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Standish
 
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Standish (Paperback)

by Erastes (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
Price: £16.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Standish + The Back Passage + The Story of the Night
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Product details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: P.D. Publishing, Inc. (30 Nov 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1933720093
  • ISBN-13: 978-1933720098
  • Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 1.5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 40,473 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #20 in  Books > Romance > Gay & Lesbian > Gay
    #24 in  Books > Fiction > Gay & Lesbian > Fiction General > Gay
    #72 in  Books > Gay & Lesbian > Literature

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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.

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.

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Standish
51% buy the item featured on this page:
Standish 4.8 out of 5 stars (12)
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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
5 star:
 (10)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fine writing and good history..., 9 May 2007
By Ansley Vaughan (London, UK) - See all my reviews
`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.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars More than a simple work of romantic fiction, 9 Jan 2007
By S. Culfeather "ravensquill" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
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.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, 17 Jun 2007
By Lady Mol (England) - See all my reviews
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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 		 Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, full of sex
I enjoyed this book a lot although it wasn't quite what I expected. It's a romance, but it also seems every chapter has a sex scene. Read more
Published 19 days ago by G. Martin

5.0 out of 5 stars Regency Treasure
After many people recommended this novel to me, I finally got round to reading it (it was on the pile, and it took a while to get to it) - and finished it within two days, even... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Alex

5.0 out of 5 stars A darn good read
I read quite a few reviews before I purchased this book, none of which helped. All you need to know is that this book reads fluidly and the plot keeps you interested. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mister Maybe

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved It!
This book is very engaging from the start. Standish also works well as a period piece. making it very easy to imagine the period in which it is set.

Give it a go. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Broder

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and informative
I enjoyed this book but it frustrated and disappointed me too, even though better than most romance stories. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Cerisaye

5.0 out of 5 stars A sexy, entertaining read
I adored this novel, and read it avidly in just a few days. Great writing combined with a fast pace and believable characters, especially Rafe, whom I loved. Read more
Published 23 months ago by K. Husband

5.0 out of 5 stars Awfully Entertaining!
I so enjoyed this novel - I read it on a rainy hoilday in Scotland and it really lifted my spirits and made the whole few days even more memorable. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Shelly Hart - Leeds

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what this genre needs
There are simply not enough historical romance books with two male leads. This means that fans of this kind of yummy stuff often have to make do with whatever is out there... Read more
Published on 5 Feb 2007 by Mathilda

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic bodice ripper romance novel.. gay style
I read a lot, but I have never read anything so breathtaking. You feel every breath taken in this book, the heartache, betrayal, love, power... yes even the sex. Read more
Published on 12 Jan 2007 by Mrs. Natasha Villion

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