Review: The Front Runner

The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren and Christian Rummel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

In 1975, coach Harlan Brown is hiding from his past at an obscure New York college, after he was fired from Penn State University on suspicion of being gay. A tough, lonely ex-Marine of 39, Harlan has never allowed himself to love another man.

Then Billy Sive, a brilliant young runner, shows up on his doorstep. He and his two comrades, Vince Matti and Jacques LaFont, were just thrown off a major team for admitting they are gay. Harlan knows that, with proper training, Billy could go to the '76 Olympics in Montreal. He agrees to coach the three boys under strict conditions that thwart Billy's growing attraction for his mature but compelling mentor.

This is one of the LGBT novels I chose because it is a classic. It is compelling and stays with you for the rest of your life. The focus on gay rights and injustice made this audiobook a slightly depressing lesson in history. Personally, I would have liked a happy ever after. 

The narration was all right.

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Review: The Charioteer

The Charioteer by Mary Renault and Joe Jameson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After enduring an injury at Dunkirk during World War II, Laurie Odell is sent to a rural veterans’ hospital in England to convalesce. There he befriends the young, bright Andrew, a conscientious objector serving as an orderly. As they find solace and companionship together in the idyllic surroundings of the hospital, their friendship blooms into a discreet, chaste romance. Then one day, Ralph Lanyon, a mentor from Laurie’s schoolboy days, suddenly reappears in Laurie’s life, and draws him into a tight-knit social circle of world-weary gay men. Laurie is forced to choose between the sweet ideals of innocence and the distinct pleasures of experience.

A classic gay novel, so I listened to the audiobook despite it being less fluffy than my usual book choices. And it was beautifully written with great characters. It focussed mostly on being gay in the 1940s in England so it was a bit somber. Narration was good. 

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