LCC
PS3562.E2618
Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York : Knopf : Distributed by Random House, 1986.
Description
Fiction. Literature. LGBTQIA+ (Fiction.) HTML:Set in the 1980s against the backdrop of a swiftly gentrifying Manhattan, The Lost Language of Cranes tells the story of twenty-five-year-old Philip Benjamin, who realizes he must come out to his parents after falling in love for the first time with a man. Philip's parents are facing their own problems: pressure from developers and the loss of their longtime home. But the real threat to the family is Philip's father's own struggle with his suppressed homosexuality, realized only in Sunday afternoon visits to gay porn theaters. Philip's revelation to his parents leads his father to a point of crisis and provokes changes that forever alter the landscape of the family's lives.
User reviews
LibraryThing member lycomayflower
Compelling study of a family living in early 80's Manhattan. The characters are largely sympathetic, the writing draws one right in, and Leavitt has an enviable way of marking details so that they are both fascinating and telling. There was, however, a strong sense that these characters live lives
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in which most actions are continuous and repeated and important thoughts and emotions occur often but at no particular, specific time. It is as if they live constantly in the past imperfective, and while I'm sure that was intentional and pointed, it did became tiresome by the end of the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member diegogarcia
That is a novel and quite original story line, but the narration, style and language are unfortunately a bit boring, tiring, easy to guess. So, the best thing about this book an what made me buy it), is its title. But dont expect too much of it...
LibraryThing member bumblybee
The Lost Language of Cranes focuses on a very specific time and place in queer history, and as a result any given reader's mileage may vary. The story focuses on the Benjamin family, consisting of parents Owen and Rose and son Philip. Owen and Rose are in danger of losing their apartment, and Owen
I want to start by saying that I enjoyed the read overall, because I did indeed finish it. The story was interesting, and I appreciated the sheer amount of introspection we're given from all of the different perspectives. The very last scene is brilliantly written, and I think it is an image I'll be thinking about for days to come.
I say all this first because I have some big gripes that I'll be going into now.
There is an additional subplot about a Black lesbian named Jerene that, frankly, does not get enough time in the spotlight. There is so much more that Leavitt could have done with her and her story, but as it is, it just seems like it was thrown in as a way to have additional representation (and to explain the title of the book). It feels like there was a half-hearted attempt to tie Jerene's story in with Philip's, but it ultimately felt like she was playing the role of the main character's boy-trouble confidant, which, ew.
Rose, Owen's wife and Philip's mother, becomes intolerable toward the last third or so of the book. It made me want to throw my book at the wall with how much I despised her. This is all fine, but Leavitt seems to be trying to gain her some sympathy points toward the very end, which - hell no. She's an awful, selfish person, and she doesn't deserve a redemption arc, as flimsy as this one is.
Because this book was written in the 80s - the same time in which the book takes place - there are things that readers today may struggle with, internalized homophobia chief among them. I'm an advocate for reading with the time and place in mind, but others may not be able to do so. That's worth keeping in mind before checking this one out.
All in all, it's clear that Leavitt is a good writer, and the use of scene and character is great; I'd be interested in reading Leavitt's other work. I just wish the women were treated a little differently than they are here.
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and Philip are both closeted gay men living in 1980s New York. I want to start by saying that I enjoyed the read overall, because I did indeed finish it. The story was interesting, and I appreciated the sheer amount of introspection we're given from all of the different perspectives. The very last scene is brilliantly written, and I think it is an image I'll be thinking about for days to come.
I say all this first because I have some big gripes that I'll be going into now.
There is an additional subplot about a Black lesbian named Jerene that, frankly, does not get enough time in the spotlight. There is so much more that Leavitt could have done with her and her story, but as it is, it just seems like it was thrown in as a way to have additional representation (and to explain the title of the book). It feels like there was a half-hearted attempt to tie Jerene's story in with Philip's, but it ultimately felt like she was playing the role of the main character's boy-trouble confidant, which, ew.
Rose, Owen's wife and Philip's mother, becomes intolerable toward the last third or so of the book. It made me want to throw my book at the wall with how much I despised her. This is all fine, but Leavitt seems to be trying to gain her some sympathy points toward the very end, which - hell no. She's an awful, selfish person, and she doesn't deserve a redemption arc, as flimsy as this one is.
