A Much Younger Man

by Dianne Highbridge

Aly is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher, divorced, not thrilled with her job, a little lonely. One day she takes the train instead of driving home and is recognized by Tom, the son of her best friend. After this first accidental encounter, they meet again, and again. Aly finds herself taking the train, looking forward to this interlude. Tom is tall, blond, handsome, an athlete, intelligent, sensitive—even a gifted musician. The moments they spend together become the most meaningful part of their lives. Then he wants more. How can she resist? They are perfectly suited in every way but one. Tom is a much younger man.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Coming Of Age, Contemporary

214 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[KarenH · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was totally intrigued by the number of favorable reviews this book has received, given the subject matter is one that perhaps the majority of readers would find, on the surface, distasteful. Surprisingly, the praise for A Much Younger Man is not unfounded, as the author handled the relationship between Alyson & Tom very delicately, easing the reader into a relationship probably deemed taboo by the majority of civilized society. I mean, seriously, how many love stories have you read where you are rooting with all your heart for the couple to be together when said couple is a 16 year old boy and a 35 year old woman?

Before you think to toss Alyson into the poky for statutory rape, this is a contemporary story that takes place in Australia, where the legal age of consent is 16. Legalities thus being the least of their problems, the near star-crossed lovers are constantly swimming upstream in the real world - disillusionment, disapproval, disbelief, severed family ties, broken friendships, jobs lost and opportunities denied - every day is a struggle. But together at home, Alyson & Tom shut out the rest of the world and bask in the warmth of their love for each other. Alyson - having only one prior relationship, with a husband that beat her, is as innocent to the joys of true love as Tom. But her marital experience has left her wary and she subconsciously knows the other shoe will eventually drop. Tom, on the other hand, is an innocent "old soul" (if there can be such a person). He understands the sacrifices he is making by having a relationship with Alyson but it nevers deters him. He is solid, sure and a rock to Alyson's fragility. He knows what he wants now and in the future and all of those plans include Alyson. He is the proverbial guy who, when handed lemons, makes lemonade.

Unfortunately, something happens that ends the relationship and crushes Tom's spirit. Innocence is replaced by the harshness of reality, and both Tom and Alyson - while appearing to be functioning normally - on the inside are dying a little bit every day as each moves on without the other. At this point, the age difference is all but forgotten (it seems so unimportant now) and you fervently hope, when they finally happen to meet again, that the flame has not burned out.

I really loved this story and the unusual way the author chose to tell it. She has an unorthodox style that I can't even begin to describe but certainly enjoyed. Therefore, I found it a little depressing that A Much Younger Man, written in 1999, has been Dianne Highbridge's first and only novel to date.

I recommend this book to any romance readers looking for something completely different from what you normally read...and maybe just a little outside of your boundaries.

5 stars

Note: I didn't have to suspend disbelief at all for this story. About 6 years ago, I was playing on an online mahjongg/wordscape league. Two other members - she was 31, divorced with 1 small daughter, he was 16 and a junior in high school - decided they were in love. She lived in So. Calif and he in Australia. She went over there to meet him and, even though he was of legal age, it became a huge scandal fueled by the media. They were on the cover of every Aussie rag mag, vying for the country's attention with the story of the birth of Suri Cruise. I never saw either one of them again until about 2 weeks ago when she happened to be playing wordscape in the same room as I was. She told me they have been happily married now for 5 years and have brought 2 more daughters into the world!

*sigh* I love a good HEA

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gli edifici che compongono l'essere quale uomo e donna!

