Customer Reviews

Boys and Girls Together

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sometime in the 1960's I discovered Boys & Girls Together. I don't recall how I got my first copy. It certainly wasn't handed to me by Sister Immaculata at Archbishop Prendergast high school. Nor did my Italian father suggest that I read it. However the book made its way into my hands and the words found the path to my curious brain - I am eternally grateful. The characters and the stories embedded themselves into my psyche and made me hungrier than ever to explore new worlds beyond the tight borders of home,school and family. I was never the same again. Recently I bought myself a new copy. I hadn't read it in years and wondered if the old magic was still there. I opened the book and read the first line. It was quite an experience. I was transported back "in time" and across many decades when a new door had opened for me. Thank you William Goldman. I was not disappointed.

If Philip Roth, Harold Robbins, Jacqueline Susann, Rona Jaffe and Mary McCarthy all met for dinner and collaborated on a story to pass the time before the main course, (and Edgar Allan Poe rushed in at the end to add to the climax) the result would have been something similar to this novel which is actually from the talented mind of one man: William Goldman. I'm surprised I'd gone so long without ever having heard of this novel, but then I think Goldman's work as a screenwriter and more popular works like "The Princess Bride" have overshadowed this earlier work.

Despite its seemingly unwieldy length and dense word count, "Boys and Girls Together" is an unforgettable reading experience that moves quickly. I thought I'd be with this book for most of the summer, and ended up getting through it in less than two weeks. Goldman is so convincing that every character comes alive. You'll think you'll hate somebody, but then we learn more about them and we see what they're thinking and feeling. The result is a fantastic dissections of mid-twentieth century America.

This isn't to say the book doesn't also get mired in the very mindset it's skewering. The novel is notable in that it features gay characters as protagonists but also assigns their conditions to pop-psychology conventions then popular i.e., smothering mother or fatherless homes. Being published only a year after "The Feminine Mystique" where homosexuality was described as a "murky smog" covering America, the inclusion of gay characters is both progressive and negative. But to be fair, not many of the other characters fare much better, trapped as they are under their own idiosyncracies like ditzy Jenny and clueless Walt.

The book builds to a climax that is inevitable, but the execution is a bit heavy-handed as the finale takes on the aforementioned Poe-like quality. I'll take it though, as by then, I'd been with the characters for nearly 700 pages and I wasn't going to let that mar a great reading experience; you'll never look at a fire escape the same way again.

This being the first William Goldman book I read, I also believe it to be the best. Never before have read a book that had such detailed, quirky, and unique characters. There is a dedication to each character I've never again seen paralelled that makes the story an experience one could never forget. Search your local libraries and book stores for this book. It's worth it.

I hated for this book to ever end! The characters were all so interesting yet so sad. It isn't a feel good book by any means! I felt very anxious through the majority of the book, which may not be a good thing since it is close to 800 pages, but it so well written! It is one of William Goldman's best books! I read alot of books and it is rare to find a really good book these days!! Thank Goodness I've found William Goldman! He seldom lets me down!

I looked at it, pondered over it, it seemed to call my name. At fifteen years old, in that old Woolworth building in South Mississippi, about 1965, I put in it my hands and had to have it. I knew I had to write when I read that "Aaron's eyes burned" because he read so much. I was a girl, he was a boy, a homosexual boy, but I understood him. I knew him. I also decided to become a writer of books someday, and now I am. Thank you Mr. Goldman for the very best book I've ever read. I'm buying copies for the sensitive people I love. Thank God it's in print again.
Susan Arnett

I love this book. I've read it six times and I seldom read a book more than once....but this book, I don't know, I just love it. However, I have recommended it to several my friends who usually enjoy my recommendations and all but two (who LOVED it!) have disliked or said they actually hated it. So I guess it's safe to assume it's a "love it or hate" it kind of thing. All I can say is, if you appreciate really terrific writing and interesting charactors, give this book a try. If you're looking for a fairy tale and fairy tale ending with happy fairy tale charactors, look elsewhere. But I gotta say it again....I LOVE THIS BOOK!!

I am so happy that the book is going to be re-released because I own two or three dog-eared copies of it that I can finally retire. I've read this book as a model for my own writing (and for pleasure) too many times to count anymore. It's a coming of age book with lots of insight into relationships--all of the bravery, bravado, and betrayal that come with growing up and leaving home.

Boys and Girls Together is my favorite book. I first read it when I was sixteen years old and the pain on its pages were something I could identify with. Now that I am in my 50's and my life turned out to not be so painful I still think his characters ring true. I would someday love to thank Mr. Goldman and I sure wish he was still writing novels.

I had first read this novel back in '64 or '65 and was mesmerized by it then. Now, 42 years later, I decided to see if I would enjoy it as much today as I had back then. I did, perhaps even more so. Goldman's style is crisp and measured, all of his characters carefully delineated and believable, and the story-line moves along at a brisk rate.

My dog eared copy of this book disappeared over 10 years ago. I can't wait to get my hands on another copy and revisit these people. If you haven't read it and enjoy a book with excellent character development, and can find a copy, get it. And, if you get it, let me know from where.