Because this book was written in the 80s - the same time in which the book takes place - there are things that readers today may struggle with, internalized homophobia chief among them. I'm an advocate for reading with the time and place in mind, but others may not be able to do so. That's worth keeping in mind before checking this one out.
All in all, it's clear that Leavitt is a good writer, and the use of scene and character is great; I'd be interested in reading Leavitt's other work. I just wish the women were treated a little differently than they are here.
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LibraryThing member xtien
Explaining the title kind of spoils the book. However, the title has little or nothing to do with what happens in the book. I remember the cranes part more than the rest of the book.
LibraryThing member Alirambles
I wasn't impressed with this one. Leavitt has a tendency to tell us what's happening, then take three steps backward to tell us what led up to that happening, filling in the even earlier backstory along the way. The result is that you read 10 pages to find out: Owen is walking somewhere. His wife
Novels don't have to be completely linear, but I began to feel like I was floundering around inside this one, trying to find the story, trying to figure out if anything was actually going to happen that related to the situation the author chose to begin his novel with. (It does, but by the time it did I cared less than I had at the beginning.)
Some of the dialogue seems contrived. Phillip sounds like a bad parody of a mental health counselor: "I miss her. I feel very sad about it." And some of the conversations between father and son toward the end of the book, I just found impossible to swallow, which in turn made the relationship seem false. Since that relationship was a pivotal part of the novel, it was disappointing to say the least.
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is home working (and they have to either buy their apartment or move, and they have a grown son, here's what his apartment is like, and here's what they talked about when she had lunch with him one time and then she took a cab ride but that was another day because now we're back in the apartment hearing about how her husband was gone when she woke up and now it's page 14 and she's working, like she was on page 4, and she's going to go for a walk.) Then we meet the son and his lover, but now we're going back 3 weeks to read the story of how they met.Novels don't have to be completely linear, but I began to feel like I was floundering around inside this one, trying to find the story, trying to figure out if anything was actually going to happen that related to the situation the author chose to begin his novel with. (It does, but by the time it did I cared less than I had at the beginning.)
Some of the dialogue seems contrived. Phillip sounds like a bad parody of a mental health counselor: "I miss her. I feel very sad about it." And some of the conversations between father and son toward the end of the book, I just found impossible to swallow, which in turn made the relationship seem false. Since that relationship was a pivotal part of the novel, it was disappointing to say the least.
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LibraryThing member phoebesmum
A routine story of family secrets and conflicts, it's only the gay theme that lifts it above the run-of-the-mill. Well-written, but not particularly engaging. I suspect I would have enjoyed it more if it had been about Niles and Frasier ...
LibraryThing member amerynth
I enjoyed reading "The Lost Language of Cranes," which surprised me because I didn't find David Leavitt's writing style particularly engaging. However, the story itself, a quintessential coming out tale, was put together well. Leavitt has interesting ideas that (especially the story that relates to
The novel tells the story of Owen, Rose and Philip, their gay son who falls in love for the first time and struggles with the idea of coming out to his parents. Owen and Rose are in the process of losing their home -- not just the physical house -- but everything that makes them the family they've been. The book is all about the way people communicate -- or avoid doing so -- and the way those languages filled with secrets and routines hold people together.
Really interesting concepts packed into a average story. I thought the book was worth reading, but it didn't inspire me to pick up more of Leavitt's works.
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the title)that elevates the book above the run-of-the-mill.The novel tells the story of Owen, Rose and Philip, their gay son who falls in love for the first time and struggles with the idea of coming out to his parents. Owen and Rose are in the process of losing their home -- not just the physical house -- but everything that makes them the family they've been. The book is all about the way people communicate -- or avoid doing so -- and the way those languages filled with secrets and routines hold people together.
Really interesting concepts packed into a average story. I thought the book was worth reading, but it didn't inspire me to pick up more of Leavitt's works.
