Customer Reviews

Gadarene

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

 

 

I just reread my copy this morning while enjoying my coffee and waiting for the day to start and realized how much I had -really- liked the story the first time. Fantastic from beginning to end, it's the kind of book you have to do in one sitting because you don't want to stop!

I highly recommend it and have passed it around to my friends who are not necessarily fans of this subject matter and often receive rave reviews from them.

Well never say never. I always said that I would never read an horror and here I'm, just finished one, and I have to say a very good one, and being very happy to have read it (even if happy is not a word that fit with this genre ;-) )

Late nineteen century in Manhattan, Galen is just out of prison. He has spent three years in Ludlow, a boy from Five Points, with no hope for a bright future. Son of a woman who is whoring herself to live, he has neither a place to stay if it weren't for Wira. Wira is his lover. A boy born with a genital imperfection, Wira was raised by his mother like a girl, but when his mother died and he went to the youth home in Bowery, they decided he was a boy. But his mother promised him he will be a woman, and Wira wants to be a woman. Above all for his lover, for Galen.

During Galen's absence, Wira has gained money "blowing kisses", but he has never allowed to nobody to fully "have" him. That part of him is only for Galen, and now that Galen is again at home, he doesn't want that Wira goes on to do the "life". But past trauma, of both Galen and Wira, and the reason why they met, doesn't allow to Wira to forget and go on. He has always believed that alcohol was the reason for his nightmare, but now he is sober, but still he sees the "boys", little ghosts who always look at him with accusing eyes. Even more now that Galen is out of prison. But why can't Galen forget the past? Why has he always to speak of Him?

Gadarene is a very intense book. It's strong, and it's not flowers and kisses, but it's also a beautiful love story. Both Galen than Wira are very deep characters. It's beautiful to read of their relationship, how they depend on each other, how difficult is their life, but still how easy and warm is their love. And even if this book has some paranormal elements, for me it's a wonderful historical evocation, of the tough life of that part of the world not born in safe and warm houses, of a man who is not fully man, but still has found love and deserved that love.

The historical details are wonderful, the use of the different slangs, the melting pot of people which was the poor district of a long forgotten Manhattan, all conveys to make an appealing reading.

I really, really liked everything about this book, despite going into it with some misgivings. Galen and Wira's relationship - their obvious love and commitment to each other - was incredibly satisfying in what essentially came off as a horror book. The horror elements themselves were also very well-written; they were creepy enough to leave you somewhat spooked at the book's conclusion, but not so terrifying that you lost sight of some of the more encouraging elements of the story. I also really, really enjoyed the setting, being somewhat obsessed with anything that evokes old New York, and I loved all of the accents, places, and other little details that helped keep the story grounded in its time and place.

One of the main characters is a transgendered person, but fortunately, this entertaining horror/mystery/romance hybrid has much more to offer than mere novelty. There are some technical aspects of the story that I can't warm up to - the use of "v" instead of "w" in the conversations of a Polish character ("ve" instead of "we", for example) - but still, this is a pretty interesting read with memorable lead characters.

Gadarene is a phenomenal book. It's rare to find a book in this genre that pulls you into the story. Even more rare in the fact that this is a historical work. Absolutely stunning.

Even more fascinating is that Wira, our transgendered character, is in no way a chick-with-a-dick character. Wira is Wira. There is no other way to put it. Wira's character is written so well, so perfectly, that even as she is referred to as a girl, as I refer to her as "she", never did I feel I was reading a hetero story. Not once. Wira is strong, loving, helpful, but has her faults, too. Wira is Wira. When you read this, you'll understand.

The setting and time played an integral part in this story. So many times, historical romances gloss over the not-so-great stuff. Not Gadarene. This book lays it out as smelly, dirty, hard, cramped, cold, and not so great. And the people are the same. Calling people by racial nicknames: a given. Cleanliness: maybe. Food: you hope. Struggle: you bet. Because of this, there is no whitewashing in order to keep modern sensibilities. Wira had to survive while Galen was gone, and she did it the best way she could. Galen never bats an eye at his lover's `profession'. Galen is a hired thug, an assassin. Wira worries, but can't stop it. The people in this story can't afford high-class morality.

