Gadarene by Tina Anderson & C.B. Potts

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Well never say never. I always said that I would never read an horror and here I'm, just finished one, and I have to say a very good one, and being very happy to have read it (even if happy is not a word that fit with this genre ;-) )

Late nineteen century in Manhattan, Galen is just out of prison. He has spent three years in Ludlow, a boy from Five Points, with no hope for a bright future. Son of a woman who is whoring herself to live, he has neither a place to stay if it weren't for Wira. Wira is his lover. A boy born with a genital imperfection, Wira was raised by his mother like a girl, but when his mother died and he went to the youth home in Bowery, they decided he was a boy. But his mother promised him he will be a woman, and Wira wants to be a woman. Above all for his lover, for Galen.

During Galen's absence, Wira has gained money "blowing kisses", but he has never allowed to nobody to fully "have" him. That part of him is only for Galen, and now that Galen is again at home, he doesn't want that Wira goes on to do the "life". But past trauma, of both Galen and Wira, and the reason why they met, doesn't allow to Wira to forget and go on. He has always believed that alcohol was the reason for his nightmare, but now he is sober, but still he sees the "boys", little ghosts who always look at him with accusing eyes. Even more now that Galen is out of prison. But why can't Galen forget the past? Why has he always to speak of Him?

Gadarene is a very intense book. It's strong, and it's not flowers and kisses, but it's also a beautiful love story. Both Galen than Wira are very deep characters. It's beautiful to read of their relationship, how they depend on each other, how difficult is their life, but still how easy and warm is their love. And even if this book has some paranormal elements, for me it's a wonderful historical evocation, of the tough life of that part of the world not born in safe and warm houses, of a man who is not fully man, but still has found love and deserved that love.

The historical details are wonderful, the use of the different slangs, the melting pot of people which was the poor district of a long forgotten Manhattan, all conveys to make an appealing reading.

ETA: I was fascinated also by the cover (wonderful) and done my homework; the artist name is Laura "Zel" Carboni, and she is Italian like me!

http://elegantmadness.net/

Amazon: Gadarene

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading+list&view=elisa.rolle




Cover Art by Laura "Zel" Carboni

Comments

[laurazel.livejournal.com]

Non è magnifico quando il tuo lavoro è amato e riconosciuto a livello mondiale? Io son stata piacevolmente sorpresa e contemporaneamente orgogliosa di averti trovata, davvero!
Da come scrivi, da come ti esprimi, dal seguito che hai e che posso riscontrare semplicemente sfogliando i tuoi "luoghi" non posso che dire di essere orgogliosa di condividere l'italianità con te e mortificata di averti scoperta solo ora.
E neanche io lo dico per fare moine o sterili complimenti.
Lo penso seriamente!
E quando sento parlar male degli italiani penso a quanto gli italiani abbiano dato e ancora danno al mondo, mondo che non dovrebbe semplicemente sputar sentenze su nazioni che non conoscono solo per farsi bello nel confronto...
Grazie ancora, grazie di tutto!
Se non ti sconvolge per la graficità di certi disegni, vorrei proprio che tu entrassi in Y!Gallery per guardare questa nicchia anche da quel punto di vista. I lavori più spinti non son visibili esternamente, bisogna essere iscritti ahimè é_è Però c'è bella gente, anche molti italiani, frustrati dal fatto che l'Italia è ancora un pò restia a certi argomenti.
Se deciderai di entrare, fammelo sapere che ti "friendo" anche lì!
Non sai che bello è parlare con te per me!
Uh Non conosco Martina Smercian, più che altro perchè ormai ho abbandonato il mercato italiano, escludendo il mio lavoro ufficiale. Ma devo aggiornarmi, decisamente devo...
Oddio esser messa tra le tue preferite soprattutto quando c'è gente del livello di P.L.Nunn, Anne Cain e H.Rose Meloche nella tua lista, rischia di farmi venire un infarto per la felicità!
Che giorno felice! <3<3<3
Laura