Ready to Catch Him Should He Fall [Paperback]

Neil Bartlett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 26, 1992

This novel takes place almost entirely in a backstreet homosexual bar frequented by a motley collection of world-weary regulars. The bar is presided over by the owner, Madame, who looks after her boys, ensuring that the haven remains inviolate. Then one day an innocent young man walks in.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bartlett's novel of gay life in an unnamed city is an amalgam of gossip, jaded elegance and romance, blended with narrative ambiguities and precious conceits.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

British director and playwright Bartlett's first novel is a passionate, erotic story between an older man, "O," and his younger lover, "Boy." Taking place in an unnamed town in Britain at an undefined time, the story chronicles their courtship, the consummation of their relationship, and their eventual living arrangement. Hovering about is the mysterious "Mother," the proprietor of the local pub that the two lovers frequent. Responsible for introducing the two, she plays the role of protector, provider, and sage, encouraging and watching with satisfaction as their love deepens. The story has a small, chilling subplot involving unprovoked, random attacks on gay men, but it ends with a satisfying twist. A fairly engaging novel, and quite ordinary in that it is told with no apologies and no stereotypes, and for once has no one dying of AIDS. Though AIDS is a serious problem in the community, Bartlett should be commended for addressing and acknowledging HIV-negative men. Recommended.
- Kevin M. Roddy, Oakland P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1991 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: 320 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; New edition edition (March 26, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140165142
• ISBN-13: 978-0140165142
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,825,110 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Evocative, lush tale of gay bar and its clients, September 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Ready to Catch Him Should He Fall: A Novel (Plume) (Mass Market Paperback)

Neil Bartlett, already well-known for his play "A Vision of Love Revealed in Sleep," wrote a gorgeous novel here, about a gay bar, its clients, its owner, and the lovers who meet there.

The novel is framed by the narration of an unnamed bar client, as he tells the story of O (which stands for "Older Man") and Boy, two men who first meet in a gay bar, chock full of interesting personalities, from the elegant bar owner, Madame, to the passive/aggressive dress maker, Miss Public House. The bar, which seems to be set in a city not unlike London (although it is never explicitly named), is a neighborhood fixture, and the first gay bar Boy ever sets foot in.

As the story continues through Boy and O's courtship and marriage, Bartlett builds incredible tension by throwing in dream sequences, and subplots involving a series of hate attacks on local gays and the strange relationship between Boy and his 'father.' The book also contains literary allusion after literary allusion, from "The Picture of Dorian Gray" to "Lady into Fox," and evokes strong female images through the use of the mysterious character of Madame, and the influence on the plot of the Billie Holiday song "All of Me."

This book is meant to be pulled back layer by layer, until all the diverse strands are threaded together. Boy's coming of age through his relationships and interactions with bar patrons is elegantly wrought. Particularly effective scenes include a long car-ride/sexual encounter with one unnamed bar patron, and a dream-like sequence involving O on the subway.

"Ready to Catch Him Should He Fall" really reaches its full peak, though, in a scene during which one of the bar patrons is wounded by an attacker, and stumbles into the bar in shock. Madame gets up on stage and delivers a speech which sums up much of gay life and love. It is just an incredible scene, and the narrator's commentary on the action is both enlightening and heart-breaking.

Although "Ready..." can sometimes become almost too theatrical and lush for its own good, it's an extraordinary read, maybe the best book featuring gay characters published in the 1990s. It easily outstrips Bartlett's earlier "Who's That Man?" and later "The House on Brooke Street" as his best piece.

So many unworthy books have been made into movies. Does anyone own the rights to this one?

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A celebration of love!, February 16, 2003

By 

R.Parklane (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ready to Catch Him Should He Fall: A Novel (Plume) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book transcends my expectation. Its is lyrical, unique and possesses a raw honesty which imprisons me from the very beginning. The main characters, "BOY", "O", "Mother" and even "Father" are absolutely fascinating. The love between "BOY" and "O" is conveyed lucidly without any barrier or qualm. I will always remember "Ready to Catch Him Should He Fall" because it is so stunningly unique. It is disappointing that this book is out of print and could not be enjoyed by all of us who appreciate a real gay romance.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Stunning Tour de Force, December 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ready to Catch Him Should He Fall: A Novel (Plume) (Mass Market Paperback)

There is not much left to say after Mr. Clark's exhaustive and thoughtful review. I concur whole-heartedly. This is one of the best contemporary novels that I have read. I was amazed at the evolution of the plot and characters. There is a depth here that deserves respect and reading. You do not have to be gay to be touched by this book. It probably would have worked with totally straight characters. Its message and appeal are universal. Look past the drag and the leather and you will find a gripping account of the search for love, a need that we all share. Even more touchingly, you will see how and where that search proceeds and ends.