The Agony of Joy by Red Haircrow

[reviews_and_ramblings]

There are some elements in common with the recent memoir I read by Red Haircrow, Silence is Multi-colored in my World, such as the connection with Germany and Russia, the bisexuality of one of the two main characters, who is in love, and committed to a gay man, the almost dependent relationship between a younger, poor man and a sophisticated older one. So many in common, that I think the author translated in fiction, with some adaptation, people he knew by hand in his real world; I seem to recognize the boy of Silence in both Adrian than Yulian, but whilst Silence is a memoir, and heart-wrenching since there is no happy end for that boy, here the author wanted to give a spark of hope to his fictional characters. Despite the title, The Agony of Joy, and the sensitive matter it deals with, child abuse, Agony is not without hope, and actually, it ends with an opening to a possible, better future for these guys, one that maybe the author is thinking to share. Knowing the boy in Silence was real, and the author knew him, maybe he “used” Agony like a balsam, to put on the scar the loss of that boy left in him, to soothe the hurting.

Agony is not a refined story, sometime it’s even difficult to follow, my idea is that, like most of Red Haircrow’s writings, it comes from the real life of the author, and as such, it’s like a brainstorming of his mind and heart, and a storm is never planned. Despite that, the love-story plot is there, Adrian and Lexx are almost perfect romance characters, the ending is bittersweet but also romantic. In a way, knowing as Silence ends, Agony is at the same time agony and joy, joy cause in fiction an happy ending is possible, agony cause in reality, in Silence, you know that didn’t happen.

Amazon Kindle: The Agony of Joy
Publisher: Flying With Red Haircrow (February 17, 2013)

Updates: http://www.goodreads.com/user/updates_rss/2156728?key=011e4dd0a1ff993d8c2322e691d6229ed9bbf74b

Comments

[redhaircrow.com]

Terrific that the depth of its message, and the way in which the characters conveyed the themes of rebirth and redemption was understood and appreciated, for it recently received the top spot in the 2013 Global E-Book Awards as Best LGBT Fiction of the year. http://globalebookawards.com/2013-global-ebook-awards-winners/.

Thank you for taking the time to review "The Agony of Joy." The title itself is based on the gestalt theory, a psychological reference, the premise being that one must free oneself from the pain of the past to finally experience joy in the present. So, the work wasn't used to soothe any hurting, as if from a personal standpoint, although certainly, I do write about things I live and personally known, yes, which I've shared in various interviews. The latest being on Author Quiz: http://authorquiz.blogspot.de/2013/07/red-haircrow-author-of-agony-of-joy.html.

Agony is a work dealing with a terribly serious, nearly epidemic issue that millions of men like myself have suffered: being survivors of child sex abuse. A term suggestive of fantasy, light-heartedness or whimsy shouldn't apply, as this may be fiction, just entertainment or casual interest for some, but it is entirely based on actual experiences, so readers should be aware of this fact. It is direct and blunt in some places, as the gravity of the subject matter deserved no less. No glossing, no couched terms.

When dealing with survivors, issues can be extremely complex, as well as behavior and thought patterns, and through Adrian and Alexander, both from personal and professional knowledge, my point was to portray the often life-long after-effects which can touch every facet of a survivor's life, every relationship: romantic, familial, personal, etc. Sometimes it affects every moment, every act, especially when combined with other negative elements, but at some point if needed support and help are found: one can overcome and be free from the pain of the past.