Another thing I found spectacular is the gender roles played out in the story. Wira sees herself as a woman. Wira acts like a woman. Galen knows what Wira looks like under the dresses. Galen treats Wira like a woman. When he comes back home, he takes the role of the man. This doesn't mean Wira becomes an empty-headed doll. It does mean that Wira falls into the role of a woman in the rough side of town. I loved it and thought it absolutely brilliant. Again, never did I feel I was reading a hetero story. I salute the authors for this feat of genius.

When it came to the horror aspect, the authors didn't hesitate. It hits full-force without it being gory. Okay, maybe a tad bit. But mainly, it's just creepy and gave me a great scare. The way the story unfolds, with memories and dreams, it kept me on my toes and off-kilter.

The best part (I know! There's more?) is that this is a story I couldn't just put down after the end. It stayed with me. The mystery continued to get solved in my brain; the little details of the setting and characterization slowly slid into the light and made me gasp in delight while I was doing the dishes. It's a story that I had to tell others about, to talk it out, and make further discoveries. The story is still with me. It makes me greedy and demanding and hoping for a sequel of some sort, any sort. But, really, I couldn't be happier with the ending. I couldn't be happier with this book.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves excellent characterization, historicals, mysteries, or horrors. I would be shocked if those who read it didn't love it. If you don't "get it" after the last page, give your brain a couple of days. Let is set a while before making a firm decision. You'll be glad you did.

The cover art is perfect. It's gorgeous and so ambiguous. It couldn't have summed up this story any better.

I am always on the lookout for transgender romance. Believe me, they are rare, the ones which end happily ever after anyway. So this historical horror romance in the New York Slums is a wonderful surprise.

Tighly paced and amazingly well written, Gadarene is captivating and original. I finished it in one sitting (Sharp reminder to self-never start a book close to mid-night!) The paranormal elements are highly imaginative and very scary. So if you have a vivid imagination, beware. The story is also very realistic as the writers have done a remarkable job depicting those dark times in the slums, when life is cheap and filled with despair.

But what I love in this story are the characters and their love. Wira, the transgender, is a memorable character. Born with an imperfection and questioning his manhood and sexuality from young, it is wonderful to read of this character somehow finding acceptance among friends and love. And his love is of course Galen, a hunk who loves Wira for himself. Galen is an equally interesting character. He seems to have no conscience, a killer for hired. But there is no question of his steadfast love for Wira, the only certainty in his dark life. Both Galen and Wira go back a long time, to their chidhood when both are nearly killed by a child molester. A past which catches up with them, a horror which now threatens to consume them again.

The only regret is the story ends all too quickly and I am left craving for more on these 2 characaters but equally satisfed with such an engrossing and stirring read. Stongly recommended for all M/M fans and those who love a good horror too.

gad·a·rene
Function: adjective
Etymology: from the demon-possessed Gadarene swine in Matthew 8:28 that rushed into the sea
: headlong, precipitate

While I'll not argue that Gadarene is well written(I did find myself re-reading a sex scene or two several times), the horror aspect of the plot that dropped in seemingly out of nowhere was --for lack of sweeter phrasing--ridiculous and cliche, complete with the "parting shot" that we are left with on the final page which can be found at the end of just about every modern b-class horror movie. I wasn't particularly frightened by any of the "frightening" bits Gadarene had to offer, finding that rather than being frightening they were formulated just to disgust. There is a very big difference between being frightened and being grossed out.

Apparently, I'm the only one who didn't realize this was a viable portion of the plot. "Horror" is not mentioned on the back of the book or here in the official synopsis. It would certainly help sales if you're targeting a horror-inclined crowd to mention that the book is a horror novel. I thought I was looking at a mystery or a ghost story. Gadarene is neither of these.

In addition, the serial killer, who we are supposed to believe is evil enough to commit hundreds of child-murders(requiring every shred of my suspension of disbelief to allow for the multitude of bodies rotting in an uncovered pit in a basement without any smell permeating to the outside world) is a NON-ENTITY. He blunders around, says some obligatorily mean things and generally acts like a drunk father-figure. He's not frightening in the least nor is he interesting. He doesn't even seem particularly wicked or deranged.

I disdain the fact that one of the previous reviews implies that if you don't like the book, than you didn't "get it". I don't see what's not to get. Its pretty straight-forward. I can appreciate the research required for historical context but it wasn't, in my opinion, enough to save the book.