An Arrow's Flight: A Novel [Paperback]

Mark Merlis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 24, 1999

The award-winning An Arrow's Flight tells the story of the Trojan War and Pyrrhus, the son of the fallen Achilles, now working as a go-go boy and hustler in the big city. Magically blending ancient headlines and modern myth, Merlis creates a fabulous new world where legendary heroes declare their endowments in personal ads and any panhandler may be a divinity in disguise. Comical, moving, startling in its audacity and range, An Arrow's Flight is a profound meditation on gay identity, straight power, and human liberation.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Mark Merlis, who debuted in 1995 with the marvelous American Studies, has once again worked magic, producing a book that is as momentous as it is mysteriously moving. Set during the Trojan War, An Arrow's Flight recounts the story of Achilles's son Pyrrhus, prophesied to be the soldier who conquered Troy. But Merlis's tale departs from the standard versions of the story: here, Pyrrhus is a go-go boy and hustler who lives in the demiworld of the gay ghetto and bears a closer resemblance to characters from John Rechy's City of Night than anybody in Edith Hamilton's Mythology. In its opening pages, An Arrow's Flight seems to be little more than a clever postmodern gag, but Merlis knows exactly what he is doing, and the novel quickly becomes a unique, emotionally overwhelming masterpiece. Merlis's historical and sexual sleights of hand end up thrilling and shocking by locating us somewhere between myth and history, between fiction and fable. The very themes and ideas of An Arrow's Flight shimmer and shift before our eyes: war, male friendship, Troy, AIDS, sexual identity, and Vietnam are all explored and elucidated. By the end, the novel resonates with beauty, intelligence, and empathy. --Michael Bronski --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

In a boldly conceived narrative of uncommon artistry, the author of American Studies succeeds in making the implausible not only plausible but probable as he wryly juxtaposes contemporary icons and lingo with long-familiar schoolbook characters. Bringing to vivid life in the late 20th century figures from Greek mythology, Merlis tells the story of Achilles' gay 21-year-old son, Pyrrhus, and how he comes to embrace a destiny that takes him far beyond the urban gay ghetto?and the half-hearted "job" of dancing nude and hustling?that he's resigned himself to. One-quarter divine, Pyrrhus not only possesses extraordinary beauty and the world's most lustrous red hair, but his sense of himself is unflappable in the face of mere mortals whose truncated imaginations can't fathom gay love. Themes of destiny, the quest for personal truth, the nature of love and desire, even the very contemporary issue of gays in the military are explored in spectacularly imaginative style. In addition to his deft use of language and narrative technique, Merlis's insight into human nature?the nature of gay men in particular?and his ability to find and articulate grace in the ordinary process of human exchange is remarkable. Among the many books written about AIDS and the gay experience, Merlis's novel is a stunning standout.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Stonewall Inn Editions; First Edition edition (September 24, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312242883
• ISBN-13: 978-0312242886
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #826,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No Summary Will Prepare You for How Truly Wonderful This Is, November 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: An Arrow's Flight (Hardcover)

I haven't been this impressed with a work of fiction in quite some time. Mark Merlis sets himself up to fail, with his idea of semi-updating the Trojan war, and then succeeds so wondrously. He catches the reader quickly with opening chapters that are funny, engaging, swift-moving (any man or woman who was ever young and confused will identify, but gay men in particular will laugh out loud) then deftly begins weaving in deeper themes. In some ways, his subject is the same as Homer's (or Shakespeare's, or just about any great writer's): what does it mean to be a man? His answer is slowly and beautifully revealed to the reader, as it is to his protagonist. The surprising ending (always the toughest part of a novel, especially for one this original) is so well done I turned the last pages in amazement. And heartbreak. Ignore this book at your peril. You won't make a better purchase this year.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BRILLIANT!, December 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: An Arrow's Flight: A Novel (Paperback)

"How did he do that!?" That's the thought that kept popping up in my head as I read this wonderful wonderful book.

The anachronisms are brilliantly funny & clever; Merlis is a pure genius & has written a perfect piece of literature. I highly recommend anyone to read this novel; particularly if you enjoy Greek mythology as I do... Merlis succeeds in humanizing these bigger-than-life characters...

A definite must-read!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic from a Classic, August 25, 2000

By 

Ricky Hunter (New York City, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Arrow's Flight: A Novel (Paperback)

I was interested in this book as I studied Classical Studies in university and I enjoy gay fiction. This seemed a fascinating combination for a book. I was more impressed than I expected to be. It was a nice spin on the many books that look at the period at the beginning of the AIDS crisis in that the reader does not immediately see the connection. The initial talk of gods and demigods and, god forbid, hemidemigods, sets one up for a different sort of story. One does not suspect that the story of the Fall of Troy can be used to show the meaning of being gay in such a contemporary way but that is the thrill of this novel. Pyrrhus and Philoctetes were superb choices to guide the reader through this novel but the joy also came from the minor characters who pop up fully formed throughout the novel, such as Admetus and Leucon. Too many gay novels contain a hero that is a beautiful and sexual god, in a metaphorical sense, that it is nice to see a novel where the hero (almost) is a god in a literal sense but somehow writtin all the more real for all of that.