Once You Go Back: A Novel

by Douglas A. Martin

In 2000, Douglas A. Martin burst onto the American literary scene with his sexy debut novel, Outline of My Lover. Following up with three more books, including Branwell, a novel of the Brontë brother, Martin has established himself as an acclaimed and distinctive American writer of the new century. His semi-autobiographical novel Once You Go Back is about growing up in a strained working-class household transplanted to the South. In his inimitably elliptical and evocative style, Martin carefully brings out the curiosity of children on the verge of becoming sexual, and their confusion in the midst of family violence.

Genres: LGBT

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2009

Reviews

[Mattilda]

Absolutely fucking gorgeous -- intimate and lonely, aloof and familiar, claustrophobic and distant but so specific in its awareness that even a catalog of a deteriorating home life on the edge of growing up becomes something almost like hope. Thank you!

[Wide Eyes, Big Ears! · Rating 2 out of 5]

A novel narrated by a gay boy growing up in a tough household with an abusive stepdad. The novel reads as one long letter to his sister, referring to her as “you”. I liked moments of this, the way DA Martin sets up the inevitable clashes between a conservative stepfather and the two children he disapproves of and wants to control. Mostly, I just felt sad some people have to go through this.

[Glenn Van · Rating 1 out of 5]

Author Martin is simply whiny & wimpy & his shock book, including young boy gay sex, further illustrates his weakness as a man. But he moved to my city now, so he probably fashiones himself as a cutting edge tough guy novelist - you taking the trains son? Naa, your an Uber above grounder.

A stupid book that only redneck trash that a 75 and below IQer could perhaps entertain.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am staggered by the hostile reviews and the low ratings this beautiful has received, I read it ten years ago and loved it. I am currently looking to reread it and all Martin's novels and when I do I will post a more thoughtful review.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novel Once You Go Back by Douglas A. Martin begins with the sentence, “Pretend you are my sister.” What follows is a stream-of-consciousness account of growing up in the US South. We listen diligently, sometimes asked to be his sister, as he tells his story of what it was like to be a young gay boy and man, while living with an abusive step-father.

I have to step in here and be completely up front – I have never liked books that are told in the second person. The narrator was talking to us, asking the reader to be the ears of his sister, but never do we get any accurate characterization of that sister. I have to say, this book was one of the more successful second-person narrations I’ve read, it still bothered me a lot of the time and I thought a more traditional narration would have been better suited to the story.

[W. M. Nickel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The music of the prose is breathtaking. It's intimate and melancholy and beautiful.

The writing is literary, so you're bound for disappointment if you pick this up expecting a quick, plot driven read. The writing also has postmodern elements so you're also bound to be let down if you prefer more traditional styles, ie third person past tense.

But if you want gorgeous, poetic, minimalist writing, then you're in for a treat.

[Jeanne Thornton · Rating 3 out of 5]

[f.d. I work for the publisher:] but you should still read it--good use of that one-character-is-in-second-person device and incredibly close view on what it is like to grow up on the LGBT spectrum in the rusted-out South. If you like these things you will like this book very much. If not, maybe worth skimming?

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up because I was intrigued by the narration: "Pretend you are my sister," it starts. But the writing was kind of strange--detached and unclear--and I didn't really care for it or for the story.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When he plays with us, he would pick us up in his arms and swing us, turning us through the air, making our bodies into planes, jeans flying by our blurred sights. We don't know yet he's just another high school boy, who graduated, then had us."

[Merredith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry, I just couldnt stand the writing style of this book. the story sounded interesting, a boy growing up, etc etc but the writing style was killing me!! I couldn't finish it, or really, even get past the first couple small chapters.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. It highlights the strained relationship between a father and son, and the son's adaptation to returning to his home after coming out.

[Roger · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short novel about growing up gay mostly in the South.