Hello, booktalk pipz!

I just wanted to know what each of you think about books that contain homosexual relationships or books that discuss homosexuality or fiction books where some characters are homosexuals.

I thought it would be a interesting topic since one of my favorite books is Hero by Perry Moore.

Here's the link if you wanna know what it's about. It's a nice book and the chief protagonist is gay. But he's a really awesome character.

http://perrymoorestories.com/content/hero.asp?id=praise

Besides, I'm curious as to how people see this "side" of life portrayed in books.

I haven't really thought about that much, but I think a good book is always a good book. I don't know if people tend enjoy books more when they can closely identify with the protagonists, but that doesn't seem to be the case with me. I'm a woman, but I don't look for or particularly like books that are supposed to focus on mainly female experiences. On the other hand, I'm not gay, but I loved Allan Hollinghurst's "The line of beauty". I think some other of his books are also thought to be very good, like "The swimming pool library".

One of my favorite characters was Vanyel from Magic's Promise/Pawn/Price trilogy. His being gay added a dynamic to the story, it was interesting.

Interbane wrote:One of my favorite characters was Vanyel from Magic's Promise/Pawn/Price trilogy. His being gay added a dynamic to the story, it was interesting.

is the trilogy a fantasy? it would be real cool if it was. most fantasy, adventure books rarely have homosexual characters. i guess it's because the audience is mostly is kids, but for the high fantasy and wickedly good books, such issues should not be suppressed.

That only book I know of that includes a homosexual is City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare and I'm currently reading it. I don't think that it matters much but in the book I'm reading he keeps it hushed because not many of they're kind think it's acceptable.

uod_sa_libro wrote:

Interbane wrote:One of my favorite characters was Vanyel from Magic's Promise/Pawn/Price trilogy. His being gay added a dynamic to the story, it was interesting.

is the trilogy a fantasy? it would be real cool if it was. most fantasy, adventure books rarely have homosexual characters. i guess it's because the audience is mostly is kids, but for the high fantasy and wickedly good books, such issues should not be suppressed.

The trilogy is fantasy, and it was written by Mercedes Lackey. I have to agree that Vanyel is an awesome character, and his well written homosexuality only added to the story.

The mindlessness of this topic lies in the belief that the complex human condition can be redacted into either male or female based on genitalia. I recommend you read "Man Woman Boy Girl by Dr. Money a pediatric gynecologist whose job for 25 years at the Boston General Hospital was to try to figure out "what" an infant with a male torso and female genitalia should be plumbed to become. His book is his heart wrenching account of how many of his patients came to him 20 years later saying they were a girl in a man's body or vice versa. Dealing with this subject as you are describing is topical relying on the historical, religious dogma of the past which because of male dominance redacted the human condition into male and female based on genitalia.

Check out the "mindless posts" and maybe have some fun. L

Lawrence wrote:The mindlessness of this topic lies in the belief that the complex human condition can be redacted into either male or female based on genitalia. I recommend you read "Man Woman Boy Girl by Dr. Money a pediatric gynecologist whose job for 25 years at the Boston General Hospital was to try to figure out "what" an infant with a male torso and female genitalia should be plumbed to become. His book is his heart wrenching account of how many of his patients came to him 20 years later saying they were a girl in a man's body or vice versa. Dealing with this subject as you are describing is topical relying on the historical, religious dogma of the past which because of male dominance redacted the human condition into male and female based on genitalia.

Check out the "mindless posts" and maybe have some fun. L

Um... why did you post this 4 times...?

In my opinion, the homosexual characters define the book. I think that including homosexuality in books, and saying that it's not a bad thing is a good way to make real life homosexuals feel better about themselves. Though it does seem like authors always make them guys instead of girls.

Lawrence wrote:The mindlessness of this topic lies in the belief that the complex human condition can be redacted into either male or female based on genitalia.

I don't think you can call this topic "mindless" because we discuss what people think. And that's why we discuss this because some people do believe that "the complex human condition can be redacted into either male or female based on genitalia."

I recommend you read "Man Woman Boy Girl" by Dr. Money Dealing with this subject as you are describing is topical relying on the historical, religious dogma of the past which because of male dominance redacted the human condition into male and female based on genitalia.

Anyway, yeah, I'll check that book out....

I'm in a Gay Lit course and I like looking at the novels assigned in context to the time they were written. Such as Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin. There's not a lot of details describing intimacy between David and Giovanni. This is less because Baldwin wanted it so then because the publisher asked him to make it less graphic. And, from the presentation in class, there was hardly anything graphic in the first draft.

However, if you're asking whether gay romance stories interest or disinterest me more than straight romance stories, I have to say not really. I like any good story between two people. If it's complicated, witty, and all-around good writing, then it's being gay or straight has no consequence to me.