The Night Listener

by Armistead Maupin

Armistead Maupin, one of America's literary icons, returns after an absence of eight years with the tale of Gabriel Noone, a writer whose late-night radio stories have brought him into the home of millions. Noone is in the midst of a painful separation from his longtime lover when a publisher sends him proofs of a remarkable book: the memoir of an ailing thirteen-year-old boy who suffered horrific abuse at the hands of his parents. Now living with his adoptive mother, Pete Lomax is not only a brave and gifted diarist but also a devoted listener to Noone's show. When Noone phones the boy to offer encouragement, it soon becomes clear that Pete sees in this heartsick middle-aged storyteller the loving father he has always wanted. Thus begins an extraordinary friendship that only grows deeper as the boy's health deteriorates, freeing Noone to unlock his innermost feelings.

Then, out of the blue, troubling questions arise, exploding Noone's comfortable assumptions and causing his ordered existence to spin wildly out of control. As he walks a vertiginous line between truth and illusions, he is finally forced to confront all of his relationships--familial, romantic, and erotic.

Few novelists in America write with such unerring insight and honesty in mapping the territory of the human heart. And in The Night Listener, Armistead Maupin has given us his most ambitious and daringly imaginative work. As complex and hypnotically engrossing as the best of mysteries, it will move and challenge his readers as never before.

 

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, LGBT, Gay, Contemporary, Queer, Audiobook

344 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Armistead Maupin was born in Washington, D.C., in 1944 but grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, he served as a naval officer in the Mediterranean and with the River Patrol Force in Vietnam.

Maupin worked as a reporter for a newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina, before being assigned to the San Francisco bureau of the Associated Press in 1971. In 1976 he launched his groundbreaking Tales of the City serial in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Maupin is the author of nine novels, including the six-volume Tales of the City series, Maybe the Moon, The Night Listener and, most recently, Michael Tolliver Lives. Three miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney were made from the first three Tales novels. The Night Listener became a feature film starring Robin Williams and Toni Collette.

He is currently writing a musical version of Tales of the City with Jason Sellards (aka Jake Shears) and John Garden (aka JJ) of the disco and glam rock-inspired pop group Scissor Sisters. Tales will be directed by Jason Moore (Avenue Q and Shrek).

Maupin lives in San Francisco with his husband, Christopher Turner.

Reviews

[Paul Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally reviewed for Uniquely Pleasurable.

First, a disclaimer. This review covers the original publication of the novel and not the movie-tie in version. The movie varies substantially (and is really rather dreadful) from the original novel and it is unknown if the tie-in version of the novel was rewritten to incorporate new information and/or details found in the movie.

The novel The Night Listener is Maupin’s fictional take on his interaction with Anthony Godby Johnson, a “young boy” who was presented as having been brutally abused as a child. Johnson wrote a book that was sent out in galley form to many celebrities, and like J.T. Leroy who would claim the same thing many years later (and subsequently be proven a massive hoax), the celebrities took to this boy, many becoming friends with him over the phone. You can read more about the cases by search out either Johnson or Leroy online.

I have to admit upfront that I am an unabashed fan of Maupin’s work. There is a simplicity to his prose that belies the emotional complexity of the characters he creates, and whether it be his series Tales of the City or his departures from that series like Maybe the Moon, it is rare for me to find fault in his work. There is also an almost Hitchcockian feel to the plots of his novels which, while never detracting from the almost whimsical tone of his stories, always creates a nice blend of genres. The Night Listener, however, is perhaps his greatest departure from this style: a dark and brooding look at loss and betrayal and the need for human contact. It can be a brutal read (a friend to whom I lent the book called it “one of the most depressing novels” she’d ever read). But what it also is is a novel which really explores the range that Maupin has as a storyteller, and makes him, in my mind, one of the best novelists out there, gay or straight.

Maupin is in thin disguise as Gabriel Noone, an author of radio stories who is at a turning point in his life when he makes contact with Pete Lomax, the stricken boy. Noone’s longtime lover–who never expected to survive the AIDS epidemic–has moved out, and while the romantic relationship has ended, the connection between Noone and his ex will be a lifelong one. Jess simply needs to find a life beyond waiting to die. But what it does for Noone is leave a huge hole in his life, an emotional and intellectual void that needs to be filled. So, when Noone connects by telephone with Pete and finds him to be a witty, well-spoken young man, a friendship begins to develop. Noone needs someone who adores him and Pete desperately needs a father figure.

