Brian in Three Seasons [Hardcover]

Patricia Grossman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 5, 2005

2006 FERRO GRUMLEY AWARD WINNER

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Brian Moss is the urban gay everyman. Nearing 40 in 1995, when Grossman's nicely nuanced but somewhat pat fourth novel (after Unexpected Child) is set, Brian has settled for sex with strangers. His incomplete dissertation on painter Toulouse-Lautrec haunts him. He toils four night a week as a friendly bartender and one day a week as a frustrated art history instructor, career paths that disappoint his hard-driving land developer father, who is recovering from a mild stroke. His drift also disturbs his critically doting, loving twin sister, who followed their father into the real estate business. In general, it's an unsettled autumn for Brian—plus, a man who romanced him has been seeing a psychologist about going straight. Winter is a season of real discontent: his father suffers a more debilitating stroke and then dies, though not before father and son achieve an emotional reconciliation; his college gig is in jeopardy; a co-worker's lover is diagnosed with cocktail-resistant HIV; and his putative boyfriend disappears. All's well come spring, however: his boyfriend has returned; his co-worker's lover is on the mend; he's offered the position of humanities dean at his college; and he inherits a portion of his father's sizable estate. Grossman's happily-ever-after plot is predictable, but the novel is redeemed by an engrossing cast of secondary characters. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Brian in Three Seasons is that most satisfying of books; a page turner full of wisdom, insight, and real surprise." -- Alice Elliot Dark, author of In the Gloaming

"One looks forward to reading [Grossman] again and again for her insight, and fidelity to character, situation, and nuance." -- Hilton Als, staff writer, The New Yorker

[Brian in Three Seasons] is deftly done. -- Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2005

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 223 pages
• Publisher: Permanent Pr Pub Co (November 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579621228
• ISBN-13: 978-1579621223
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,163,855 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars recommended, December 3, 2005

By 

Bridget E. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brian in Three Seasons (Hardcover)

Nice novel-had a satisfying feel at the end. I liked that the main character cobbled together a living. Lots of people put together a life in odd or disparate ways but you don't often find them in novels. I found this novel a convincing evocation of a certain kind of urban life.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and compelling, December 2, 2005

By 

Mark Mannes (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brian in Three Seasons (Hardcover)

A beautiful and compelling novel

This is a beautiful book whose main character, Brian, has such a convincing and compelling voice that I felt I could trust myself in his hands. Even though his life is not "together" by conventional standards, there is a quiet authority about him that
made me hope his changing circumstances would allow him to fully
claim his life. The novel's language is direct and elegant. Brian's conflicts as a gay man are authentic and there is no stereotyping going on here. This book doesn't make a lot of noise to attract attention to itself, which is one of the many reasons why it deserves attention. It is simple, fine, and deeply moving.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very well done, December 3, 2005

By 

Jason Levine (Hoeboken, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brian in Three Seasons (Hardcover)

You can tell that the author really inhabited her main character's head. She doesn't let him slip away once. Brian Moss may not be an "impressive person" on the outside, but he is on the inside, where it counts, and Grossman manages to convince us of this. I don't think Brian struggled any more or less with being gay than most of us, but it was interesting to see how his conflict held him back and, I think, finally pushed him forward. This is not "gay lit" in capital letters. It's a very good character study (actually more than one character). Just plain old lit.