Here, in no particular order, I’ll share my thoughts on the books I’ve been reading.
UK paperback cover
Lust
by Geoff Ryman
Published: 2001
Read by me: August 2008
Synopsis (from back cover): Michael Blasco is waiting for his train home when he spots gym instructor Tony, on whom he has a long-time crush. To Michael’s amazement, Tony strips then and there on the platform. Michael is even more astonished when Tony disappears.
Michael, it seems, has the ability to conjure anyone he fancies out of thin air. And they fancy him.
It couldn’t happen to a needier guy. Something went wrong in Michael’s past, something from which he never recovered. As he tests out the limits of his miracle, Michael calls up Johnny Weismuller, Lawrence of Arabia, Alexander the Great, Picasso, and even his younger self. In the process, he gets closer and closer to understanding and overcoming the heart of his own darkness.
Thoughts: For me, the best books are the ones that not only keep my attention and entertain me but also the ones I feel I can learn from. This is certainly one of those books. The premise–the fact that Michael can conjure copies of the people he crushes on for sexual purposes–sounds like a Saturday Night Live skit that will go on for too long. Thankfully, that’s not the case. Ryman kept me guessing at all times. Just when I thought the idea was going to run out of steam, he would take the story in a new direction that surprised me.
Ryman is masterful at keeping the language simple but insightful. He doesn’t get bogged down in unncessary details and creates fully-formed characters that we love, hate, and sometimes pity. The “something” that went wrong in Michael’s past is a big one and while it would be easy to despise Michael as a result, we instead sympathize with him and really, once all is revealed, come to understand the crux of the problems that have plagued him for years.
After reading this book, I immediately ordered an earlier work by Ryman, called WAS. It, too, promises to be as mesmerizing and brilliant as this book. Don’t let concerns about the subject matter (or the phallic cover illustrations) put you off: this one is highly recommended.
