Review of Beach Reading By Mark Abramson
A New Gay Fiction Book Series By Publisher Lethe Press
The first instalment in Mark Abramson’s Beach Reading series from gay book publisher Lethe Press is a tale firmly invested in San Francisco’s gay culture and has a charm because of this that is evident from the first lively page to the defiant last.
The Plot of Gay Fiction Book Beach Reading
Beach Reading sees protagonist Tim Snow, an a-typical gay man, pitched against a homophobic pastor who’s coming tour to protest against homosexuality coincides with a party for one of the biggest gay icons in San Francisco’s history.
Beach Reading offers up a camp bevy of drugs, sexual encounters and a smattering of coincidences that in this gay fiction book then pivot on a link to Tim’s past which catapults him into a very serious discovery of child exploitation and what turns out to be little more than a travelling cult and religious scam.
Narrative and Tone in Mark Abramson's Beach Reading
Mark Abramson’s writing is lively, and his characters extremely vivid. Especially entertaining are the allusions to Tim Snow’s constantly absent ex Jason, who, as the man that went before, is always the yard-stick by which all other lovers are measured. This isn't a gay romance book, but as many stories are prone to do, it does touch on romance as a theme.
Another well drawn character is Vanessa, a pot pushing old lady that Tim meets accidentally on a tram one day and who, if Tim wasn’t a hard user of dope before, certainly was by the time he quit her acquaintance at the end of Beach Reading.
Also, Corey, whom Tim also has a brief affair with, is a refreshingly youthful and exuberant presence that brings out the best in Tim and pulls him from the sometimes dower mood Mark Abramson allows his character to dawdle in. Gay book publisher Lethe Press should be praised here for their commitment to editing and releasing challenging and quality fiction, which Beach Reading certainly is.
The Central Concept of Gay Fiction Book Beach Reading
There are a great many ideas in the subtext of Mark Abramson’s gay fiction book, but the story's core development hinges on Tim’s rise to action and his attempts at stopping the fraudulent preacher from extolling his anti-gay message and invading the gay paradise that San Francisco is portrayed as in Beach Reading.
The story arc of Beach Reading is constructed believably, although, on occasion, fortuity seems to smile a little too favourably on Tim, and certain characters switch allegiance to push to the culmination of the story in a way that is, perhaps, a little too quick. That being said, the pace is otherwise good and Mark Abramson shows a deft ability to get to the heart of each chapter quickly and confidently.
The Difficulty of Mark Abramson's Main Character in Beach Reading
There were some difficulties in creating a character like Tim Snow. A HIV positive, pot smoking, sexually liberal gay waiter is a cliché. Attempts to avoid this include Tim’s curious precognitive ability which is mentioned in the very first few chapters but, far from even being a plot device in this novel, is used sparsely and in fact seems rather arbitrary.
It appears, however, that this is a set-up for future instalments of the gay fiction book series, so this is something that can be forgiven. Also, Mark Abramson’s much-used character outline serves to emphasise the nature of Beach Reading, which is really about an average man who manages to do something extraordinary with the help of other people around him who care enough to make a difference.
To this end, Mark Abramson manages to create an endearing character out of Tim Snow and also overcomes some slightly laboured dialogue with his wit and intelligent use of very unique supporting characters that sparkle every time they enter the scene, making this book a credit to gay book publisher Lethe Press.
(Paperback: 196 pages; Publisher: Lethe Press; Published: July 15, 2008; ISBN-10: 1590211391;
ISBN-13: 978-1590211397)
Gay Fiction Book Beach Reading
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