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Big Diehl #1
Big Diehl
Big Diehl understands his nature, early on. Raised as a cowkid on a ranch in northeastern Colorado, Diehl yearns for something more, something encompassing the truth of himself. He becomes a soldier. Serves honorably in Iraq. Finds precious love along the way. Yearns only to return to Casper, Wyoming where true love awaits. This short story also contains a short teaser for the full length novel of the same name at the end.
93 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 16, 2015
This is my little novella that was first seen in MLR's "Esprit de Corps," anthology. It introduces us to Big Diehl, a kid from northeastern Colorado, who finds himself suffering through his adolescence in Laramie, Wyoming. He befriends, explores his sexuality with another "loner," Joe Tye, in high school, and they agree to seek the possibilities the world has to offer once they graduate. Joe Tye cannot find the courage to leave his mama--a single mother--and Diehl takes off by himself, finds a "second family" in Casper, enlists in the Army, and eventually finds himself in Iraq.
Yes, I wrote it. I'm not sure if it's appropriate for authors to provide/review their own work on the site. But, hell... Why not?
I've lately been reminded that potential readers of this book should be aware that it is included, almost verbatim, in the novel, "Big Diehl: The Road Home." I understand the frustration of readers who read the novella, then purchase the follow-up novel, only to find that they've already read--and paid for--a portion of the work.
Yes, I wrote it. I'm not sure if it's appropriate for authors to provide/review their own work on the site. But, hell... Why not?
I've lately been reminded that potential readers of this book should be aware that it is included, almost verbatim, in the novel, "Big Diehl: The Road Home." I understand the frustration of readers who read the novella, then purchase the follow-up novel, only to find that they've already read--and paid for--a portion of the work.
July 1, 2016
An absolute, must-read for anyone wondering the impact of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".
Diehl, a country boy from Laramie, Wyoming, a place of nowhere possibilities to come into himself, to know himself. Diehl is aware of his desire for other boys, but like most his age, striking out after high school, looking for a place to land and feeling "alone" in the world and just wanting to get the hell outta his hometown and away from a father that's given up on life - enlists in the Army.
He ends up in Casper, Wyoming, enlists in the Army, but has to wait a couple weeks until the Army will take him. With only $8 bucks to get him through, he steps into a bar for free peanuts and is immediately spotted" by a couple lesbians who have a soft-spot for "waifs". They take him in, where he meets Tony, an older waif who was dishonorably discharged from the Marine Corps on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," charges.
Diehl's six-year stint in the Army takes him from training in Lousiana when 9/11 occurs, on to Iraq in 2003. The horrors of the war - iEDs, grenade-launchers, the killing of innocents is covered enough to give the reader a clear picture of what the protagonist experiences, but doesn't dwell too long or too deeply to become morbid.
A word of caution - one must get through the author's clipped prose a few pages deep to get comfortable in the author's voice, then all falls into place and it's a wonderful read, full of internal angst of spending six years in the military, all the while searching for his inner self.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, not what I expected and definately not the highly charged, sexually exploided offering one might assume (based on the cover) in the military - yet a story that delves into the interpersonal struggles faced in an environment where one must still remain "in the closet".
I will definately look for more by George Seaton.
Diehl, a country boy from Laramie, Wyoming, a place of nowhere possibilities to come into himself, to know himself. Diehl is aware of his desire for other boys, but like most his age, striking out after high school, looking for a place to land and feeling "alone" in the world and just wanting to get the hell outta his hometown and away from a father that's given up on life - enlists in the Army.
He ends up in Casper, Wyoming, enlists in the Army, but has to wait a couple weeks until the Army will take him. With only $8 bucks to get him through, he steps into a bar for free peanuts and is immediately spotted" by a couple lesbians who have a soft-spot for "waifs". They take him in, where he meets Tony, an older waif who was dishonorably discharged from the Marine Corps on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," charges.
