Great Urge Downward [Paperback]

Gordon Merrick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2000

Besides family fortune and good looks, Lance Vanderholden had it all-a Navy career, a society marriage, and a bad-boy notoriety. But his true desires turned this young man to angry rebellion and his loves into violent insatiable guilt and the guilt into self-inflicted punishment. His descent into dangerous thrills is fast, and no one denies him whatever he desires. Until he meets Robbie Cosling, a young man who has done it all before-and who loves Lance enough to risk everything for him.

Gordon Merrick was the author of more than ten novels, including Perfect Freedom and the much-loved Peter and Charlie trilogy-The Lord Won't Mind, One for the Gods, and Forth Into Light-as well as the posthumously published The Good Life. He died in Sri Lanka in 1988.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Gay fiction doesn't get any more tawdry or overheated than the novels of Gordon Merrick, touted as "the Harold Robbins of gay fiction." Golden-haired Lance Vanderholden, an actor struggling to escape his old-money family and his failed marriage, travels to the Central American town of Puerto Veragua. Renting a small house that comes with a curiously uninhibited and sexually precocious servant girl trained to please men, he finds himself drawn into a variety of sordid arrangements, including a depraved alliance with the mysterious Don Antonio, who loves Lance because he is "rotten with generations of money and power." This reprinting of the 1984 sequel to Perfect Freedom also brings the glamorous and commanding Robbie Cosling back to life. It's sexy, forgettable reading, with none of those pesky pretensions to literary merit. --Regina Marler

Product Details

• Paperback: 438 pages
• Publisher: Alyson Books (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555832962
• ISBN-13: 978-1555832964
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,747,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent portrayal of redemption through love., January 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Great Urge Downward (Paperback)

A continuation of Robbie's story in Perfect Freedom, it shows the the depths of degradation to which a person can fall if he gives into self-loathing and the belief that gays deserve what they get. Luckily for the hero, he has Robbie to rescue him and show him that being gay is just fine. The sexual scenes are scorching, if somewhat rough and demeaning in places. All in all an very good read.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great story, March 17, 2004

By 

Nikky (Asia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great Urge Downward (Paperback)

Actually I haven't finished the book yet coz it is so good that I think I need to share with other people first. The story includes all of my fantasy Romantic sex, Rough sex, Rape and everything and it makes my heart beat a thousand miles per hour while reading this. Gordon uses words to describe evrything so perfect. Sometimes the story gets so tensed that I have to put it down and take a rest. Anyway I think u all will love it. I know it published ages ago but who cares as long as it makes u feel so hot reading it.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars very disturbing, July 27, 2004

By 

N. M Michael "blane" (u.s.a) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Urge Downward (Paperback)

i bought this book simply becouse i read pefect freedom i found the scene in perfect freedom with robie haveing sex with his mother disturbing but over looked it becouse the overall story was well done well that was nothing compared to what goes on in this book as other reviews state it seems to be a book about how you can degrade yourself and the sloth you can ingage in becouse being gay is amoral at least in the lead charecters mind rape sadisim masachism golden showers selling your body all for a cheap thrill at this is the reason he does it for a cheap thrill as for the love story i cant call it alove story all i can say is its the downfall of robbie cosling coused bye lance the guy he is maddly inlove with god knows why! lancel slowly uses robies love to whittle away every sence of decency and moral fiber robie has the twist of the loveing decent charceter robie was in perfect freedom to what he is in this book repelled me the only reason i even finished the book is beocuse my satalite t.v went out and i had nothing else to read not being into pain and kinki sex games and rape i found it very disturbing and they way merrick rights his female charecters would lead you to believe every woman wants to have a gay couple have sex with her and be happy with the both of them in a three way relationship it seems to be an overall theme in his books oh yah they allways have babys from one of the gay guys to i found the charecter of lance to have some similaritys with the charecter of charlie in the lord wont mind series i have to say this is the last gordon merrick book i will ever read it made me that uncomfortable !!!!!