L'Uomo, maschio o femmina che sia è come un palazzo, puo' essere piccolo, lussuoso, diroccato, con stili particolari e così via ma è ogni singolo appartamento, locale e stanza che ne fa la differenza. Tutta questa architettura contraddistingue Tom e Aly, i due protagonisti di questa storia.
Lui, amante dell'architettura, dell'arte, della musica, si innamora da finché inizia a provare dei sentimenti erotici di Aly, ma non è nulla di blasfemo... è un sentimento puro, certo non mantenuto nel corso degli anni casto ma raccontato come qualcosa che viene espressamente dal cuore ed è accarezzato dolcemente da varie pennellate d'arte, da sinfonie italiane e da luci e contrasti ottici che solo Tom vede e che mostra con i propri sentimenti autonomi a Aly. Alyson invece è postuma di un amore finito male, di un amore violento che amore non è ma che di distruttivo e di diroccato ha tutto: Eric.
Tom è l' "uomo molto piu' giovane" ma in quanto uomo non è lo sprovveduto giovane che lo si potrebbe pensare ma è il giovane amore di tutto un mondo cresciuto nella possibilità di essere se stessi fino in fondo, fino a quando i genitori non credono che vada contro i loro stessi insegnamenti, di amare ed esplorare dando ingenuità ed affetto ma una maturità forzata verso la persona che gli sta più a cuore: Aly, la sua Aly!
Amare per Tom non è la solita frescura che si potrebbe pensare in un racconto come questo, con il giovane di turno infatuato di una donna piu' grande di lui e che si batte assieme a lei contro il resto del mondo per far prevalere il proprio amore, ma Amare per Tom vuol dire Alyson, vuol dire solo lei, vuol dire poter crescere anche di qualche mese in piu' per farla contenta e rendere lecito quello che prova, l'affetto innato che nutro e il futuro a cui non pensa ma che tormenta costantemente Alyson.
Lei, amica della madre del suo amante, anche se dirlo così mi sembra blasfemo, si tormenta e soffre, ma poi ama fino a che la propria natura sottomissiva non viene sopraffatta dagli eventi e deve scegliere di far soffrire chi Ama!
Tra genitori impossibili, amici violenti o affidabili, voci di corridoio, differenze di età e dolori del cuore, va costruendosi una città di vita e di amore attorno al cuore dei due protagonisti che verrà sottoposta a una dura tempesta burrascosa e che grazie a una dolce canzone riuscirà a ritrovare la fiducia per la ricostruzione e il recupero delle fondamenta abbattute.
Aly e Tom, tre lettere per ciascuno di loro ma che senza età ma solo col cuore sanno, tra richiami di un altro episodio del libro "Il giardino d'estate" che pero' ho voluto accantonare, affrontare sentimenti, frustrazioni e quant'altro la società contemporanea si trova a giudicare tutti i giorni: l'amore con una persona molto più giovane dell'altra o molto più vecchia, a seconda dei punti di vista degli spettatori, ma uguali per gli occhi del loro cuore!

[Terrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally, a troubled romance with a decent ending. Not as much like a Lifetime movie as I expected and good overall.

Sidenote - not available for Kindle, so I ordered the paperback. Much amused when my email from Amazon said "Your order of 'A Much Younger Man' and 3 more items has shipped"

[Addicted to Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a romance! I would put it under serious fiction. What an intense read. Her writing reminded me of

Review coming up!

[Takumo-N · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story about forbidden passion. Where a 16 year old boy and a woman in her mid thirties fall in love knowing how wrong it is, how unfair and potentially destructive for both of them and the family of the boy in question, but not being able to stop themselves. The little jokes that sting, or hurtful remarks, or that longer-look-than-it-should-be give the story a lot of tension and humanity, understanding what Alyson is going through. Aswell as the short but deep conversations, in between mundanities, which seem simple but give a lot of personality to each character. I thought it was wonderful for such a short book.

Out of all the things that happen, on all the journeys you make, in only a few will ever see a meaning. You take them if you can or if you must, and let the rest go. The ones you keep, they're yours.

[Emi Yoshida · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was surprised to see how well-received this book was, and was eager to read it myself. The story is about Alyson, a 35-year old divorced high school teacher who falls in love with her friend's 15 year old son. My favorite part of the book is when Aly, racked with guilt and unable to sleep, writes up a list of comparable scenarios from literature and popular culture: "Mrs. Robinson... Der Rosenkavalier. The Marschallin, making losing sound great. Kate Chopin. What kind of sell-out is that, The Awakening? She's still got to die! The French. Edith Piaf shares her grave with a young man."

