The Boys in the Brownstone [Paperback]

Kevin Scott (Author, Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2005

Alive and kicking with the ups and downs of the real world where gay men may be hot, funny, and fahionable but are also real men with jobs, families, and fears. With humor, heart, and a little bit of courage, they deal with the issues fo gay marriage, gays in the priesthood, AIDS, diversity, narcissism and lots more.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Melodrama is on the loose in this story of the gay patrons of the Brownstone, a watering hole that's "one part Carnival, two parts Bloomingdales." A snowy Christmas weekend finds Brazilian Roberto newly separated from his wife and heading to the Brownstone to revel in his newfound independence. He's joined by Father Michael Dougherty and his handyman boyfriend, Wesley, and Frank, a disenchanted museum curator dating Brownstone piano player and recovering alcoholic Emmett. The vignettes trudge on with Ian Reath, a soap opera writer and son of a Presbyterian pastor whose decision to marry his boyfriend makes the talk show circuit. Attendees for Ian's nuptials include Joe, another Brownstone fixture, who has the hots for Ian's cheating husband-to-be, Bobby; closeted New York Times scribe Nathan, who misguidedly confesses his love for Ian; and Gopal, a playwright who tried to kill himself over Bobby. Everyone kvetches uncontrollably and sidles up to the piano for one of the Brownstone's show tune sing-a-longs for relief. There's more soap opera than story here, as Scott's stage is overcrowded with a motley assortment of incomplete, confusing characters. The Brownstone bar scenes prove the most affecting in this very, very light, occasionally charming, debut.
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Review

"Scott joins distinguished company—James and Wharton, Auchincloss and Hijuelos—in his ability to chronicle life and manners in New York City." -- Marion Abbott Bundy, Co-author of Talking Pictures

"This novel is A GREAT READ, full of deadpan wisdom, madcap plot twists, and basic human truths." -- Jenny Lyn Bader, Co-author of He Meant, She Meant: The Definitive Male-Female Dictionary; Playwright, None of the Above

An awesome novel Put this one at the top of your summer reading list -- Instinct Magazine

If it defies category, "Brownstone" also defies stereotypes. Scott has created a mini-U.N., a microcosm of New York City -- The New York Blade

Kevin Scott joins distinguished company in his keen ability to chronicle life and manners in New York City. -- Marion Abbott Bundy, Co-author of Talking Pictures

One of Advocate Magazine’s "Top 20 Picks for Summer Reading" -- The Advocate

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Haworth Press; 1 edition (May 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560232951
• ISBN-13: 978-1560232957
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,336,903 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #62 in Books > Gay & Lesbian > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Gay

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Boys in the Brownstone, May 26, 2005

By 

A. Littauer - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Boys in the Brownstone (Paperback)

Kevin Scott writes an intelligent, compassionate and witty novel about the condition of man. In this case the setting is the turn of the 20th century in the United States. Many of the divisive issues of the times are reflected in the lives of several gay men whose different backgrounds intersect at the Brownstone, a gay bar on the Upper East side of Manhattan. The author is a master at exposing both the very real and the very human vulnerabilities in his characters as they manifest themselves against the backdrop of an unusually fierce snowstorm hitting the east coast during the holiday season and the refuge the club provides. This is a book that will make you laugh and cry as it exposes the complexity of human nature, which is often as irrational as it is rational, and whose altruistic impluses are usually darkly shaded. The book begins slowly but soon draws you into a great read. Many of the lines and observations will linger in your thoughts long after you have finished the book. While "Boys of the Brownstone" is published as part of a series of gay men's fiction its appeal is sophisticated and universal. I am looking forward to Kevin Scott's next book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Looking Forward to More Brownstone Stories, April 21, 2006

By 

Scott J. Hamilton (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Boys in the Brownstone (Paperback)

Could this be "Tales of the City" for New York? While this first installment may not have allowed for Maupin's depth of character development, "Brownstone" certainly shows promise. This was a great invention to introduce a number of lives, most of them intersecting each other. The characters were believable because the author didn't resort to stale stereotypes or tired queerisms. I do hope that we'll be seeing more of the Brownstone. If only there were such a place in every neighborhood. Not a bad place to weather either the storms of reality or metaphor.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great light weekend read, January 2, 2006

By 

Tom Chatt (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Boys in the Brownstone (Paperback)

One of my Christmas gifts was the Kevin Scott novel "The Boys in the Brownstone", and I was given the perfect opportunity to curl up with it on New Years Eve, when my husband was out working, and I was home alone during a rainstorm-induced power outage. Nothing to do but pour a glass of eggnog, light some candles, and read this entertaining story. The Brownstone is a gay bar on the upper east side, and the novel is really a series of tangential vignettes. Think "Desperate Housewives: Gay New York Edition". Each chapter introduces a new set of characters, and explores a different flawed relationship, but all of the characters end up at the Brownstone sooner or later, and featured characters in one vignette often appear one the sidelines of other vignettes. Sometimes in the bar, we revisit the same conversations from another character's perspective (like the film "Go"). The characters and stories were all engaging enough to keep me turning the pages with interest. The fact that it was set during Christmastime made it more fun to read it at this time of year, but that's certainly not essential. Reading it all in one weekend is useful, as the number of characters starts to accumulate, and there were a few times where I had to stop and think "now who was that one again?". Doubtful you'll glean any profound insights here, as it's all a bit melodramatic (all of the characters have issues). But it's very entertaining, a great read for a weekend at the beach or a long flight. Or a New Years Eve power outage.