Customer Reviews

The Story of the Night (Hb)

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2005 and Argentina has just revoked amnesty for those responsible for the brutality and occult treachery of the Dirty War that ended with the overthrow of the military junta with the British defeat of Argentina's forces over the Falkland Islands. And it is during this closure of a long suppressed circle that Colm Toibin's superb 1995 book THE STORY OF THE NIGHT comes back into circulation. By all means read this book now not only to celebrate Toibin's genius but also to gain valuable insight into a political intrigue that has smoldered in Argentina for the past thirty years!

Toibin conjoins the tale of a young lad Richard Garay, the son of a haughty British mother and an Argentine man whose childhood is disrupted by loss of income and instability of social presence, with the general social and political upheaval in Argentina). Richard moves from poverty and the death of his parents to teaching English in Buenos Aires and eventually comes into contact with an American couple Donald and Susan Ford who draw him into their hazy presence in the realm of political coups as an interpreter. Through them he works to gain acceptance of the powerful Canetto family: the father wants to become President of the nascent democracy after the Falklands War has rid the country of the Generals. Richard is a man in conflict: he envies the wealthy, he is gay, and he embodies the state of mind of surviving with a day persona of longing for order and rank which is antagonistic to his night persona of craving passion.

Through a series of twists of fate Richard gradually comes into money by way of the prelude to oil privatization and after unsatisfying attempts at mating he finds love in Pablo Canetto, a handsome man who has likewise hidden his true identity from his family by fleeing to San Francisco's atmosphere. The development of this profound love between Richard and Pablo, threatened as it is by nearly every aspect of life in Buenos Aires, forms the substance of this novel, that substance eloquently exploring the spectrum of love and loss as beautifully as any romance in literature.

Colm Toibin is a master storyteller and one who has obviously scrupulously researched the time frame he has chosen for his novel. Every character is painted well, there being no extraneous moments that are not additive to the story. Toibin's prose is liquid and ravishingly beautiful and he is unafraid to present intimate physical encounters, knowing exactly how much to say without offending the senses of anyone. This richly historic novel ends in a microcosm of a romance: the 'desaparecidos' of the dirty war are mirrored in the equally plangent wake of AIDS.

The story is superb, the introduction to a heretofore vague history of South American coups is fascinatingly related, and above it all is the magic of Toibin's impeccable prose. This is a book to read again and again. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, June 05

After reading & enjoying Colm Toibin's latest book, "The Blackwater Lightship", I decided I must read his other books. Again, I wasn't disappointed. I enjoyed this beautifully written novel as much as "The Blackwater Lightship." Colm's sentences are very long and full of details, and once you get use to his masterful style of writing you just can't stop reading. I think that's what I like most about his writing, that everything is brought to the surface, and no details are left out.

There are actually two main themes here, and they are combined beautifully. It's the story of Argentina during the Falkland Wars and its struggle for democracy & freedom, and the story of a gay man's coming of age who is also struggling to find himself, his place in life & real love. I think Richard Garay & Pablo's love for each other is beautifully developed in a very sensitive true-to life way. Although your heart may break by the end of this story you'll remember these characters long after you finish this book.

If you like a book that can take you away, make you happy, bring tears to your eyes, and teach you a lot about other people & their cultures, this book is definitely worth a read. This book is written with intelligence and was a sheer pleasure to read!

Set in Argentina during the night of the Generals (the 1980s), "The Story of the Night" follows a young man as he comes to terms with the loss of his parents (a British mother and an Argentinian father), the acceptance of his homosexuality, and his involvement in international politics and finance. While serving as an English language intertreter, our hero meets and falls in love with the son of a major political family. Their love story is one of the most poignant and beautifully realized I've read in a very long time. This is a brilliant, multi-layered novel, rich in mystery, history and political detail. Twice nominated for the Booker Prize, Colm Toibin is a master storyteller.

It is strange for a non-Argentine to have such an understanding of some the impacts of the Malvinas War on the Argentine national image. In many ways, there was an awaking. First, an awaking that Argentina was no longer a first rate power. Secondly, that Argentina had to move on from its past to a future where it began to compete not as a nation of long gone riches, but as a modern uncorrupt legally responsible nation.

In many senses, we see this evolution with the two main figures of the novel. Just as the nation had to move out of night and the dream like qualities of its past, so to do these individuals.

If you like a classic romantic novel which is based on character development caused by repressive surroundings, then you should read this story. Richard, the protagonist with a West-European background but living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is a highly skilled young gay man. Therefore he is clearly aware of the differences between what he wants in life and what is possible in his country. Especially the impossibility for gays to build up their own gay lifestyle, as he knows if from his education and his North-American friends, worries him constantly.

Richard takes care of his ageing mother just like Lark does in Andrew Holleran's 'The Beauty of Men'. It did not take me by surprise. I've seen it in real life too. What can I say about gay sons caring for their helpless mothers? Anyway, the strong tie seems to keep mother alive by isolating her son from his sexual needs. No wonder de death of Richard's mother is the beginning of his sexual exploration.