Maupin brilliantly captures both Noone and Pete. The malaise Noone has found himself in is palpable, a man who suddenly finds himself feeling a no one (Noone) because he has lost the one person who has helped to define him for decades. Likewise, Maupin’s depiction of Pete is heartbreaking but utterly realistic. He is smart and funny, his humor as dark as his own past, and Maupin gets the pattern of speech of a teen boy exactly right. Though essentially a minor character, Noone’s ex Jess is also excellently drawn. Jess isn’t reduced to a cardboard cut-out. While was a saddened that he has decided to leave Noone, we completely understand his desire to get out there and see what life–a real life–holds for him. Pete’s adoptive mother–though a very minor character through the first half of the novel–is also flesh and blood. We feel the compassion that led her to adopt Peter. We understand her ferocious protectiveness of him. We even understand why she won’t let anyone meet him. And then, Maupin does something brilliant. He turns all that has come before on its head. Why hasn’t Donna let anyone meet him? Does Pete’s voice really sound all that similar to Donna’s? Surely, the editor of Pete’s book has checked out his story. Suddenly, we begin to suspect Pete. We begin to distrust Donna. Everything we have learned before we begin to question, and we feel deep down inside the conflict Noone feels.

What Maupin does so well in this book is make you care about this Pete (as, interestingly enough, had happened to Maupin and the other celebs Johnson had been in contact with), so that when doubt is cast upon his existence, you are as devastated as Noone. The result is a literary gut-punch. And Maupin expertly takes us from needing to believe Pete and Donna, to suspecting them. To wanting them to be real–for their own sakes as well as Noone’s–to needing them to be proven a hoax because the evidence of such a hoax is so remarkably overwhelming. It is a brilliant feat of writing…to make three characters (Noone, Pete and Donna) that you, as the reader, desperately want to believe. The result is a deeply psychological game of suspense that moves at a brisk pace, one that would make Hitchcock proud.

The Night Listener is not an easy read at all from an emotional standpoint. As a reader, a lot is demanded of you and you likely will feel worn out after reading it, but the ride is so worth it.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the book, I'm not sure why the trailers for the movie tried to pass it off as a thriller - it's not creepy or scary or anything. It's a mind puzzle and a mystery, but I guess Hollywood thinks its audience won't enjoy something cerebral (they did the same thing with Stephen King's Secret Window; its advertising campaign puzzles me to this day).

The neatest thing about the book is that it's based on something that actually happened to the author. The copy of the book I have contains an article from The New Yorker that sums up the real-life story, which is pretty similar to the novel.

I'm not sure how I feel about the plot device thrown in during the afterword; in some ways, I feel like the story itself is complete enough without adding this new layer, and in other ways I feel like it folds right into the overall themes of the book.

I've never read Maupin's Tales of the City books, but I'm more inclined to now after seeing what a capable author he is. Even though the bulk of The Night Listener is made up of phone calls, it moves forward quickly and never stalls.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I knew what to expect from this book, and how it would resolve itself, because I knew that it was based loosely on Maupin's relationship with Anthony Godby Johnson, the teenage boy who wrote the memoir "A Rock and a Hard Place," a book I read and which affected me quite a bit both when I read it and when I found out years later that it might all have been a hoax. Lots of famous people were taken in by the possibly non-existent Johnson, including Maupin and author Paul Monette.

I was not expecting just how Maupin's reworking of the story into fiction would affect me. It hit me on a few levels. The way his character Gabriel Noone describes his incredible connection with the young Peter Lomax (which mirrored so well the relationship I have with so many teenagers); the conversation Gabriel has with his own father towards the end of the book (which I wish I could have had with my own father); and how the beginning and end of the book come somewhat full circle and yet still leaves you wondering (that satisfied but unsatisfied feeling I love and hate).

I listened to this on cd, and had mixed emotions about Maupin reading his own work. He has a clear speaking voice that sometimes sounds like the actor Michael Emerson (a good thing) and sometimes sounds like the commentator Andy Rooney (not so good, in my opinion). Mostly, though, he gets to the heart of Noone, letting him sound appropriately pathetic when the character is acting pathetic and giving him a certain quiet nobility when the character is in the right and the other characters are wrong.

Definitely recommended. Now I think I need to go watch the movie version

[Mikael Kuoppala · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Night Listener” is a very good example of how a mystery novel can shine without creepy settings and dark characters in action packed storylines. This is a deeply moving, quiet and very emotional mystery that builds its enchanting plot lines with subtlety. It prevails by keeping the main focus on wonderfully depicted character interaction.