As a cradle robber myself, I had hoped this book would legitimize the sleazy topic, but in that regard it fails. I was afraid to be seen reading this. Too many exclamation points! Steamy Herb Ritz-like cover art! Exuberant lechery!

[Denali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful book, a quick read, and very different from a lot of the other younger/older books I've read. Highbridge touches only lightly on the usual developmental milestones that tend to define these books (work & school, parent & child etc) and focuses more on the work of separating and rebuilding the emotional ties and relationships that these milestones dictate. For all the scandal potential, AYM maintains a calm steady voice, never veering into drama even as dramatic events unfold. Surprising and pleasing.

[Katie M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reads like the wet dream of a woman deep in the throes of a midlife crisis - and really, I'm all about the nontraditional romances, so you have to fail pretty hard to make me give up in disgust at a story like this. But it was just... so... lame.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

He's 15, she's 35. I don't think I'd write home about this book, but it has some redeeming moments.

[C.B. Wentworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those stories where you know you should look away, but you can't help but stare. Alyson is a teacher in her mid-30s, while Tom is 16. Everything about what they feel for one another is wrong, and they know it, but they can't walk away from one another. From a reader's standpoint, it's a love story you want to root for, but can't. Between Alyson's fragile personality and Tom's unrelenting optimism their relationship is oddly one of balance amid the passion and emotion that swallows them whole. The impending doom of it all hangs heavy and lends itself to the moral and ethical questions that surround Aly and Tom. As the years pass and they find themselves torn apart, what was so wrong at its core turns out to be the only real and right thing for both of them. Suddenly, a love the no one else can understand, makes sense and is given a chance to flourish.

Throughout the bulk of the novel, it's hard to sympathize and hope for a happy ending as Aly and Tom's relationship crosses a number of lines between right and wrong. In one sense, Aly deserves to be loved and Tom is more mature than he's given credit, but in another neither of these things matter. Highbridge manages to carefully broach the moral questions and emotional elements quite deftly, crafting a story that casts doubt on firmly drawn boundaries.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not really sure what to rate this. Maybe 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

I very rarely read books that aren’t fantasy, but for some strange reason, I am always drawn to taboo topics, so here I am.

This is one of those books that makes you feel like you want to look away—or should look away—yet you can’t stop.

There’s actually a review blurb from The Washington Post written on the back cover of the book itself that I think sums it up best: “In spare, compelling prose…Highbridge pushes love to its unacceptable edge and makes us accept it.”

If I were to encounter the protagonist of the story (or someone just like her) in real life, I would be uncomfortable. I would have similar feelings as the other characters in the book who constantly told her “Maybe you should reconsider this relationship” or “Maybe you should think this through.”

And yet, I found myself rooting for her, for him, for their romance, and for their love. Even while it was making me uncomfortable.

And that’s the beauty of this story I guess.

3.5 stars for having the guts to write something like this.

[Haywood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was interesting to say the least, A Much Younger Man is a book with its ups and downs, the writing style took a while for me to get used to, cryptic sentence structures, a vocabulary that manages to impress, but the use of mightn't, even in 1998 seems superfluous, time skips and told time all over the place, and a story that makes it hard to keep up. Do not misinterpret, I liked this novel, but it did make me work for it. The story of course is about a major taboo, but I guess Aussies find it legal so whatever. I do feel like we could have gone more into the intricacies of their relationship and how they really evolved with one another, I felt as if some depth has been left to the wayside in this novel. I probably think this deserves a 3.5 out a 5 but choose to round up instead of down due to the novelty of it. A good read overall.

[Monae Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is told in a very unorthodox way. This is a romance but it is sad. This story takes place in Australia.

This story is about a thirty-five year old English teacher named Alyson. She is divorced. She meets a young, athletic, blond, handsome young sixteen year old boy named Tom. He is the son of her best friend. They meet accidentally on a train. She longs to see him again on the train. They keep bumping into each other.