Diehl's six-year stint in the Army takes him from training in Lousiana when 9/11 occurs, on to Iraq in 2003. The horrors of the war - iEDs, grenade-launchers, the killing of innocents is covered enough to give the reader a clear picture of what the protagonist experiences, but doesn't dwell too long or too deeply to become morbid.
A word of caution - one must get through the author's clipped prose a few pages deep to get comfortable in the author's voice, then all falls into place and it's a wonderful read, full of internal angst of spending six years in the military, all the while searching for his inner self.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, not what I expected and definately not the highly charged, sexually exploided offering one might assume (based on the cover) in the military - yet a story that delves into the interpersonal struggles faced in an environment where one must still remain "in the closet".
I will definately look for more by George Seaton.
April 17, 2010
Great (short) story. Dielh is a very moving character. So looking forward to read more about him. The writing is outstanding.
December 12, 2010
Big Diehl (pronounced Big Deal) escapes his going-nowhere ranch life in Laramie, Wyoming the day after he graduated high school. But leaving does not erase the emotional pain inflicted by eighteen years of life with his trailer-trash father.
Diehl’s search for his place in the world leads him to an army recruiting office in Casper. While waiting for the army to process his paperwork, he is temporarily adopted by a pair of hospitable lesbians who own a local bar. They put him up at their ranch where he meets Tony, another “waif” that the ladies have taken in. As it turns out, Tony had been an exemplary Marine until he ran face first into a brick wall called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Diehl and Tony begin to forge a relationship, but the Army intervenes and ships Diehl to boot camp.
Diehl finds Army life satisfying except for the need to hide his sexuality. Opportunities come and go with other desperately lonely souls like himself. He takes advantage of some, not others. The need for stealth limits all relationships to a one-time thing. Or is that Diehl’s emotional pain won’t let him get close to anyone?
After 9/11, Diehl finds himself a squad leader in Iraq, trying to keep his boys alive. The horrors of war and Army life shape Diehl into a man, a troubled man to be sure, but none the less a man of grit. When Diehl’s Iraq tour is suddenly cut short, he finds that he now has the strength to face his pain and confront his past. But does he have the will to fashion a more satisfying life, one where he can settle down with one man? You can ask but I won’t tell.
I found this to be a satisfying read. The characters and situations are believable. In fact, having spent four years in the Navy, during which time I hid deeply in the closet, Diehl’s experiences brought back many memories of living stealth – so many terribly lonely nights and the constant fear of being caught. This story makes a strong and clear statement about the emotional pain suffered by brave men and women honorably serving their county.
I found this read occasionally touching without becoming overly so. And although the ending is not happily ever after, it was a strong and sensible conclusion.
In addition to being emotionally stratifying, I found this story extremely well structured and well written. It has a clipped language that took me several pages to become accustomed to, but once I did I love the author’s voice.
The character of Diehl is well drawn and completely likable. If I have any minor complaint about this story is that some of the other characters could have had more depth. My only other complaint is that the story is a bit short, about 85 pages. I saw many opportunities to expand the story into something longer, but hey. I’m nit picking. I highly recommend Big Diehl.
Diehl’s search for his place in the world leads him to an army recruiting office in Casper. While waiting for the army to process his paperwork, he is temporarily adopted by a pair of hospitable lesbians who own a local bar. They put him up at their ranch where he meets Tony, another “waif” that the ladies have taken in. As it turns out, Tony had been an exemplary Marine until he ran face first into a brick wall called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Diehl and Tony begin to forge a relationship, but the Army intervenes and ships Diehl to boot camp.
Diehl finds Army life satisfying except for the need to hide his sexuality. Opportunities come and go with other desperately lonely souls like himself. He takes advantage of some, not others. The need for stealth limits all relationships to a one-time thing. Or is that Diehl’s emotional pain won’t let him get close to anyone?
After 9/11, Diehl finds himself a squad leader in Iraq, trying to keep his boys alive. The horrors of war and Army life shape Diehl into a man, a troubled man to be sure, but none the less a man of grit. When Diehl’s Iraq tour is suddenly cut short, he finds that he now has the strength to face his pain and confront his past. But does he have the will to fashion a more satisfying life, one where he can settle down with one man? You can ask but I won’t tell.
