Customer Reviews

The Unborn Spouse Situation

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The last book of this genre that I read had 321 pages. The first sex was on page 314. This book is 316 pages and has sex on almost every page. The difference presents a slight credibility problem: could the supposedly straight boys of Harley Hutt, a mini-fraternity house with a decidedly diverse population on the campus of a midwestern state university, really engage in all these homoerotic activities with each other? Well, that's why it's called fiction. We don't quite understand why everybody likes Augie, the central character and narrator, so much. He's self described as having "an oval pot belly" and falling-out hair. But all the other characters, save one, and this reader become attached as we follow him through his final year of college life. The story is fast-paced, sexy, witty and well-written. The title has nothing to do with the story, but the author takes the unusual (and creative) step of explaining its origin. One final credibility issue is how Victor, on the night before his big society wedding with guests from multiple continents, is free to spend the evening with Augie? But that aside, this is a most entertaining read and an auspicious first work from Matt Rauscher.

I had contrast expectations on this novel before reading it; sometime I thought it was sad, some other that it was some of those college coming of age stories with a lot of sex, drugs and rock and roll; other time I had the feeling it would have been a nice romance. After reading it, I think it's all of above and something more.

August Schoenberg, Augie for his friends, is a very talented English major; he is totally gay, and he is totally into finding Mr. Right, even if he is only 22 years old and all the world around him is thinking he should have fun. At 18 years old Augie met his first Mr. Right, Mickey, and he was probably the right one, but they were young and inexperienced, and they didn't manage to pass the six months. When Mickey left, Augie thought the sea was big and with plenty of fishes, but 3 and half years later he is still single. Augie is an equal opportunity guy, every boy he has a crush on can be the right one, and so he has a crush on Michael, Ted, Josè, Tony and Victor. And then Johnny. And why not Armando? Now don't get me wrong, Augie is not a slut, it's only that he really believes in love and he really wants to find someone who likes him. The strange thing is that, I didn't have the feeling that Augie has any problem at all, not big family drama behind, not some tragic heartbroken relationship, not even some physical disability... apparenly Augie is always able to fall for the wrong guy, the one who is not interested, the one who is only a friend, the one who is in the closet, the bi-curios and the one without the courage to go against tradition.

Where Augie is not good in chosing his partners, he is at least lucky; good or mostly bad, all his love experiences teach him something, and in the end they are helping in shaping the man and his chance at life; from all his experiences Augie will take a little bit of knowledge that he will pour on his screenplay, The Unborn Spouse Situation. Augie, an aspiring filmmaker at a school without a film school, will use his own life as a test field. Due to the book in a book reference, I wondered if Augie had more of the author Matt Rauscher, than simply being born in the same city, Evanston, having more or less the same age, 20 years old in the beginning of the '90, graduating from the same university, and living in the same city... well, yes, I think it's safe to say that this book has a bit of autobiographic content, and so the vivid description of the campus life takes even more shine.

That is what in the end this book left me more: the vivid experience of a college guy, a gay boy at the brink of adulthood, not a perfect man, sometime acid, sometime nice, sometime a totally bitch, but someone that, in the end, was courageous enough to be true to himself; he is of course not the only one, this is not the story of Augie against all, and as I said, Augie is not always right, but that is the reason why I liked him.

The best compliment I can pay this book is that I stopped reading it half-way through and started over again, re-reading my favorite passages -- just to delay the inevitable ending. (There's only one other book I remember doing that with -- Jim Grimsley's "Comfort and Joy.") This book is intelligent, compelling, sexy, moving and ultimately hopeful. It speaks with an authentic, smart, vigorous voice that effectively evokes the craziness, longing, frustration, horniness, sorrow and ecstasy of a young gay man's last college year and his first, unforgettable love. Is it perfect? No. One could nitpick about implausibilities or the rare false note. But, in the end, the novel carries you along with force of its narrative "truth," (if there's "magical realism," why not "magical eroticism?"). It makes you care -- for me, the ultimate test of any form of art -- and, in doing so, stands head and shoulders above the pedestrian dreck that occupies too much of this genre. I was very happy to read that Mr. Rauscher is busy with a new novel, which I eagerly await. As a side note, the title is derived from the common law Rule Against Perpetuities -- the bane of every law student -- which the author transforms into an idea far more interesting than the legal concept upon which it is based.

This book was so much fun to read, I sped right through it. The main character Augie is so real, his desires, phobias, and mistakes, made it easy for me to relate to him and get caught up in the story. You want everything to go Augie's way and you feel for him as he stumbles through life. I also agree with the previous review that any person going to college in the early nineties is going to relate to this story in some way. I definitely recommend you buy this book!

I flew through this book and loved it! It was an entertaining, fun, well-written story. Anyone who went to college - especially in the midwest in the early ninties - will appreciate the characters and interactions in The Unborn Spouse Situation. I felt like I was back in school amongst some of the best friends of my life...finding your place in a new town, meeting different people, falling in love - the heartbreak - and of course, the sex. Highly recommended - and what a great title!

