Perfect Freedom: A Novel

by Gordon Merrick

Book by Merrick, Gordon

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

456 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Son of a stockbroker, Merrick studied French Literature at Princeton before becoming an actor on Broadway. Prior to WWII he landed a role in Kaufman & Hart's The Man Who Came to Dinner and even became Hart's lover for a time. Due to a hearing problem he had a draft deferrment but served in the O.S.S. rising to the rank of Captain for his service in France. His first novel, The Strumpet Wind (1947), told of an American spy in France during WWII. "I have not imagined the world in which these people lived," he wrote.

Besides appearing on Broadway, he worked as a reporter on many newspapers. He also contributed book reviews and articles to The New Republic, Ikonos and other periodicals. In all, Merrick wrote 13 books, but it was his specialized novels that dealt with gay issues which became best-sellers. Merrick's works are rarely included in anthologies, and few discussions of American gay authors mention him. Some dismiss Merrick because of his obvious romanticism; others do so because he sprinkles explicit sex scenes in these later novels.

Merrick examines the likelihood of self-actualization, identity politics and the role that power plays in relationships. He rejected socially-imposed roles and labels, insisting that each gay person question the assumptions underlying their life. Gordon Merrick broke new ground that has only recently become fertile. Deeper probing into Merrick's works will undoubtedly yield richer understandings of the complex social dynamics that construct networks of control over human sexuality.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first discovered Gordon Merrick prior to coming out, when I was 17 circa 1985 or so and somehow found a copy of this book, not entirely understanding what it meant or was about. To have something so explicit and offering a "perhaps" to what may await were I to accept my queerness, and what the world would be like, was of course mind-blowing. While this is not how my experience turned out to be, the possibility of a way of being that - back then - had not been yet presented to me other than the words of Mr. Merrick, gave me the faith that I could find myself and a way of life "out there" in the world ... and so this book, and a few others of his I read later, will always have a place on my shelf of importance that I hold gratitude towards.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Gordon Merrick's books. This one was a bit slow to read. The first part had heavy plot and character development without the usual dollops of sexual activity. However, by the time I finished the book, I admired his plotting and planning. The three major characters, father, mother and son all undergo an arc of development which made you wonder what happened to them in WWII as the bulk of the book takes place in the French Rivera in the 1930s. One character does appear in a later book, "The Great Urge Downward" but I haven't read it yet. The son does go on an advanced sexual odyssey so his readers will be happy...of course everyone is handsome or beautiful, rich, well-endowed and falls in love at first sight.....

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

More good sexy trashy fun, with a bit more, from the dependable Gordon Merrick.

[Jack Cartland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first discovered Gordon Merrick’s books at my college’s student union bookstore in 1984. I was a very young, deeply closeted gay man and not brave enough to buy one of his books outright. Instead, I would cradle a copy inside another book and read it secretly in the store, carefully paging through and scanning for the sex scenes, devouring them while hiding in plain sight.

“Perfect Freedom” struck a particular chord with me. The story of a young man discovering his sexuality, realizing his desires and needs were not the perverse things society had led him to believe, resonated deeply. It would take me several more years to reach that same understanding for myself.

Forty years later, I finally read “Perfect Freedom” in its entirety. This is not just a book to grab your dick and jerk off to, though it certainly has those moments. What struck me most was the ease and beauty of Merrick’s writing. He builds a vivid world, rich with lush descriptions of St. Tropez and the Greek Islands in the 1930s. The characters are deeply developed, and the situations feel authentic and compelling.

It was, simply, a lovely read.

[Jilles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, although a bit too much sex.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very dated, but it's it's interesting to set it in the onslaught of WWII.

The sailing trip to Greece was very evocative.