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Product Description
Lisabet Sarai, Erotica Readers & Writers Association, May 2007
I read a lot of erotica. For me, Standish was refreshingly
different from the froth of recreational sex or the edgy post-modernism
that characterize much of what I read. It is a well-executed period piece
with stimulating characters and a surprisingly unpredictable plot.
different from the froth of recreational sex or the edgy post-modernism
that characterize much of what I read. It is a well-executed period piece
with stimulating characters and a surprisingly unpredictable plot.
Reflections Edge, February 2007
Standish is an immaculately researched novel full of breadth and
scope. A real love for historical detail is apparent on every page. The
book drips with references to the politics, science, and culture of the
period, with literature, mythology and European history. If anything, there
is too much research on the page; the novel is almost dizzying as it spins
us from city to city, lavishly reconstructing 19th century Europe before
our eyes.
scope. A real love for historical detail is apparent on every page. The
book drips with references to the politics, science, and culture of the
period, with literature, mythology and European history. If anything, there
is too much research on the page; the novel is almost dizzying as it spins
us from city to city, lavishly reconstructing 19th century Europe before
our eyes.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fine writing and good history...,
By Ansley Vaughan (London, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Standish (Paperback)
`Standish' is a sweeping, elegant book, about one man's journey of discovery and another's move through pain and loss to redemption. It's about a physical journey too; through the ballrooms and gaming houses of Europe and the stews and prisons of early nineteenth century London.
But for all the movement in the book, it has a still centre, the eponymous house, Standish, something which gives the story a depth and a grounding and provides a neat backdrop. Ambrose Standish is a gentle, well-educated and bookish young man, whose life has been shaped by the loss, by his grandfather, of the ancestral home. His longing for his rightful place, and his sense of grievance is fuelled by the fact that he lives so near to the house that he can see it every day, although he has never entered it. And when the descendant of the interloper who acquired it, Rafe Goshawk, takes up residence, inevitably, sparks fly. In the hands of a less skilled writer, this might have followed a familiar and trite romantic path. But Rafe, though everything a romantic hero should be, is far from typical. What we learn of his past makes him a highly complex and difficult man. Ambrose Standish, too, has to deal with the weight of his family history and of his uncertainties about the course his life has taken as well as the problematic discovery of his sexuality at a time when sodomy was punishable by death. Throw into the mix a dastardly ex-lover, an adorable child, a saintly clergyman, a lovable Irish rogue and any number of well drawn minor characters, and what you have is a rattling good yarn. And at the end, with two deeply attractive characters vying for our hero's attention, the reader is left on edge until, literally, the very last sentence. (Although I have to say that the self-sacrificing behaviour of both of these men was one of the few elements of the books which stretched my credulity just a little.) The historical research in `Standish' is excellent. The sense of time and place is exceptional; the voice and tone echo some of the grand nineteenth century novels which this book resembles. But the prose is clear and limpid, the dialogue easy. Erastes has written a novel which is equal to some of the best gay literature available today.
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More than a simple work of romantic fiction,
By
This review is from: Standish (Paperback)
Erastes spins a tale that is captivating and challenging and some surprise twists to the plot makes it hard to put down.
Standish is essentially the tale of the relationship of two men of very different circumstances and backgrounds and the twists and turns of their lives as they come to know each other. Set in an era when such love was not to be spoken of and ultimately punishable by death, the reader can expect to encounter some challenging and sometimes disturbing events unfold. This is a well-written novel whose language is beautifully crafted. The characters have a realistic quality, complex in their expressions of feelings and actions with dialogue that you can really hear as you read. The historical detail is accurate and evidently well-researched but not in any way overpowering; it isn't a history lesson but rather adds flavour and realism to the plot. The subject of homosexuality is introduced sensitively and is tastefully approached offering viewpoints from characters both in favour of and against such relationships. In fact, the story is written as to give the reader the opportunity to make up his own mind as to the morality of the situation; it is in its simplest form, a story of love in all its manifestations and it is easy to feel sympathy for the most unlikely of characters who appear during the course of the novel. Standish describes scenes of a sexually explicit nature but these are written in a way that allows the characters to explore their sexuality and does not lead the reader to feel they are indulging in selfish voyeurism; this is homosexual love described clearly but delicately and lovingly. This is much more than a simple work of romantic fiction or historical prose. I like to read a book that leaves me thinking of the characters and of the themes or questions within it long after I have finished the last sentence. Standish is definitely one such book, worthy of more than one reading and Erastes an author to look out for.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant,
By Lady Mol (England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Standish (Paperback)
I have always adored nineteenth century literature, and I'm also an avid reader of gay fiction (which I review on my own site). So to find a book that combines these two loves seemed too good to be true. It wasn't. This book lived up to all my hopes. It's incredibly well written, romantic and exciting. It's well researched and gives an excellent insight into attitudes to homosexuality in the early 1800s in England. Rafe Goshawk is a wonderful invention. He's gorgeous, sexy, intelligent and appears at first to be little more than a thoughtless seducer. As we learn more about his past we come to see him as a tragic figure, a perfect creation for this kind of romantic novel. He's Heathcliff - only gay. How much better can that be?
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