay reporter who has survived the 80's nightmare, where many of his friends and his lover have died from AIDS. Frank berates the gay community for being lax on HIV/AIDS activism.

Meanwhile, Moe's ex, Gene, moves to NYC from Washington for a travel agency. Gene is HIV-positive. He meets a younger guy, Dustin, who is insanely jealous of Gene & Moe's close friendship. However, when Gene finds out that his viral load is undetectable, he goes sexually wild on Dustin, who seems to be pliant.

Moe's best friend and fellow gradute classmate, Aaron, is also dating. His new love is a young Asian photographer, Kevin. However, Aaron soon discovers that Kevin is a hustler. Will this relationship work out?

Despite Moe's frequent adventures, he meets Max, whom he falls head over toe. However, Moe is disappointed that Max, a survivor of the 80's nightmare, is working with Frank DeSoto. Max and Frank are both working on a play that deals with the younger generation of gays being ignorant and careless in the age of HIV/AIDS.

If you're familiar with Larry Kramer's work, then you'll probably get flashbacks from "Faggots" while reading Hard.

Like the saying, all good things must come to an end. Just who or what comes to an end?

Great book that had me laughing out loud in some parts.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a romance, more like queer lit. One of those books where it's absorbing to read and very well-written but you wonder how much the characters have really grown and there's a bit much head-hopping. It's a close (and sometimes unflattering) look at how gay men in the 1990s were dealing with sex and HIV (in vastly different ways) after the first effective treatments came out. It stayed in my mind and I now have to read everything else by this author.

I'm pretty sure I went to high school with the author, too.

[Pat C · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading "Sweet Like Sugar," a wonderful novel, I picked up this book. Despite the title and cover, this is actually a very observant, well-written novel about the lives and loves of a group of gay men in the 1990s. Sure, there's a steamy side, but marketing has to have their input...

[Sam Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly surprised as to how this turned out. Definitely, did not go in the direction I expected it to, but that's actually a good thing. The characters are relatable, the stories pretty good, and there's a heart behind the misleading title.

[Zac Sigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've often wondered what my life would have been like had I moved to New York after college. It may have been nothing like any of the characters in this story, but I think it would have been terribly interesting either way. I found out about this book in a very serious book about healthcare, as related to gay men, "Stroke Book: The Diary of a Blindspot" by Alexander, which I also recommend. "Hard" is a realistic, trashy novel. Enjoy.

P.S I'm also excited to discover that there is a sequel!

[BosGuy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the 300-page novel, which centers on gay sexual liberation, relationships and gay life in New York City in the mid- to late-1990s. Hoffman captures the times beautifully as the gay community’s political activism born out of a public health crisis (AIDS) was slowly gaining acceptance and increasingly becoming commercialized. While Moe is the main character and his wrangling with Frank constitute much of the storyline, Hoffman enriches the story by delving into key relationships both men have which makes the characters more human and relatable. This includes the loving dynamic between Frank and his in-laws long after their son has passed. Moe’s relationship with his family, former lover and best friend.

For any gay man who was sexually active in the 1990s, the relationship dynamics and tensions in the gay community on what it meant to be “sexually responsible” will resonate. It is one of the few books I’ve read about that time which grapples with the issue of AIDS and sexaulity that had me turning pages late into the night and not filled with dread or depressed. The book is sexually explicit but not at the expense of the narrative, which adds to the eroticism and makes the story all the more compelling and enjoyable to read.

My full review is on my blog at: https://bosguy.com/2021/04/06/book-re...

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't finish this book and decided to give up for now. Took me a month to get to chapter 3.

[JJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still thinking about this book days after finishing it. Love the way the author captured time and place in this story. And the characters who felt exactly like people you know, with hopes, bruises, and faults, a little grubby but no worse for the wear. I enjoyed the equal portrayal the "bad" guys got, you knew they were awful from their actions, but they were given the same even-handed, straightforward display of their lives as the "good" guys.

I want to say there was no moralizing in this book, but since I'm aware I am very firmly on the side of the good guys here, it might seem like moralizing if you are a real life Frank DeSoto.

My only complaints are that one story line didn't wrap up as I'd hoped and occasionally in the first half I found myself a little confused by the character POV switches (which might be on me, as I'm used to close third and this isn't, though I'm not convinced it works perfectly as omniscient either--it seems to swoop in near close third then rise back out to omni again).

Looking forward to the sequel and other books by this author.