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LibraryThing member astrologerjenny
I’ve heard about this book for years & finally got around to reading it. It’s strongly felt and strongly written, one of the earliest and most honest books about being a gay man in 20th century America. It details with the issues of two men, one an older married man who gradually faces his
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desires, and the other a younger man who accepts himself but does not accept the possibility of being loved. The wife/mother is finely drawn too. Show Less
LibraryThing member jmoncton
This book is set in NYC in the 1980's. Philip, a young gay man in his 20's is tired of casual 1 night stands and longs for a long term relationship. He falls in love with Eliot and decides that he needs to finally let his parents know that he is gay. Philip's parents, Rose and Owen, are quiet
This story is an interesting comparison of 3 gay men, all who grow up in very different environments. Owen lives his life as a straight male, Philip grows up in what appears to be a heterosexual family and Eliot, the most comfortable with his sexuality, is raised by 2 gay men. I really enjoyed this book. It was a touching and poignant portrayal of how society and our environment influence our ability to feel comfortable with who we are.
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literary intellectuals and have drifted apart over the years. Without the common task of raising their son, they find they have little in common. But more than just boredom in his marriage, Owen finally accepts that he is gay, and has been playing a sham role in his marriage. This story is an interesting comparison of 3 gay men, all who grow up in very different environments. Owen lives his life as a straight male, Philip grows up in what appears to be a heterosexual family and Eliot, the most comfortable with his sexuality, is raised by 2 gay men. I really enjoyed this book. It was a touching and poignant portrayal of how society and our environment influence our ability to feel comfortable with who we are.
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LibraryThing member ursula
The novel centers around several different gay men in 1980s New York City. Philip is "out" with his friends, but afraid to tell his parents that he's gay. Philip's lover, Eliot, is completely comfortable with who he is, but this makes it surprisingly difficult for Philip and Eliot to relate to each
Communication gaps, and how we work to make ourselves understood is a recurring theme. Another is the role of confession, specifically whether revealing your secrets is a selfish act or a means to draw you closer to someone. One of the things I enjoyed about the book was that Rose, Philip's mother and Owen's wife, is as fully formed as the other characters. It would be easy to only see her through the filter of the men in her life, but she is a complete person. She faces a changing world in the city in addition to the undercurrents in her family. I found Owen the most difficult to sympathize with, but this may be a generational issue. In the book as a whole, I enjoyed the lack of easy answers or pat emotions.
Recommended for: people interested in stories of family dynamics, anyone who's ever felt alienated.
Quote: "Such efforts of affection were nothing for him; his life had been full of them, pats and caresses and casual kisses, whereas for Philip to touch a hand to a cheek was an action of such magnitude that it had to be counted, treasured, preserved. It radiated power; it demanded bravery. Philip understood that there were people in the world like Eliot for whom love and sex came easy, without active solicitation, like a strong wind to which they only had to turn their faces and it would blow over them. He also understood he was not one of those people."
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other. Philip's father, Owen, is meanwhile coming to some realizations of his own about his desires, as well as his ability and willingness to continue suppressing them. The era plays a big role in the story, both because it was a time when the older generation started realizing there might be other avenues open to them besides denial and living a "normal" life, and because the specter of AIDS looms large.Communication gaps, and how we work to make ourselves understood is a recurring theme. Another is the role of confession, specifically whether revealing your secrets is a selfish act or a means to draw you closer to someone. One of the things I enjoyed about the book was that Rose, Philip's mother and Owen's wife, is as fully formed as the other characters. It would be easy to only see her through the filter of the men in her life, but she is a complete person. She faces a changing world in the city in addition to the undercurrents in her family. I found Owen the most difficult to sympathize with, but this may be a generational issue. In the book as a whole, I enjoyed the lack of easy answers or pat emotions.
Recommended for: people interested in stories of family dynamics, anyone who's ever felt alienated.
Quote: "Such efforts of affection were nothing for him; his life had been full of them, pats and caresses and casual kisses, whereas for Philip to touch a hand to a cheek was an action of such magnitude that it had to be counted, treasured, preserved. It radiated power; it demanded bravery. Philip understood that there were people in the world like Eliot for whom love and sex came easy, without active solicitation, like a strong wind to which they only had to turn their faces and it would blow over them. He also understood he was not one of those people."
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LibraryThing member DubaiReader
Where's the ending??
Oh no!! This book finished before it had ended. What happened to the relationship between Rose and Owen? What happened about their apartment?? The author forgot to end his story and now I'm left with no resolution.
