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Hard: A Novel
by Wayne Hoffman
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Paperback
Publisher: Carroll & Graf
Taking place over the course of a single year, Hard periodically stops the action to delve into the sexual psyche of its main characters, exploring what motivates them, what turns them on, what defines their identity — what makes them hard. As Faggots explored the 1970s sexual universe of gay men in New York, Hard takes a serious look a generation later, taking readers into adult theaters, online chat rooms, bedrooms, and into the minds of the gay men who have sex there. But while Faggots was written before AIDS, the characters in Hard are very much affected by the epidemic: Frank lost his lover to the disease, Gene is HIV-positive, Aaron's lover unwittingly puts them both in danger, and Moe's sexual politics are deeply informed by AIDS. There's nobody in Hard who hasn't had his sexuality and politics shaped by the epidemic. There's also a motley crew of activists and sex partners, co-workers and family members, porn stars and B-list celebrities. The complex web of characters and subplots create a rich portrait of New York in the 1990s. And, like Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, Hard does it with edgy humor, snappy dialogue, and a scene-driven episodic structure.
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| A great read |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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I took a chance getting this book, wondering if it would be cheesy with bad writing, considering the sensational cover. I found: Good writing. Strong, believable characters that I could relate to. The sexuality in the novel is very real and in your face. I appreciated that Hoffman didn't shy away from this area, since, for most gay men, sex is an integral part of our lives. His characters showed different perspectives on HIV/AIDS, again, just like real life. This would make a good movie.
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| just good stuff |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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nice simple story that illuminates complex concepts about so many different topics that gay men are dealing with right now.
please write a sequel.
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| Strange Bedfellows |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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STRANGE BEDFELLOWS--
"HARD" by Wayne Hoffman
AMOS LASSEN and Literary Pride
Hoffman, Wayne. "Hard". Carroll and Graf, 2006
Every so often a gay novel comes along that knocks you almost mute. When I closed the covers of "Hard" by Wayne Hoffman, I felt like I had just ended a close friendship. The novel is described as " an exploration of a world where sex is a matter of life and death and politics make the strangest bedfellows". That sentence should be enough to make you want to spend a couple of days or more reading it. The book is fresh and very "today". It is sexy, to an understatement and it is all man. (That doesn't mean that ladies won't like it but it is hard hitting and really knocks the reader out).
Our protagonist is Moe Pearlman, a man famed for his ability to give the finest head in New York City (that is some reputation). When he finds that his sex life is in danger because the mayor has decided to close all of the bath houses, sex clubs and adult theaters, he realizes that he must act. To make things even more mysterious, the mayor is doing so with the cooperation of Frank, the publisher of the only gay newspaper in town. Frank, who was once the purveyor of open sex, made his fortune because of it. Suddenly he changes his tune when his longtime partner dies because of AIDS. He takes on the role of the crusading knight for moral correctness and finds himself at odds with Moe. Frank's actions cause the rise of a gay community which is a microcosm of society at large. As the community emerges, it does so without reference to age, gender or any of the other factors that tend to polarize us. This community brings to the fore all the major issues which face gays in America today--HIV and AIDS, racism, feminism, sex, politics and class as well as the generation gap. Hoffman, in turn, peers into the group and derives the effect that personal experience has on politics and thereby influences identification--with oneself and with others. This in itself is no easy feat. And Hoffman, at times, takes a psychological approach to his characters by delving into their minds and innermost thoughts by exploring their motivation and the catalysts in their lives some 25 years into the most serious crisis ever to affect our lives, the AIDS epidemic.
Here s a look at the New York gay scene that was darefully and carefully written about by Andrew Holleran and Larry Kramer. But this is also a look at the same scene AAA (After the advent of AIDS). It is not a pretty scene; it is disturbing to say the least. This is something we should know about and Hoffman is our narrator. Here is the story of how we live today, how AIDS and bigotry has taken its toll on us. From the back rooms of gay bars to the news rooms of the media, from free unabandoned sexual escapades to the offices of City Hall this is the story of sex not being just sex but a matter of "life or death" and how politicians attempt to control our lives. I am not sure that some of this book is not as close to porn as a book can get or whether it is a political treatise. It is one hand very very serious, on the other hand it is racy and wild. Above everything else, it is highly erotic.
Wayne Hoffman delivers his story in clear, crisp prose. This together with a swift moving plot and the author's mastery as a story teller is a book not to be missed by any member of any gay community. It is a must read--it is the story of who we are, who we were and who we will be. "Hard" is our story and we need to embrace it.
_________________
Amos Lassen
what's new?
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| Read this book, and then tell a friend about it! |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This extraordinary novel arrived on the scene with too little fanfare, and although it comes from a mainstream publisher, it was (and is) relegated to the "Gay fiction" section at Barnes and Noble, wedged in between the beach reads.
"Hard" could be a beach read, it's funny and sexy enough for that. And it lacks the Violet Quill stylistic pretensions of an earlier generation of gay novelists.
But Hoffman's first novel is so much more. Let me backtrack a second and say that I almost never read fiction anymore, especially not gay fiction. One more tortured coming out story and I will explode.
But this novel had me from the first page, and I read it one night. I couldn't put it down until I had finished it, and it must have been 3 or 4 in the morning by then.
While the book is often laugh-out-loud funny, it deals with serious and important themes that are not talked about in our community -- at least not in a productive way. Perhaps a novel was the only way to address them.
I urge you to read this book. Hoffman has captured his generation in these pages.
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| The Life of Moe |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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Hard basically revolves around Moe, who is not skinny but not on the heavy side. Just a husky bear. Plus, he's also the world's best (at least, in NYC)...uh, how do I say this without offending Amazon.com...oral servicer.
Anyways, Moe is one of those guys who feels that it is his right to have sex anywhere and anytime he feels like it. (Think of Brian from Queer As Folks.) However, his rights are being trampled by Frank DeSoto, a gay reporter who has survived the 80's nightmare, where many of his friends and his lover have died from AIDS. Frank berates the gay community for being lax on HIV/AIDS activism.
Meanwhile, Moe's ex, Gene, moves to NYC from Washington for a travel agency. Gene is HIV-positive. He meets a younger guy, Dustin, who is insanely jealous of Gene & Moe's close friendship. However, when Gene finds out that his viral load is undetectable, he goes sexually wild on Dustin, who seems to be pliant.
Moe's best friend and fellow gradute classmate, Aaron, is also dating. His new love is a young Asian photographer, Kevin. However, Aaron soon discovers that Kevin is a hustler. Will this relationship work out?
Despite Moe's frequent adventures, he meets Max, whom he falls head over toe. However, Moe is disappointed that Max, a survivor of the 80's nightmare, is working with Frank DeSoto. Max and Frank are both working on a play that deals with the younger generation of gays being ignorant and careless in the age of HIV/AIDS.
If you're familiar with Larry Kramer's work, then you'll probably get flashbacks from "Faggots" while reading Hard.
Like the saying, all good things must come to an end. Just who or what comes to an end?
Great book that had me laughing out loud in some parts.
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