Disorderly Men: A Novel
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 226 ratings
Price: 13.62
Last update: 12-22-2024
About this item
ONE OF QUEER FORTY'S BEST PRIDE READS FOR SUMMER 2023!
2023 Best Indie Book Award Winner for LGBTQ+ Fiction!
Gold Medal Finalist for 2024 Independent Publisher Book Awards for LGBTQ+ Fiction
Three gay men in pre-Stonewall New York City find their fates thrown together in the police raid of a Village bar.
Roger Moorhouse is a Wall Street banker and Westchester family man with a preciously guarded secret. As the shouting begins and flashlights blaze in his face, the life he’s carefully curated over the years―a fancy new office overlooking lower Broadway, a house in Beechmont Woods, his wife and children―is about to come crashing down around him.
Columbia literature professor Julian Prince lives a comparatively uncloseted life when he finds his first committed relationship tested to its limits. How could he explain to Gus, a fearless young artist, that he couldn’t stay with him that weekend because the woman who was still technically Julian’s fiancée would be visiting? But when Gus is struck unconscious by a police baton, Julian comes out of hiding to protect him, even if exposure means losing everything.
For Danny Duffy, an Irish kid from the Bronx with a sassy mouth and a diverse group of friends, the raid is a galvanizing, Spartacus moment. Danny doesn’t have too much left to lose; his family has just disowned him. But once his name appears in the newspaper, he’ll be fired from his job at Sloan’s Supermarket, where he’s risen to assistant manager of produce, and begin a journey that veers between political enlightenment and violent revenge.
The three men find themselves in a police wagon together, their hidden lives threatened to be revealed to the world. Blackmail, a private investigator, Gus’s disappearance, and Danny’s quest for retribution propel Disorderly Men to its piercing conclusion, as each man meets the boundaries of his own fear, love, and shame. The stakes for each are different, but all of them confront a fundamental question: How much happiness is he allowed to have . . . and what share of it will he lay claim to?
Top reviews from the United States
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read.
4.0 out of 5 stars A thought provoking journey that can help start good conversations
Taking place in New York City (pre stonewall), we follow the interwoven stories of 3 gay men who all happened to be in the same bar that was raided by police. Each character faces the same challenges but in different aspects. The writing was beautiful and very though provoking. Seeing things through the different perspectives prompted me to really sit and think about the history, bigotry, and the deeply embedded roots of hate and what led to their further watering.
I would definitely recommend this and feel this is better experienced rather than me attempting to type out all the little details and thoughts I had after reading.
5.0 out of 5 stars Next book club read for sure
Three things in particular really stood out. First, the characters were very appealing and truly came to life for me. From frustration and fear to compassion and love, the depth of feeling and experience of each was very compelling.
The second thing I loved was the unfolding of the story. Once I started reading, I did not want to put it down. I especially liked how all of the small details regarding that period of time were woven in seamlessly. Some of those details are of course are well known, but others came as a surprise to me (although not really surprising), such as how newspapers printed lists of the names of gay men. Our past in this country is just so atrocious.
The third thing, and this is a big thing for me, was that the ending was very satisfying. Some authors drop off the cliff with their endings. This one was great. Equal parts sad, realistic, and hopeful. That is exactly how it should’ve ended. It felt just right.
Final, final … definitely worth the read.