How Long Has This Been Going On (Stonewall Inn Editions) [Paperback]

Ethan Mordden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1997 | Series: Stonewall Inn Editions

How Long Has This Been Going On? brings together a rich and varied cast of characters to tell the tale of modern gay America in this remarkable epic novel. Beginning in 1949 and moving to the present day, Mordden puts a unique and innovating spin on modern history. An adventurous, adroit, and fascinating novel by one of the finest gay writers of our time.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

According to Mordden's (I've a Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore) sweeping panorama of gay life in the United States, "the history meter is ticking"?and what a resonant sound it makes throughout these masterfully crafted pages. Beginning in L.A. in 1949 and concluding at New York City's 1991 Gay Pride Parade (with interim stops in San Francisco, rural New Hampshire and small-town Minnesota), this singular work chronicles the emerging gay consciousness with trenchant humor, editorial observations tinged with a soupcon of cynicism and scenes of often devastating emotional impact. Mordden pulls no punches as he presents a compelling assortment of quirky characters (both male and female) who connect, disconnect and reconnect in a constantly affecting game of musical lives. Bitter and sweet, it's all here: the barely opened closets of the 1950s, the 1969 Stonewall riots, the growing prominence of San Francisco ("the great city of do-as-you-like") as a gay capital and, of course, the coming of AIDS. Evocative descriptions make appropriate, occasionally campy, references to pop culture , while comic and poignant passages commingle throughout the detail-packed narrative?frequently within the same paragraph. Stylistic variations, too, blend to create an astonishing scope; Mordden changes tenses, addresses the reader and often presents the same scene, Rashomon-like, from several points of view. His characters remain achingly real, yet they also perfectly typify their generation?and, what's more, evolve with the changing gay climate. If the book has a message, it might well be found in the observation of a New Hampshire man in 1990: "It's not that things change so much as that we see them different." Thanks to Mordden's stunning work, we can see a little more clearly now. Author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In this epic, New Yorker contributor and film writer Mordden ( The Hollywood Studios , LJ 5/15/88) tracks the gay and lesbian experience in America from 1940s Hollywood to 1990s New York.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 590 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (September 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312168675
• ISBN-13: 978-0312168674
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,181,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thus Far, THE Great American Gay Novel, August 30, 2000

By 

Douglas Hammerich "Kemmer" (Citrus Heights, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How Long Has This Been Going On (Stonewall Inn Editions) (Paperback)

This novel is an epic in every sense of the word. I forced myself to stop at 30-40 pages a day, just to savor the story and reflect on the characters. Over a period of 30+ years, the panorama of lives and events, and how they are all interrelated is breathtaking. Under no circumstances should one read the final chapter before digesting the entire book; I've never had a book affect me as much as this one, primarily because it is a series of GAY love stories, and I still get wet-eyed about the ending scene.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Gay History, c. 1950-Now, March 16, 2001

By 

Jon Bastian (Hollywood, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Long Has This Been Going On (Stonewall Inn Editions) (Paperback)

When I first finished reading this book, my reaction was simply, "Wow." Ethan Mordden manages to take five very different decades of gay history and distill them into a compelling story that shows where we've been, where we're going, and how we've changed over the years. The cast of characters is ever-changing yet constant, and his finale, in which his original 50's twink drag artiste is now the old man comforting the modern-day victim of a fag bashing is both encouraging and devastating at the same time.

"How Long Has This Been Going On" is that rare epic that manages to be very intimate and yet sweeping, and Mordden's keen eye for detail combined with his ability to create believeable characters makes this a real page-turner. Whether you're an old queen who grew up in the severely closeted days, a former clone from the 70's, a Cha-Cha boy who got smacked in the face with the reality of AIDS early on or a 90's always Out and Proud ACT-UPper, this book has something for you. But, beyond that, if you're straight and interested in modern gay history, this novel is the education you need. Mordden presents a panoply of diverse faces of a community, sometimes touching, sometimes pathetic, often hopeful.

How long has this been going on? Forever -- and yet the stories Mordden present here are timeless. This novel is definitely a don't miss read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sweeping and moving account of gay life, February 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: How Long Has This Been Going On (Stonewall Inn Editions) (Paperback)

A wonderfully broad account of the modern gay movement, told in a thoroughly engaging way. The characters seem real...all of them, even the minor ones. I cried several times reading the novel...sometimes with happiness, sometimes with sadness. A thoroughly enjoyable (and educational) book. Highly recommended.