There isn’t all that much story to the novel in fact, but still it feels like a very quick, compact read. This is mostly due to Maupin’s talent as a storyteller, and his keen insight for character building. The protagonist, radio playwright Gabriel Noone has a distinct alter ego feel to him, but he’s complex and imperfect enough.

Noone is in a total state of transition, facing old age and loss on so many fronts that he needs to start redefining big parts of his identity. His rapport with a disembodied voice of a fan is like an anchor during a time when everything more concrete is either changing shape or dissipating altogether. And that’s what this book is really about, after all the questions and mysteries. And this is also a novel about hope, but not only about its most obvious forms. It’s mainly about the kind of hope that’s present in the darkest of thoughts and ideas, just barely keeping us from slipping.

[Three · Rating 3 out of 5]

recensione con premessa
(avvertenza: la seguente premessa non riguarda direttamente il libro; chi la vuole saltare non perderà niente, se non la mia avvincente prosa).
sono una golosa impenitente. adoro le lasagne, il tiramisù. i maccheroncini pasticciati, la polenta, la cioccolata, il gelato, la frutta, i tortellini, tutte le peggio cose. Per trovare qualcosa che non mi piace dovreste addentrarvi nei torvi reparti dei cibi salutisti. Il risultato è ovvio: fallimento totale della prova costume, delusione da cui in genere mi consola un piatto di strozzapreti con le canocchie.
Tuttavia.
Perché c'è un tuttavia.
Se davanti a me c'è una teglia di lasagne fatte da mia mamma, o un tiramisù fatto con la ricetta di famiglia (che un amico gentile ha definito "il miglior tiramisù che abbia mai mangiato"), l'unico limite che mi pongo è dato dalla decenza, così se il mio super io si distrae un attimo posso mangiare l'intera teglia di lasagne o l'intera coppa di tiramisù senza la minima remora.
Ma se ho per le mani uno di quei barattoli di gelato che si comprano al supermercato, quelli da mezzo chilo che sono perfetti quando cominciano a sciogliersi un pochino ai bordi, e, un cucchiaino dopo l'altro, sciogliendosi sempre di più, arrivano alla fine con grande stupore del proprietario del cucchiaino, che mai mai mai avrebbe voluto mangiare tanto, in quei casi lì dopo la maialata provo un gran senso di colpa, materializzato in una sensazione fastidiosa in bocca, la sensazione della patina di grasso lasciata dal gelato.
Per questo c'è una facile spiegazione: i cibi di alta qualità, fatti in casa come Iddio comanda, per quanto possano essere calorici ed eccessivi non avranno mai quel surplus di grasso industriale che si trova, appunto, nei cibi industriali. Che non sono necessariamente malvagi, anzi spesso sono più che decorosi, ma dopo un certo quantitativo ti ricordano inesorabilmente le loro umili origini.

FINE DELLA PREMESSA, ADESSO SI PARLA DEL LIBRO
Ho letto questo libro in pochi giorni, con una rapidità per me inconsueta, dovuta alla perfetta scorrevolezza della scrittura. Si va avanti che è un piacere, cinquanta pagine durante la pausa pranzo, un centinaio prima di dormire, sempre con il gusto di scoprire che cosa succederà, e si arriva alla fine in un attimo. Che bella lettura!
Però, dopo l'abbuffata, arriva la sensazione fastidiosa.
Sì, è una bella storia, anzi, le belle storie sono due o tre, intrecciate intorno al protagonista narratore: ma, arrivata la fine, spuntano le domandine impertinenti che - come la patina di grasso del gelato industriale - erano rimaste nascoste fino a quel momento: ma può mai nascere un legame così profondo fra due persone che non solo non si sono mai viste, non solo sono divise da una quarantina di anni di età, ma si sono solo sentite al telefono una decina di volte? E la storia con l'amante che se n'è andato ma non poi del tutto ma forse ci amiamo ancora ma devi lasciarmi i miei spazi ma ti sarò sempre legato ma devo vedermi con altri, ce la dovevamo proprio sorbire? Non è stata già scritta qualche centinaio di volte, suscitando giustificatissimo fastidio?
E il rapporto con il vecchio padre? Egoista e geniale, malato e vitale, forte e debole, anaffettivo e affettuoso? Per l'amor del cielo!
Sono stata cattiva: il libro è migliore di come l'ho descritto, se non altro perché è scritto bene. Però la colloocazione del narratore ben al di sopra delle righe di una emotività adulta, la sua perenne prossimità alle lacrime, la sua incapacità di prendere le distanze (è l'amante fuggiasco, molto più lucido di lui, a suggerirgli che qualche cosa non torna) lo rendono stucchevole in più di una pagina. Avrei preferito qualche lacrima in meno e un po' di spazio in più all'aspetto misterioso della vicenda. Ma si sa, io sono un cuore di pietra.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This might have got 5 stars if it hadn't been for the ending. Once I picked it up, I couldn't bear tom put it down, I became so engrossed in the plotline and the mystery as to whether or not this boy really existed. For me, fiction is at its best when the characters speak to something inside you and you can empathise with them and they become real. You don't have to LIKE them, but you have to care about what happens. I don't have to have everything tied up and bundled into a neat little parcel, labelled "The End", but I have to be carried along on the journey.