They both start to fall for each other. Later in the story an accident happens that ends the relationship. You keep rooting for them to find their way back to each other. I found this story to be a bit on the sad side. I wanted more romance and less sadness in this story. I am glad I read this however.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful love story. An against all odds tale of two well written and interesting main characters who come together despite what society says.

[Linda Zekry Zaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nu var det många år sen jag läste denna, men det är en romance jag brukar gå tillbaka till då och då.

[Elisa Vangelisti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riflettete con me: che cos’hanno in comune Romeo e Giulietta, Rose e Jack Dawson, la Bella e la Bestia, King Kong e Jessica Lange, Edward Cullen e Bella Swan, Cenerentola e il Principe Azzurro, Tarzan e Jane? L’amore nonostante la DIVERSITA'. La libertà di amarsi nonostante tutto.
Sto leggendo un libro che parla di amore fra diversi, dove la differenza è quella di un numero, il numero 20. Ma non è lui ad avere vent’anni in più, è lei. E, chissà perché, questo cambia tutto. Questo libro è delicato e bellissimo. Raccontato in terza persona, ma al presente; a volte in prima, ma in maniera vaga. Il finale è al futuro. Strano modo di esporre e non ho ancora capito se mi piace, ma è probabilmente l’unica pecca di questo romanzo. La trama è così semplice che sembra quasi banale, ma come tutte le cose semplici ha una sua complessità innata e recondita che fa fare strani voli al cuore, capitomboli allo stomaco e rischia di far tracimare lacrime. Non ho pianto, ma ho sospirato. Se amate questo genere di coppie non fatevelo sfuggire. E brava io quando mi sono appuntata la recensione in un blog di cui nemmeno ricordo il nome.

Rilettura. Quando si crea un’affinità tra il proprio sé e quello dell’autrice è come se si fosse amiche da sempre. Ci si sente d’accordo, si capiscono i punti di vista, si segue la trama passo passo, come un rapporto che si costruisce fra due persone giorno dopo giorno. Così è con Dianne, per me. Non ci conosciamo né ciò avverrà mai, ma so che condividiamo la passione per storie di questo genere. E chissà quante altre ne potrebbe raccontare. L’amore fra diversi - che tanto amo leggere - qui si estremizza sconfinando nel desiderio materno di “possedere” la propria prole. La madre di Tom è quasi la protagonista indiscussa delle scelte di vita di tutti, primari e comprimari. Lei crea, lei giudica, lei distrugge. Tale è il suo potere da mettere a rischio persino l’amore che Tom prova per Alyson. Un amore giovane, totale, vero e indissolubilmente tenace. Adoro, adoro, adoro questo romanzo. È il più costoso che ho in libreria, ma non mi delude mai.

Rilettura (giudizio confermato).
Insomma. Non so più cosa dire su questo romanzo. È insieme terribile e meraviglioso. È come guardare in un abisso. E ne resto ogni volta affascinata.

rilettura (confermo il massimo giudizio). questo libro è la mia comfort-zone. l'ho letto d'un fiato. è strano e intenso allo stesso tempo. semplice, ma complicato. quando ho voglia di andare sul sicuro, punto su Dianne e non c'è modo di sbagliarsi. superlativo.

rilettura (5 stelle - ovvero un best4ever): oh meraviglia delle meraviglie. un libro che quando lo hai finito di leggere hai già voglia di ricominciare. uno dei migliori comfort-book della mia vita.

rilettura (5 stelle, ovvio): credo che continuerò a rileggere questo romanzo finchè avrò gli occhi.

rilettura (5 stelle per sempre): struggente, tormentato e meraviglioso. e si legge d'un fiato. ho trovato un refuso a pag.208: "...mani intrecciate SULLA ginocchia,..." niente di che.

[Kelly Illegems · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lang verhaal en liefde tussen een kind en volwassene is strafbaar en ongeloofwaardig

[Sanna ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Några gånger, plötsligt mitt i ett stycke är boken skriven i jag-form och fortsätter sedan som tidigare, vilket e lite konstigt.