Despite the odd title, Unborn Spouse Situation is actually a darkly funny, raunchy look at the coming of age of a young man both typical and wholly unique. On the one hand Augie is a classic study of youth - self absorbed, arrogant, willful, destructive, and somewhat pathetic - but he also embodies a host of characteristics to offset this - humor, intelligence, romance, and hope. This dichotomy tugs at the reader, keeping you fully engaged and invested in the outcome. You can't put this book down with its solid writing, quick pace, and true skill at showing a year in the life of a college senior.

The narrative begins with Augie moving into the biggest party house on campus. He's been waiting for this opportunity and finally thinks this year, and this move, will change his life. Interestingly they do but in ways Augie never imagined and takes quite a long time to appreciate. With the first person style, Augie spends the year making mistake after mistake, lamenting his troubles and convinced he's never going to find a boyfriend. He's perpetually negative, often graceless, creating more problems and turmoil with his self absorbed antics and near alcoholic tendencies. He's a very difficult character to like and empathize with and thus is the real skill of the author. Rauscher has created a wonderfully authentic, unlikable character in Augie, yet for all of this you still want him to get his act together and change. You just can't stop watching to see what will happen.

The cast included is diverse and multicultural, a truly excellent addition. The narrative has an honest feel where race, religion, background, and sexuality are not defining characteristics as much as parts of the whole. Each of these are clearly supporting roles to the main star in Augie, but they each feel important and purposeful. None of the secondary characters feel superfluous or lost. Although totally self absorbed and convinced all actions have an impact on him, Augie manages to shows his intelligence and sensitivity in recognizing these people for who they are and their strengths and flaws. Of course, he often uses that knowledge or ignores it based on his whims and immaturity but he never fails to identify with these characters, no matter how briefly.

Augie's actions and those of people around him are shown in very raw, raunchy language. Augie is obsessed with sex and his roommates' groins so there is no end to lengthy descriptions of size, color, weight, heft, circumcision. While these eye catching, punchy details never fail to wake up the reader, they also become heavy and repetitive after a while. Especially as Augie moves from being sex obsessed to craving more of an intimate connection, his repeated commentary starts to feel forced and empty. Similarly, Augie's final revelations to himself feel temporary and short lived. Yet this ending of hope and happiness, however brief, hallmarks the incredible year Augie has had, finally allowing himself to really recognize the change and experiences.

The youthfulness inherent in the story will cause reader enjoyment to vary. Due to the pretty unlikable narrator, one that in fact totally annoyed and frustrated me personally, readers may or may not love this story. There's no denying the author's skill though in crafting such an intricate character and those who can sympathize and relate to a very young, untested youth full of his own importance and equal despair that life is over already will enjoy this raunchy, darkly humorous tale. The few stumbles are hardly road blocks to this offering and no matter what, you'll be sucked in and have to know what happens. I can easily recommend this if you're looking for something different and a nostalgic trip to the mistakes of youth, but it does end well. Or as well as anything can for young Augie.

August (Augie) Schoenberg is in his senior year in college when he finally gets to room in the infamous Harley Hut, noted for the wildest parties, sharing with with a group of self proclaimed heterosexual guys. Augie wants to be a film maker but is studying at a college without a film school, but that is not his only problem, he is single but desperately wants someone special, a guy, for Augie is gay. He makes no secret of this, and even if he tried he would soon give himself away for while not obviously effeminate he is plain to all by his manner that he is gay.

Within minutes of having arrived at Harley Hut Augie falls for roommate Victor Radhakrishna, the intelligent dark skinned Indian political activist, who claims to be straight, but whose actions sometimes suggest otherwise; but that is not uncommon it seems at Harley Hut, for during his time there Augie will bed more than one of his roommates.

A love affair soon blossoms between Augie and Victor, but it is an affair beset with problems, least of which is Victor's acceptance of his one and only gay relationship, for he has other secrets which in time will prove more devastating. Supported by his various confidants, some more loyal than others, Augie tries to make the best of the situation.

This is an appealing and engaging story, all the more so because it is not populated solely with handsome well hung hunks, but with a diverse mix of characters of all shapes and sizes. Augie himself is smallish, thin and with a little pot belly, yet he obviously has some appeal, at at some time during the story even manages to captivate a member of the Chicago White Sox team for a while. His love for Victor is not just physical either, although he is besotted by Victors looks he is also in love with the inner man.

