Van Allen's Ecstasy (Gay Men's Fiction) [Paperback]

Jim Tushinski (Author)

Book Description

Series: Gay Men's Fiction | Publication Date: March 2004

Michael wakes up in a mental hospital, his memory gone, his former life erased. Van Allen's Ecstasy is the story of Michael's journey in search of his former self. As he pieces together his forgotten life, Michael uncovers jealousy, obsession, and secret desires that threaten to destroy his sanity once again.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A passionate novel about the passion of creativity....by turns wry, spooky, and aching." -- Jean Thompson, Author of

"A compelling contribution to the literature of madness and identity." -- Stephen Beachy, Author of

"Darkly luminous..." -- Peter Weltner, Author of

About the Author

Jim Tushinski is a fiction writer and filmmaker living in Southern California. His short fiction has appeared in the anthologies His 3 and Quickies, as well as numerous journals. His short video, Jan-Michael Vincent Is My Muse, has appeared at over 30 film festivals on three continents. Jim is currently working on a feature-length documentary and a new novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 164 pages
• Publisher: Southern Tier Editions; 1 edition (March 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560234555
• ISBN-13: 978-1560234555
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,132,833 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 Back from the black?, March 30, 2005

By 

Chad Sosna "Doo-Lang Love" (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Van Allen's Ecstasy (Gay Men's Fiction) (Paperback)

Michael Van Allen is a young man who is awash in successful relatives-his father is a famous composer, his mother a well-known painter, and his siblings Karl and Sara are, respectively, an attorney and columnist. It's not for not trying-Michael has taken several paths in the arts to try for success, and now works as a file clerk.

Michael wakes up in a mental hospital, where he's received treatment supposedly after screaming through one of his father's concerts. But he can't remember anything-nothing about his past, nor why he has a partner, Paul. It's like being in a world of strangers-only they know all about you! This imaginative concept provides a gripping read. It's especially captivating when Michael discovers his old journal and begins reading the entries. Somehow, reading his own words about his past rekindle dark emotions.

This had to be a challenging story to write, and, fortunately for us, was brilliantly done.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A psychological thriller!, October 9, 2004

By 

M. Pierce "ReWrite Man" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Van Allen's Ecstasy (Gay Men's Fiction) (Paperback)

From the first sentence, the reader is plunged into the mind of Michael Van Allen: and the mystery begins. Who is he? Who was he? What happened? As he struggles to regain his memory, we gather the clues with him, and it's difficult to put this book down until we reach the climax. Engagingly written, with a roster of memorable characters; you can almost hear the piano soundtrack in the background as you join Michael's journey.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This astonishing debut novel gripped us with its story., May 3, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Van Allen's Ecstasy (Gay Men's Fiction) (Paperback)

This astonishing debut novel gripped us with its story of an institutionalized young gay man, and we knew within a matter of pages that we had a new 2004 Violet Quill finalist on our hands.

The gripping set-up: 29-year-old Michael Van Allen wakes up in a mental hospital with no idea who he is nor why he is there. The son of incredibly talented parents (a mother who is a famous painter and a father who is a concert pianist), Michael is told by his doctor that he suffered a screaming breakdown at a performance.

Now, he walks a line between obsession and insanity as he tries to piece together his past. . . . Why was he institutionalized? Why does he have no memory of his life, his family, his own identity? Who is "Sasha," the ghostly presence that haunts him with mysterious advice? It is only when Michael returns to the apartment he used to share with his boyfriend, Paul, and discovers a journal he'd hidden away that his troubled past begins to come back to him. Michael could either face reality and free himself at last, or careen even deeper into insanity. Van Allen's Ecstasy will keep you reading until the last page to find out.

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