But, I AM a grown-up and not altogether unintelligent; for example, I don't send birthday cards to soap characters and never sent a letter to Steve McDonald, berating him for the way he was treating Becky - I KNOW they're just characters and actors playing a part. So the final chapter of this book, with its sledgehammer-like insistence that this was just a story, made up and written down, was like the literary equivalent of Brian Connolly shouting, "It's a PUPPET!", only not as funny! Given that the film that was made of the book proudly declares itself to be based on real events, yet, because of the medium, has to take a stand one way or the other as to whether or not the boy is real, the book is probably closer to the truth and less of a fiction than the film script. So, the final chapter feels, from an author more known for his humanity and inclusivity, (if not sentimentality at times,)like a real slap across the face.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I watched the movie a lot when I was a teen, it had more of a creepy vibe to it. This is more bittersweet and kind of heartbreaking. Amistead Maupin is a great storyteller, so I'm more interested in Tales of the City now.

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

A psychological drama (billed as a psychological thriller, but definitely not a thriller in my opinion) that's equal parts weird and mundane. Gabriel Noone, a writer who has gained fame through a radio serialisation of his stories, is sent a copy of a harrowing memoir written by a young boy who has suffered serious sexual abuse and is dying of AIDS. Moved by the story, he starts to talk to the boy, Pete, on the phone and the two develop a close relationship, seeing themselves as father and son. However, all is not as it seems with Pete and his adoptive mother Donna, and Gabriel's quest for the truth leads him to trek through the snow to Pete's remote home. The story about Pete is also used as a backdrop for Gabriel's musings on the state of his relationship (his husband Jess has just left him - temporarily?) and his family, particularly his father.

The smallest amount of research into this book reveals it is a roman à clef, based on a real 'misery memoir' believed to be a hoax (that of Anthony Godby Johnson) which the author himself was taken in by. This story is itself pretty fascinating, and Maupin's account of it in this novel had me turning the pages to find out what the outcome would be; consequently, this was a quick, engrossing read. But I never quite felt that the Pete story and the narrator's diversions into other topics fitted together properly. There are whole chapters just about Gabriel's parents or his anguish over Jess leaving, and these can be frustrating when you're eager to find out what will happen next with Pete. I feel the book would probably have worked better as a novella purely about Pete and the potential hoax; the story is mainly memorable because of its link to a real-life case.

[Pascale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knowing nothing of Maupin and even less of Anthony Godby Johnson, I read this book without any preconceptions and enjoyed it thoroughly, up until Pete's last phone call to the narrator, which seemed to me one twist too many. At some level, this story reminded me of Walter Kirn's "Blood Will Out", in that both books explore how a minor celebrity with lots of emotional baggage finds himself compelled to believe an unbelievable story. In this case, Maupin's alter ego Gabriel Noone falls hook line and sinker for the story of Pete Lomax, a precocious 13 year old who is supposed to have survived tremendous abuse at the hands of his parents, and been rescued by a psychologist called Donna. When Gabriel's former lover Jess and his accountant Anna start doubting the existence of Pete, whom nobody has ever met, Gabriel's world is thrown in turmoil. At this point in his life, with unresolved issues with his own father weighing him down and his break-up causing severe writer's block, Gabriel has let Pete become his new focus. Against mounting evidence that Pete is just a very weird hoax, Gabriel forges ahead and tries to locate the boy in snow-bound Wysong, rather than calling it quits or at least doing the rounds of hospitals in Milwaukee, where Pete is supposed to be receiving treatment for HIV. Maupin really knows how to draw his reader into this maze and exploring issues of emotional neediness and manipulation. The one character I found disappointing is Donna, whose motivation in making up Pete is never addressed.

[Ruby Grad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area while Armistead Maupin was publishing Tales of the City in serialized form. I'm huge fan of it and all of its sequels, as well as the series made from them. So I was very curious to read . I liked it, but not as much, perhaps because I have a somewhat linear mind, and this book wasn't nearly as straightforward as the others by him that I've read. And I didn't find the characters as well drawn. But I still liked it a lot. It's an interesting story and the characters are well enough drawn to keep my interest and want to know what happens to them.

[Joanne Olszewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book held my interest. Armistead Maupin is a really good author. It also gave me insight to the life of a gay man in a straight world. It is a mystery novel that held me to the end.

[Ava · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit confused at the end, but I have a better understanding and appreciation for the story after I realized it’s based on a real story. I love Armistead Maupin and this book feels so personal and authentic to him. I thought it was going to be a thriller but it was really just a sentimental story about a hard time in his life. The creepiest part though is that the mystery in this book is a real ongoing mystery, and it’s crazy that it actually all happened to him. I would have loved a more resolved ending, I hope one day we’ll get one.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/4 ⭐

Coinvolgente, scorrevole, piacevole da leggere. Il film che ne è stato tratto – con Robin William, Toni Collette e Rory Culkin – ha un'atmosfera particolarissima. Ne consiglio la visione, in quanto va, dal mio punto di vista, a colmare i buchi nella trama del libro.

[Freddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is solid - the plot and characters are well-formed. The novel gets pretty deep and personal in some parts and I even find myself resonating with some passages. That said, I find the mystery boy plot (which is the main plot) less interesting than the MC's personal development and relationship with his partner and father.

[elio · Rating 5 out of 5]

damn that was beautiful but i have so many fucking questions (i needed this book at this moment)

[Tracey- Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been such a different read for me. What attracted me originally to the book was the cover , a radio tower standing out on a starry night. Then I read the back of the book cover and this sounded a very powerful read and I was not disappointed.
I liked Armistead Maupin style of writing , it flowed easily with a poetic style that kept me interested as he developed his characters over the page.
The connection between Gabriel and Pete was rather emotional and brought so much to the story , it also caused Gabriel to reevaluate his life and relationships . The growth of his character was integral to the plot of the book , and I liked him more for it as you saw him change over the pages.
There were some moments that brought a lump to your throat, the one that comes to mind is the moment Gabriel finds out that Pete died, that was a shock for him and the reader as you felt the emotions of not only Gabriel but also Pete’s mother . That scene was very powerful and heartbreaking to read at the same time , but it was written with such sympathy by the author that impressed me as a reader.
I will definitely read more of this author’s work now that I have discovered his books as I think I will like them hopefully as much as this one.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

his isn't part of Maupin's Tales of the City series, though one character has a supporting role and a few others are mentioned. But, the feel of this book is very different. Unfortunately, I can't describe this book without divulging spoilers. Let me just say that it's an interesting story and you will either love or hate the ending. I liked the ending but I can see how some might go the other way on it.

The characters are very compelling. Maupin kept me guessing until the end and it was a definite page turner.

Because it's not part of the Tales series, you don't need to have read those to enjoy this. If you have, you'll get a chuckle when you come across the references, but if you haven't read them, that won't detract at all from the story.

[Ali Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not one of the Tales of the City books but equally brilliant. A real mystery and a great ending, about which I will say no more.

[Dmitry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Гэбриэл Нун — известный радиоведущий собственного литературного шоу, практически фикшн-подкастер до эпохи подкастов — переживает кризис и писательский блок. От него ушел любимый ВИЧ-позитивный муж после 10 лет отношений (терапия начала работать, он перестал бояться умереть от СПИДа и захотел расправить крылышки) и не ладятся отношения с эмоционально холодным отцом. Ради бл��рба издатель присылает ему рукопись мемуаров 13-летнего Пита, пострадавшего от многолетнего сексуального насилия со стороны родителей и умирающего от осложнений, вызванных СПИДом. Пит живет с приёмной матерью Донной и фанатеет от шоу Нуна. В восторге от рукописи, Гэбриэл звонит мальчику и так завязывается их долгая дружба по телефону, нагруженная отцовско-сыновним комплексом. Правда, голоса Пита и Донны подозрительно похожи, а мальчика, кроме самой Донны, никто не видел.

В промежутке между частями саги Tales of the City Армистед Мопин написал роман, основанный на собственном 14-месячном опыте общения в 1993 году по телефону с маленьким автором мемуаров о насилии — Энтони Годби Джонсоном. Про него есть статья в Википедии, из которой понятно, что мальчика придумала и за него говорила его предполагаемая приемная мать Вики. Был ли это пример сознательной литературной мистификации (как кейс ДжейТи ЛеРоя) или диссоциативного расстройства личности, до сих пор неизвестно: Вики умерла и вместе с собой "похоронила" мальчика.

Однако, насколько бы роман ни был укоренён в авторском опыте (в Гэбриэле явно виден сам Мопин), The Night Listener — это не сюжет расследования, не тру-крайм и не триллер. Мопин строит сложную психологическую игру, головоломку, битву рацио и желания героя верить в сконструированный образ. Гэбриэл, всю жизнь рассказывавший истории, где искусство имитирует жизнь, сам попадает в ловушку имитации, но если поначалу он жаждет кульминации — едет искать Донну, — то постепенно приходит к мысли, что реальность мальчика не так уж важна, потому что испытанные им чувства были реальны, как были реальны и вечера, проведенные за терапевтическими разговорами по телефону: о муже, о детстве, об умерших от СПИДа друзьях, о родителях. (Это юнгианский подход к привидениям: совершенно не важно, существуют ли привидения, но важно, что откликается внутри человека, "видевшего" их, что рождается внутри.) Так глобально Мопин написал роман не о литературной мистификации, а об отношениях главного героя с тремя мужчинами его жизни: "сыном" в образе Пита, партнером в образе бывшего парня, и собственным отцом.

Отдельно стоит сказать, что роман в 2006 был экранизирован — совершенно ужасно, если учесть, какие актеры там старались (Робин Уильямс, Тони Коллетт, Сандра О). Лишенный визуальной определенности роман, выстроенный на внутренних монологах героя, постоянно заигрывающий на сомнениях читателя, перенести на экран оказалось невозможно: картинка требовала образа и ясности. В результате зритель постоянно оказывался на несколько шагов впереди героя, в роли наблюдателя, которому всё известно, тогда как на экране старательно изображали саспенс.

PS. Мопин пишет очень легко, без проседаний темпа, постоянно держит интригу и добавляет уместного юмора, так что если вам хотелось познакомиться с современным классиком американского квир-лита, а впрягаться в "Городские истории" лень, то The Night Listener — отличный вариант.

[Bert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m constantly surprised by Armistead Maupin and what a truly great writer and storyteller he is. This is the last of his novels that I have to read after the 9 Tales of the City books and the standalone novel Maybe The Moon, and I have to say that I think I saved the best for last.

The Night Listener is a fantastic story, so expertly written and crafted. It shows just what a talented writer Mr Maupin is that he can write a series of books like TOFC, and then switch gears and write something so completely different, and do it so effortlessly, while still retaining his author voice and style. With this book you have the central mystery of a man and his friendship with a young boy and his mother, not all is what it seems there, and you also have the inner workings of the man’s life and the people around him. The 2 different plots intertwine and work cohesively so damn well, just fantastic writing from a writer who knows exactly what he’s trying to say and how to say it.

Supposedly this is based on a true story, I looked up the real story of what it’s based on and it’s pretty crazy stuff, not the easiest or most interesting subject matter for a novel, yet in Mr Maupin’s hands it is moulded into such an enthralling mystery that I was desperate to get to the end. I really liked that Mr Maupin didn’t go the direction that so many modern mystery novelists go and make it gimmicky with so many big twists, there is a twist that’s for sure but if you’re reading carefully the author has basically drip-fed you the outcome from the get go.

Bravo Armistead Maupin. I just love him, I reckon he would be in my top 5 favourite authors. One of the very best writers and storytellers I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I’m a little sad though, I’ve now read all of his fiction, whatever I read next just won’t compare.

