Present About Books An Arrow's Flight
| Title | : | An Arrow's Flight |
| Author | : | Mark Merlis |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 384 pages |
| Published | : | September 24th 1999 by Stonewall Inn Editions (first published August 1st 1998) |
| Categories | : | LGBT. Fiction. Historical. Historical Fiction. Gay. Fantasy. Mythology |
Mark Merlis
Paperback | Pages: 384 pages Rating: 3.94 | 796 Users | 73 Reviews
Rendition To Books An Arrow's Flight
The award-winning An Arrow's Flight tells the story of the Trojan War and Pyrrhus, the son of the fallen Achilles, now working as a go-go boy and hustler in the big city. Magically blending ancient headlines and modern myth, Merlis creates a fabulous new world where legendary heroes declare their endowments in personal ads and any panhandler may be a divinity in disguise. Comical, moving, startling in its audacity and range, An Arrow's Flight is a profound meditation on gay identity, straight power, and human liberation.
Define Books Conducive To An Arrow's Flight
| Original Title: | An Arrow's Flight |
| ISBN: | 0312242883 (ISBN13: 9780312242886) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Literary Awards: | Lambda Literary Award for Gay Men's Fiction (1998) |
Rating About Books An Arrow's Flight
Ratings: 3.94 From 796 Users | 73 ReviewsWeigh Up About Books An Arrow's Flight
Merlis did well developing characters and blending the Trojan war with a modern urban world. Though his decision to use a contemporary attitude toward sexuality was very distracting for me, I can understand why he did so, and his use of metaphor was well-woven. His narrative attitude was enhanced by moments of direct address to the reader by the narrator, which provided perspective on the events and characters, and an awareness that made the book more enjoyable.There are good novels and there are really good novels; then there are a transcendent few that should be read by everyone. Too often these stories are not only not read by those cognizant of the very best stories gay literature has to offer, they aren't even known about. This is one of those novels. I stumbled across the author and his novel while Googling something like "The Top Ten Best Gay Novels Ever Written." Fortunately, I came across this site http://litreactor.com/columns/ten-gay... . I
Mark Merlis' "An Arrow's Flight" is a really interesting read. The narrative is built on the intriguing placement of the last years of the Trojan war in modern day, and basing the convoluted plot line on the proposition that Pyrrhus, son of Achilles, is a young gay man working as a hustler in the City.Although this is clearly a novel written in the first decade of the 21st century, all through "An Arrow's Flight" I kept thinking of the trailblazing gay novels of the 1980s, Andrew Holleran's
Inventive, entirely different to anything else I've read and historically intriguing.I can't say that I was gripped by it, nor that the main character was easy to like, but I developed a sense of admiration for his choices in the closing chapters, and I'd a fondness for Philoctetes. I've always had a soft spot for the tragic characters. If you're after something racy, this isn't it. The erotic scenes aren't scarce, but they don't seem to be written to titillate. In fact they seem to be
oh, wow. this is the most interesting thing i've ever seen anyone do with a greek myth. unique, clever, and somehow utterly right. masterfully written, with something of the beautiful, hypnotic cadence of epic poetry. it's so absorbing; startling and unexpected and yet completely convincing. honestly as much of a marvel as the iliad.
Man, that was awesome. Loved it.
OOF. Spoilers ahead. Even though the spoilers could conceivably be listed as part of the premise, it was my favorite discovery as I was reading. (here they come) I thought the AIDS metaphor was very clever. A little part of my brain sat up and thought "oh well done" when I realized what was happening. (I imagine this voice like a stodgy old English chap, readjusting his monocle and then golf clapping at the end of some recitation held in a small library somewhere in Cambridge. Well done good
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