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

  • MB
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great read.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2024
    Beautiful prose and nuanced chatacters. A wonderfully researched pre-Stonewall fiction that transcends time to feel important and universal. Mesmerizing and moving.
  • Kailey
    4.0 out of 5 stars A thought provoking journey that can help start good conversations
    Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2024
    "..still liked the idea of a worldwide general strike and had plans to give it more thought. But he was beginning to see that the real revolution would have to take place in apartments and detached houses everywhere, most of which were in need of serious reform"

    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.
  • KellyRae
    5.0 out of 5 stars Next book club read for sure
    Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2023
    I absolutely loved this book, and I’m going to insist that my book club read it!!

    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.
  • Orange Shelves
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant read
    Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2023
    The prose is exquisite -- not too flowery or too stark -- and Cahill's not afraid to tackle the most complex emotions. The plot is rich and provocative but the novel's strength is in its characters-- Danny, Julian, and Roger -- and because of them, it's a heartfelt page-turner. Like Rebecca Makkai's The Great Believers or Alice Winn's In Memoriam, Disorderly Men portrays tenderness between men--romantic and platonic--honestly and unflinchingly. Easily one of the best novels this year. Highly recommend.
  • David A
    5.0 out of 5 stars completely mesmerizing and compelling
    Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2024
    I loved the character development and the deep meaningful lives they led. The historical context was fascinating. I love this author and can’t wait to read more.
  • Robert J. Stone
    4.0 out of 5 stars A slow start and fuzzy wrap-up
    Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2024
    It took a while to engage with this book. But it is well intended and provides a nice window into LGBT history.
  • John Glorioso
    5.0 out of 5 stars An engaging history lesson
    Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2024
    Set in the generation just before my own, this story sets a convincing and entertaining picture of life for men loving men during a less liberated phase of society in the United States. By the story's end, I cared about the lives changed by one night's events and needed to postpone starting my next novel to finish with the relationship I had developed with this story's characters. Extremely well written and conveying a real sense of that time, I strongly recommend this book.
  • Rife Hughey
    3.0 out of 5 stars Poorly edited...
    Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2024
    POOR editing! A fun read, a good character romp all these years post-Stonewall, BUT poor editing. Some minor things were annoying; nothing should be minor. And TWICE (page 69 and page 318) the author incorrectly states that Mykonos is in the Adriatic Sea. Wrong! The Aegean.

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