[Sipovic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Популярный радиоведущий состоит в виртуальной дружбе с умирающим мальчиком, пережившим абьюз от родителей, и, написавшим об этом мемуары, начинает подозревать, что ребёнка не существует.
После фильма с Робином Уильямсом, ознакомился с первоисточником, чтобы понять, почему экранная версия так очевидно на материале буксовала. И прочитав, всё стало на свои места, поскольку экранизация оказалась во многом книге вопреки, ведь кино было снято саспенс триллером с некоторым количеством гей-проблем, а "Ночной Слушатель" в бумаге - драма, с небольшой щепоткой загадки, причём не слишком хорошая.
Ключевой вопрос - настоящий ли малец Армистеда Мопина волнует лишь в контексте личности героя романа, которого, поскольку история случилась с ним в реальности, он списал...с себя. И протагонист вышел из него плохой, и дело не в ориентации, а в том, что, стремясь к правдоподобности, литератор перегнул палку. Его почти шестидесятилетнее альтер эго - дерганый, нервный и неуверенный в себе как подросток человек, эгоистичный и при этом доверчивый до глупости, легко позволяющий собой крутить,  и страдающий от неподобающих по возрасту daddy issues, и это совершенно не соотносится с данными ему характеристиками умного писателя и ветерана Вьетнама. Собственно само активное "расследование", если можно это так назвать, занимает не больше страниц пятнадцати, уступая по важности как случайной связи героя с дальнобойщиком, которой он, приехав на поиски смертельно больного пацана, зовущего его по телефону "папой", немедленно предаётся в первом же мужском туалете провинциального городка, так и сцене, в которой он лежит в обнимку со своим престарелым отцом-расистом, завершая их конфликт. Но самое удивительное тут то, что разгадать свой ребус автор так и не удосужился, подразумевая, что это не так важно, в отличие от его бесконечной рефлексии.

[Prima Seadiva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook, read well by the author.
I had not read any Maupin for years so long ago I have forgotten most of Tales of the City except that I mostly liked it.
I really enjoyed this book until about 2/3 of the way through, when the plot though based on a purportedly true story, just took a silly turn and for that I'd drop half a star.
Honestly the main character just behaved stupidly in a way, to me, only the well to do could. Taking off impulsively on a car trip from S.F. to the midwest (in a snowy winter) to find why Pete did not answer his calls is something only a person with lots of time and money could do. I have a friend who I have not been able to get in contact with for a couple of years but there is no way I could just take off go to where I last knew they were and track them down.
And the whole scene with Donna in the diner and snow, jeesh. Without giving spoilers, for me the story lost a lot of credibility at that point. It doesn't seem to have bothered a lot of readers but it got in the way for me.

[Shane Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an odd book for spoiler reasons. I would not recommend it, but I can't really explain without spoiling the book.

Fiction frequently relies on the reader's suspension of disbelief, and this book's plot relies on messing with the reader's suspension of disbelief. I didn't like the way that it was done. The author doesn't simply provide an unreliable narrator in a story of unreliable narrators, the author attempts to recreate and amplify the experience of something that happened to him in real life.

[Bryce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it but I had a few problems with the ending, I feel like everything from the 87 percent mark to 95 percent point could've been cut out, especially considering what happens in the afterword. I also really enjoyed how this connected to the Tales of The City series.

My only other problem is the way that the main character's father is written, I know he's not suppose to be a good person but he didn't have to say the N word so many times throughout the book.

[Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up completely on a whim from someone in my apartment building for a couple of euro. Made me cry. 5/5 stars.

Longer review: This book made me reflect a lot on my relationships with people and my expectations of love. Maupin writes the most beautiful things about what we expect from love: love with your whole heart, love deeply, love without the expectation of anything in return. Love because you love, not because you want to be loved, or want to be someone's only love, or want your love reciprocated in a particular way. Love because you're human, and it's what we do. That's what I took from this book. And I am forever grateful that I picked it up.

[Shelley Eriksen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Menh. Found the writing lacked any sparkle, and the neediness of the protagonist was a turn-off. I'm all for the wounded/fucked-up narrator, but Noone felt like an emotional hypochondriac. I'd heard Maupin was a clever and entertaining writer but found the asides and humor just... twee. Jejeune, even.

[Addy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a really weird book and I didn't know where the hell it was going. I'm still kind of confused... not about the book, or how it ended, but how to properly review it and how I feel about it. It was definitely interesting, I can say that much. 🤔🤨

[Daniel Reeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gripped me from start to finish.

The Night Listener is written gracefully and vividly. It’s a mind-bending mystery and a realistic, and refreshing, look at unique relationships. I found myself thinking about the lives of others in ways I never had before.

I need to find someone to discuss that ending with, though!

[Farrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prob 3.5. Definite page turner from the start, good writing, quick read but not super jazzed about the ending.

[Coenraad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wanneer 'n mens 'n stromende verkoue het (oë tranerige jellie, neus 'n waterval, ens), is lees mos 'n onmoontlikheid, 'n straf. Jy wag tot jy sterker voel voor jy jou bedrus daarvoor begin gebruik. Maar dit is slegs waar as jy die verkeerde boek in die hande het: ten spyte van die swaarste verkoue in maande het Maupin se THE NIGHT LISTENER my saans uit die slaap gehou, my snags besig gehou wanneer ek ongemaklik wakker word, en my in my energielose toestand voortgedryf tot ek die roman van 344 bladsye binne enkele dae verslind het.