I found this to be a satisfying read. The characters and situations are believable. In fact, having spent four years in the Navy, during which time I hid deeply in the closet, Diehl’s experiences brought back many memories of living stealth – so many terribly lonely nights and the constant fear of being caught. This story makes a strong and clear statement about the emotional pain suffered by brave men and women honorably serving their county.
I found this read occasionally touching without becoming overly so. And although the ending is not happily ever after, it was a strong and sensible conclusion.
In addition to being emotionally stratifying, I found this story extremely well structured and well written. It has a clipped language that took me several pages to become accustomed to, but once I did I love the author’s voice.
The character of Diehl is well drawn and completely likable. If I have any minor complaint about this story is that some of the other characters could have had more depth. My only other complaint is that the story is a bit short, about 85 pages. I saw many opportunities to expand the story into something longer, but hey. I’m nit picking. I highly recommend Big Diehl.
November 1, 2012
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 7/10
PROS:
- Good examination of the changes that military service can bring about in a person. There’s also quite a bit of ambiguity in Diehl’s mind as to what his overall attitude is toward the military--a trait I’ve seen before in real life.
- Covers a time span of about 6 years really well in a (relatively) small amount of space. I often find large skips in time awkward in writing, but Seaton does well here, especially for a novella-length story.
CONS:
- Some descriptions of Diehl’s beginnings are rather horrifying. He rises above his origins, of course, but I didn’t enjoy reading the scenes that take place in his hometown. (They are well-written, though.)
- Quite depressing. This one provides a good look at the modern “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and the horrors exercised upon servicemen whose sexuality is discovered. I was pretty down for several days after reading this, but it’s not Seaton’s fault; he simply portrays the military life as it really is for gay men.
Rating: 7/10
PROS:
- Good examination of the changes that military service can bring about in a person. There’s also quite a bit of ambiguity in Diehl’s mind as to what his overall attitude is toward the military--a trait I’ve seen before in real life.
- Covers a time span of about 6 years really well in a (relatively) small amount of space. I often find large skips in time awkward in writing, but Seaton does well here, especially for a novella-length story.
CONS:
- Some descriptions of Diehl’s beginnings are rather horrifying. He rises above his origins, of course, but I didn’t enjoy reading the scenes that take place in his hometown. (They are well-written, though.)
- Quite depressing. This one provides a good look at the modern “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and the horrors exercised upon servicemen whose sexuality is discovered. I was pretty down for several days after reading this, but it’s not Seaton’s fault; he simply portrays the military life as it really is for gay men.
July 9, 2011
The story told in Big Diehl has a very honest, and a very real feel to it. Dealing with the US military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy is part of the struggles the protagonist faces while he tries to find his place in the world. Mr. Seaton has a very clean and straight-forward approach to his prose and while there were times that I'd wished for healthier transitions between location changes and subject changes, I soon adapted and didn't allow that to affect my reading. Oh, by the way, I love the protagonist's name.
Big Diehl is a very good book and I enjoyed reading it. I give it three stars.
January 16, 2015
Great story and characters, however you should save your money and buy Big Diehl: The Road Home instead, since this short story is completely encapsulated within the longer novel. That's a good story, too.
March 19, 2014
A very engrossing short story that leave you wanting more. Big Diehl is a coming of age tale wrapped in the horrors of war and the results of a traumatic childhood. Keep your tissues at hand. 4.5 stars.
February 12, 2012
cant wait to read the follow up. it definitely had the military aspect taken care. with that, it did have some shockingly sad moments.
think Big has some major sexual issues to deal with and i hope he catches a freakin' break soon cuz he's a good guy and really deserves it!
think Big has some major sexual issues to deal with and i hope he catches a freakin' break soon cuz he's a good guy and really deserves it!
November 12, 2013
I liked this short by George Seaton, and its sequel is on my to-buy list because I have to know if Diehl is ever going to get his HEA.
October 30, 2015
Sweet and gritty and completely believable.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews