Customer Reviews

Loving Women

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

 

 

I found this book in a used book shop, and being a fan of Hamill's, I bought it. Somewhat semi-autobiographical, the book follows a Brooklyn youth into his induction into the Navy and life at its most raw. The story thrusts one suprise twist on top of another, one exciting episode is immediately replaced by one even more thrilling. And this may be the most erotic book I have ever read. Not quite pornographic, the scenes of lust between two lovers are very descriptive and will stick with the reader for some time. I have read thousands of books, and this has to be in my top ten. Look for it, the search will be highly rewarding.

I liked Pete Hamill's "Loving Women" and found most of his characters real and sympathetic. Michael Devlin, the young sailor growing up after boot camp at his first duty station is a character with whom any of us who served in the military can identify. The characters at the Navy base are familiar and could have been found on any military base in any branch of the service.
The love affair with Eden Santana is absorbing. The erotic passages are well done - you can almost taste and smell the sex.
However, it is a little jarring when he gets some of the historical details wrong. Though the novel was set in 1953, he went on about the Dodgers moving to Los Angeles which didn't happen until April of 1958; wrote about James Dean and his famous red jacket from "Rebel Without a Cause" which was released in 1955.
These kinds of sloppy writing mistakes jar a reader out of his suspension of disbelief for a moment or two and make what otherwise would be a wonderful historical novel into just a pretty good one.
Still a good read - but it could have been a great read.

Never any secret about where he grew up. Have read most of his work, and "Snow In August" remains my favorite. The references to Bird, Miles and Minton's (yeah, I'd take the A-Train up to Harlem and would be the only white face for miles, strolling to see Tony Scott, Percy, Klook, Baby Washington -- and Carman MacRae tried to get me to actually like Soul Food -- never did, but she was a super lady!)---(also flunked a tryout with the Dodgers at Ebbets Field in '52, but that doesn't matter; I know his haunts, well) -- and, although his experiences were different, there were sooooo many familiar feelings. Talks my language. Good book. Not great, but good.