Maupin stel Gabriel Noone aan die woord, 'n skrywer wat kort, gemoedelike stukkies skryf en oor die radio voorlees en 'n stem vir die rustige, behoudende element in die gay gemeenskap geword het. 'n Uitgewersvriend stuur aan hom 'n manuskrip van 'n dertienjarige seun. Hierin vertel die seun Pete 'n verhaal só verskriklik, maar met só 'n sterk ontwikkelde skryfvermoë, dat Gabriel totaal ontroer word. Hy en Pete begin mekaar bel, veral in die klein ure van die nag.

En dit is nie alleen Pete wat baat by die middeljarige Gabriel se lewenswysheid nie; aangesien Gabriel se lewe en die aannames waarop dit gebaseer is, stadig maar seker om hom lostrek, is Pete dikwels 'n vraagsteller wat Gabriel by belangrike insigte uitbring - omtrent Jesse, sy metgesel van meer as 'n dekade wat onlangs uit die huis getrek het; omtrent Gabriel se verhouding met sy eie pa, suster en stiefma; omtrent die manier waarop hy waarlik die lewe bejeën. Maar miskien trek dinge nie werklik los nie: miskien begin hulle bloot hul ware kleure toon.

THE NIGHT LISTENER is 'n roman à clef (wat lekker as Wikipedia jou slim kan laat klink!) - 'n roman met 'n sleutel. Die sleutel is dat die roman voorgee om fiksioneel te wees, maar dit is maklik om die verwantskap met die feitelike en bewysbare werklikheid aan te toon. Gaan lees gerus oor die literêre loopbaan van Anthony Godby Johnson - ek het iewers in die 1990's sy boek A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE gelees, ten diepste geskok oor die mens se vermoë om boos te wees. Het ek voor die lees van Maupin se boek al geweet my verstomming moet eintlik wees met hoe die mens betower word deur boosheid? Ewenwel, Maupin speel 'n ondersteunende rol in die Godby Johnson-saga.

Benewens roman à clef is THE NIGHT LISTENER 'n metaroman, 'n verhaal wat sigself skryf voor die oë van die leser. Hierdie narratief oor twee skrywer-psiges wat by mekaar aanklank vind, kon natuurlik nie eintlik iets anders wees nie, en daar word jakkalsdraaiend met jou kop gesmokkel, liewe leser. Wanneer jy agterkom die skrywer manipuleer darem nou, vra jouself af: Watter skrywer? Maupin? Of eerder Noone? Miskien Pete?

Nes jy dink die teks is klaar omdat daar staan THE END, is daar nog 'n Afterword deur GN. En sodra jy dink dié paar bladsye sluit alles netjies af, erken AM in die Acknowledgements die hulp van die uitsonderlike Britse skrywer Patrick Gale met die ontrafeling van sy eie verlede sodat hy dit kon fiksionaliseer.

Jy maak dus die boek uitasem toe en wag op beterskap - en 'n herleeskans.

Ja-ja, as verwysings na enkele (redelik oppervlakkige) gay sekspraktyke jou laat gril, gaan verby - maar gaan voel skuldig in die hoekie oor al die gedetailleerde straight seks wat ek al in my lewe moes deurmaak om literêr te kon saampraat. Die lewe is meer kompleks as jou ervaring!

Die vyf sterre vir THE NIGHT LISTENER is anders as my vyf sterre vir Maupin se TALES OF THE CITY-reeks. Dáár was dit onder meer vir Maupin se status as "gay warm fuzzy" - sy politieke standpunt om in die Amerikaanse kultuurkookpot van die 1970's ook gay mense se alledaagse ervarings, ekstases en mislukkings in te roer - natuurlik sou hy geen indruk gemaak het as hy 'n swak skrywer was nie.

Maar hier, nog meer as vroeër, bewys Maupin hom as meester van die woord, beeld, sin, dialoog en karakter (kyk na die vernuftige skakel met TALES!). Meer nog: hy is meester van die moontlikheid, van potensiaal. En dít maak THE NIGHT LISTENER vir my so opwindend.

[Armistead Maupin's THE NIGHT LISTENER links in a small way with his famous TALES OF THE CITY sequence, but is a story of a different kind: it fictionalises an event in his life with which it would have been difficult to deal. In the process he forges a complicated metanarrative about writers and writing, playing virtuoso games with the reader. Highly satisfying, seriously recommended.]