[Bookfanatic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written so well that you don't feel as though she, the older heroine, took advantage of him, the much younger hero. If it had been that, I wouldn't have read this story. He's a teenager when they meet; the privileged son of the heroine's friend. She's an attractive woman in her mid-thirties. Besides being charming, he's clearly quite perceptive, clever, and mature for his age. Their love story is written intelligently in very poetic language without being overly graphic. There isn't a whole lot of conversation. The author's writing style reminded me of Michael Ondaatje who wrote The English Patient. He has a very lyrical, almost poetic way with words. In much the same way, Dianne Highbridge's language is deceptively simple yet evocative and haunting. The Aussies obviously have a different take on a relationship between an older teenager and a grown woman. I would never have guessed that I would root for these two, but both characters are so endearing and likable that you root for them to find happiness over the objections of others. I loved this book. Not sure I will part with it.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Much Younger Man is a beautifully written novel. They are two people who do not quite fit into the world they inhabit, Aly is emotionally damaged from an abusive marriage and Tom is the product of two professionals he has been well educated culturally and socially. It still begs the question what would a then 15 year old boy see in a woman who is one of his mother’s peers? But that question isn’t as glaring as it would be in the hands of a less accomplished storyteller. To read the full review and more see Penny Dreadful Books and Reviews.

[Kewpie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is one of my "Great Guilty Pleasures" titles. A Lolita for women! A 30 something year old teacher has an intense affair with her best friend's 16 year old son (Don't worry TOO much, in this book 16 is the legal age of consent)It's actually as sweet book and the characters have a lot of depth to them. Even though it is all sorts of wrong, it's such an emotional read and the characters were so sympathetic and realistic. I would not condone the events in this book in real life, but it really was a good read.

[Pamela Pickering · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to peg this one. The subject matter of course is a little uncomfortable but so was the author's writing style. I just can't put my finger on it--it seemed so fragmented and incomplete. Otherwise, I can't really say much about the book. Perhaps I was hoping for a real zinger like the movie "Notes on a Scandal" based on the book by Zoe Heller (which I haven't read) and found this story falling far short by comparison.

[Carol Essig · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a different kind of book. A 15 year old boy dating his mother's best friend who is 35. She is a teacher. No jail time or any kind of dealing with the law. I think it is in England. The writer is never clear about that. The writer writes in the third person, then switches back to the present. Can be a little confusing at times. If you think the 35 year old was the aggressor; read the book. Where does a 15 year old learn this stuff?

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyrical, beautiful, simple, heartbreaking, healing, perfect. I read it in two days. Anyone who would rate this book less than 4 stars, or would dislike it because the subject matter is taboo or the writing seems unrealistic has never experienced, secretly or publicly, love for anything that the world might view as taboo. Which would lead me to ask, are you really being honest with yourself?

[Holly Esterline · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a little bit to get used to the writing style, but I enjoyed it once I got used to it. A great love story, but I'm still having a hard time with the boy's age

page 206: "Out of all the things that happen, on all the journeys you make, in only a few will you ever see a meaning. You take them if you can or if you must, and let the rest go. The ones you keep, they're yours."

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story revolves around a 35 year old teacher and her blossoming love relationship with her friend's 16 year old son. Very true-to-life, the novel handles such delicate subject matter in a sensitive and unique way. Great character development.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Saw this in a "Books that will change your life" list. Umm...no. Little explanation how or why these two "fell in love". And why is it ok for a 30-something teacher to have a relationship with a 16 year old again? (Even though the age of consent in Australia is 16?)

[Nadia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read it after reading this author's second book, which I enjoyed. Also wanted to understand such a relationship. Well written in a sensitive way.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book. I believed in the characters and wanted them to be together even though she was twice his age. It's rating is between a PG-13 and R (just so you're not surprised, lol)

[Elisa Rolle]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1569471479/?...