When Richard falls in love with the son of an important conservative politician he discovers the impact of leading a double life. The lovers have to spend weekends abroad to get recognition for their loveaffair. Richard's boyfriend is sure he had to spend his college years in the USA because he was caught in the act with a male classmate at home just before his graduation. His parents's unconscious decision in this matter found on the suspicion their son being gay prevented them from even thinking about homosexuality.

Besides the love element Richard also gets involved with politics. He supports the possibilities to establish a democratic government. Working life offers him the opportunity to become a grown up man. For me this aspect functioned quite well as a rolemodeling-thing.

'The Story of the Night' is very detailled and Richard's actions are at the centre. I was so close to him while reading, I felt I was there with him all the way. I love to read reflections on life but I did not miss them here. Richard just experiences things for the first time. Too many things I guess for the sweet guy.

The Story Of The Night is one of the most beautiful books ever written about taboo love. Colm Toibin captured the essence of gayety and the confusion by his extraordinary story. I could not leave the book until I read it all. The power of love and hope conveyed is great and new, it is a need to this world where queer love is growing more materialistic and sexual rather than emotional and platonic. I admire Com Toibin for his insight and understanding of the human nature and the diversion that may arise. The Story Of The Night is a story of gay lust turning to be the story of the most powerful true love. The shocking ending creates a huge amount of sadness and causes the heart to beat faster. This book is situated at the top of all love stories written. I sensed Shakespearian emotions in the lines and an accuracy to a gay's life that is the utmost truth. I recommend this books to all gays, it is a must read, gives you hope and will to go on trying. It is recomended as well to all those who wants to understand gays as they truly are.

Toibin's treatment of some key social, political and sexual issues are beautifully intertwined in this mesmeric novel. The reader is taken through an emotive journey of life in an endearing and gripping fashion. The supporting detail which abets the central thematic story is cleverly interpolated and is, I'm sure, identifiable with our own travels through life, whatever the sexual orientation. This lends itself superbly to the readability, comprehension and empathy of the emotions and feelings of those characters portrayed. Definitely a desert island wish list title to read and re-read over and over again. More from Toibin please!

Colm Toibin's beautifully crafted story takes us to Argentina as it was in the recent past and conveys us to where the country might be going. We see the nation through the eyes of a gay man whose life is going nowhere. Toibin skillfully tells the story of two awakenings: his main character's deepening involvement in a romantic relationship with his best friend's brother, and the awakening of Argentina to the need to rid itself of corruption and irresponsibility in order to be a viable nation.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characterizations, and the political and sexual themes. It was the way Toibin told the story, though, that captured my attention and held it to the last sentence in the book. Definitely worth your time, an entertaining and throught-provoking read.

I picked up this book quite by accident assuming it to be a historical novel set in an Argentine backdrop. It had some of that but was much more. Using the years after the dictatorship of 1976-1983, the author begins the story focusing on a quiet unassuming young man who lives with his mother and just happens to be gay. For those who are anxious to learn more about the awakening of democracy, there is some of that. The dominant theme covers the US role in Argentina's changing political climate. However, as the book develops the reader finds the focus of the novel shifting gradually to the main character's sexual coming of age. The story moves quickly from political cocktail parties with the Argentine elite to furtive homosexual encounters in a Buenos Aires steam bath. As the reader follows the progression of events, the main character becomes a success both emotionally and economically. I found myself encouraging him on. It is easy to like this guy and hope that he can overcome the constraints of living with his aging mother in a culture that does not celebrate his sexuality. The sex scenes, both homosexual and heterosexual, hold the reader focused on the struggle that the main character is feeling. Ultimately the book shifts to the topic of AIDS. This was a disappointment as it introduced a theme written about so many times before and not necessary to the story's conclusion. Notwithstanding that, this book is very well written and held my interest from beginning to end. I would recommend it highly.

Colm Toibin is one of my favorite Irish authors writing today. Among his books that I've read to date ("The South", "The Heather Blazing", "The Blackwater Lightship", "Mothers and Sons" and this one - I haven't read "The Master" yet), "The Story of the Night" is my favorite.

Set in Buenos Aires during the Falklands war and its aftermath, the novel tracks the development of Richard Garay, a gay schoolteacher, the son of an Argentine father and English mother. At the novel's opening, the generals are still in power, and Garay is closeted and emotionally stunted. Toibin, who covered the trial of General Gualtieri as a reporter, is extraordinarily effective in conveying the sense of menace that prevails, and the way people are forced to hold their emotions in check in order to survive.

The Falklands are lost, the generals lose their hold on power, and the story traces Richard's gradual emotional development in parallel with the opening of Argentine society. The aspect of Toibin's writing that I like best is his extraordinary emotional intelligence, which he deploys here to full effect, in a sensitive and moving account of Richard's story. Richard is a complex, and not entirely sympathetic, character, but Toibin draws us in to his story, and makes us care deeply about his fate.

An evocative and moving story, which I highly recommend.