The Unborn Spouse Situation is well written, and often very funny, (although regularly misused personal pronouns do jar, and Mr Rauscher seems to have a liking for tautology - "descend down", "reverse back", "continue on", "recline back" . . . the problem with such is that is tends to bring one back to reality). But that apart is is a good read filled with interesting and well formed often larger than life characters, and while it is rather open ended it maintains a positive aspect

Reviewed by Thomas Gabrielli for Reader Views (2/07)

Augie Schoenberg, a young, gay film student, enrolls in a small-town Illinois college to pursue his dream. His dream is not so much as to become a screenwriter as it is to secure a boyfriend. Or, so it seems. The book describes his adventures, his friends, his exploits.

As a film student who attends a college that has no film curriculum, Augie does manage to take several film-related courses. With an eye on ending up in Hollywood, he admits he has never even seen a Hitchcock film. Actually, his eye is more on the guys in Harley Hutt, the house he lives in on-campus, than on his career. And while he makes note that he's the only gay guy in the Hutt, there seems to be an awful lot of gay activity going on there among the "straight" guys.

Augie's quest is one of yearning, hopefulness, sexual satisfaction, aimlessness, and, ultimately, one of misdirected ambitions. Along the way, we are introduced to many of his friends, a group of misfits which is just as weird and meandering as is Augie. Another character, his literature instructor, gives the novel some genuine sentiment at times.

In this inaugural novel, Matt Rauscher shows a keen sense of dark humor, taking situations far beyond what you would expect. A word of caution, though -- If you are embarrassed or offended by sexually explicit gay situations, then perhaps this book is not for you. This tone is established right from page one and continues throughout the book, becoming progressively more graphic. While I wasn't shocked by the language or situations, I think it would have made for a better read without the "porn factor," a phrase I use without negative connotations.

A back-cover comment compares this work with "Catcher in the Rye," and rightly so. While reading this, I kept making the comparisons with the characters. However, this certainly doesn't have the literary staying power as Sallinger's work does.

This is a very strange yet intriguing book. If you enjoy reading gay novels, then I would recommend "The Unborn Spouse Situation." (Don't ask what the title refers to: even Augie couldn't quite answer that.) The characters are colorful and unique, and Rauscher keeps it interesting by placing them in some very unconventional circumstances. "The Unborn Spouse Situation" is worth the read.

Book received free of charge.

With the introspection of The Catcher in the Rye, the vivid imagery of A Separate Peace, and the sharp, black and white honesty of post-adolescent adulthood, Matt Rauscher's debut novel quickly and powerfully immerses his readers in the world of one August "Augie" Schoenberg, a young man described in his own words as, "twenty-two, an aspiring filmmaker at a college without a film school, and desperately single." He faces the real world on the horizon with both excitement and trepidation, alternately longing for the new experiences life after college will bring, but fearing the life of loneliness and isolation he has imagined for himself.

So begins the tale of The Unborn Spouse Situation. When first we meet Augie, his college years are drawing to a close. He has moved into the Harley Hutt, a house that serves as party central to the campus, and finds he has five new roommates who are, unlike Augie, all straight. The housemates are all aware of his sexual orientation, and, at least on the surface, are okay with it. As the weeks progress, however, tensions rise as the boys who would be men struggle with their inner demons.

With a stunningly quick-witted and sincere first-person narrative, Rauscher shows his reader the world through Augie's eyes. We feel his joy as he meets his new roommate, Victor, with a little-known ritual of swapping underwear, his sadness as he realizes he may have feelings for a man who identifies as straight, his euphoria as glimmers of light appear at the edges of the closet door, and his despair as he learns Victor's unspoken secret. Like Catcher's Holden Caulfield, Augie stubbornly, relentlessly struggles to make sense of a world that defies his logic, and seems determined to trump his every turn.

A virtual voyeur in the college senior's world, the reader is quickly indoctrinated into a setting of wild parties, thought provoking classes, and hormone fueled passions. Augie takes his reader's hand, showing every facet of his life with stark, passionate honesty coupled with economic, elegant description. With his novel, Rauscher has proven himself a master of first-person writing, taking his reader on a journey that changes form with Augie's perception, from simple conversational narrative, to stream of consciousness mind-blowing exhilaration. The transitional effect is used particularly effectively as Augie has a much-anticipated intimate encounter. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Rauscher eschews the tired procedural "tab-A, slot-B" descriptions of carnal mechanics for a poetic intermingling of experiences and sensations, allowing the reader to virtually "be" Augie.

The course of The Unborn Spouse Situation takes the reader through Augie's final, turbulent year as he creates and then faces down his personal demons, grudgingly meeting adversity head-on with style, spirit, and (some) grace. Augie Schoenberg is not a person to be pushed down, and though gay themes are front and center to the novel's plot, it is the human aspects of overcoming hardship and heartache that shine through.

First person narratives can often be cumbersome, but Matt Rauscher's strength and skill as a novelist make the reading a joy rather than a burden. In no time, Augie feels like an old, slightly neurotic friend, and his story reads as a long, winding letter. Though Augie's story may have come to a close, I look forward to much more from Matt Rauscher.

--Andrew Barriger, Author of Finding Faith, and others.