Owen and Rose are 52 years old, married for 27. They have a son,
The book's excellent descriptions of the characters and their angst are its strengths, but this is very much a character driven book, for there is actually is very little plot.
The Lost Language of Cranes was well out of my comfort zone but it was chosen for a book group, so I gave it a go. It was well written, I liked the author's style, but I'm not a fan of gay literature and this was pretty lurid in parts. In fact, there was more explicit sexual detail, than I'd really like even in my heterosexual reads.
The depiction of the eighties was excellent, not surprisingly, as it was originally published in 1986. Not only did New York emanate a feeling of the times, but Rose and Owen's interactions and lack of questioning within their relationship felt very genuine.
Aids hovered, like a specter in the background, but I'd have expected a bit more fear and alarm about the issue than I felt.
....but to leave so many issues unresolved???
Oh no!! This book finished before it had ended. What happened to the relationship between Rose and Owen? What happened about their apartment?? The author forgot to end his story and now I'm left with no resolution.
Owen and Rose are 52 years old, married for 27. They have a son,
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Phillip, who is 25. Phillip is struggling with his sexuality, realising from an early age that he is attracted to men. When he tells his parents, he finds he is setting free an unstoppable chain of events; for his father has been hiding his similar feelings for over thirty years and secrets can't be kept forever.The book's excellent descriptions of the characters and their angst are its strengths, but this is very much a character driven book, for there is actually is very little plot.
The Lost Language of Cranes was well out of my comfort zone but it was chosen for a book group, so I gave it a go. It was well written, I liked the author's style, but I'm not a fan of gay literature and this was pretty lurid in parts. In fact, there was more explicit sexual detail, than I'd really like even in my heterosexual reads.
The depiction of the eighties was excellent, not surprisingly, as it was originally published in 1986. Not only did New York emanate a feeling of the times, but Rose and Owen's interactions and lack of questioning within their relationship felt very genuine.
Aids hovered, like a specter in the background, but I'd have expected a bit more fear and alarm about the issue than I felt.
....but to leave so many issues unresolved???
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LibraryThing member Kristelh
1986 novel by author, David Leavitt, set in New York and addresses the son's decision to "come out" and tell his parents about his being Gay. The book deals with relationships with Philip's boyfriends and in that it is a bit of a romance. It deals with relationships of Philip with his mother, with
I found the book to be hard to get pulled into. The first part was slow, the second part a bit better. I didn't feel it was well developed). I wanted to like this book because I really enjoyed his book,The Body of Jonah Boyd. In this book, set in the 90s, it does address the fear of AIDs and how this drove these young men into wanting to find permanent relationships where they could have safety. It also deals with the difficulties that older men had to deal with prior to the option of "coming out".
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his father. The title of book comes from a new article about a child who developed his language from watching cranes (construction) outside of his window. (a bit like Are You My Mother). I found the book to be hard to get pulled into. The first part was slow, the second part a bit better. I didn't feel it was well developed). I wanted to like this book because I really enjoyed his book,The Body of Jonah Boyd. In this book, set in the 90s, it does address the fear of AIDs and how this drove these young men into wanting to find permanent relationships where they could have safety. It also deals with the difficulties that older men had to deal with prior to the option of "coming out".
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LibraryThing member bobbieharv
A moving, fairly well-written book about the yearning and apartness feelings of different generations of gay men.
LibraryThing member robfwalter
I always find it hard to review a two-star book, because the inevitable question is 'well why did you read it?' I read this because it was sort of hinted to me that Leavitt is a kind of American Alan Hollinghurst. However, his writing lacks the grace and style of Hollinghurst, and his characters
Essentially this is a book about miserable people written in lifeless prose. As a contrast, I'm reading Howard Jacobson at the moment, who writes about miserable people with sparkling, witty prose and it makes all the difference.
I did wonder as I read it if this book has just aged badly, and that at the time of writing it could get away with its dead prose and maudlin world view because it had political currency. However, there are many positive reviews on here, so I guess it just didn't provide that specific thing that separates my taste from that of many others.
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lack the depth and complexity.Essentially this is a book about miserable people written in lifeless prose. As a contrast, I'm reading Howard Jacobson at the moment, who writes about miserable people with sparkling, witty prose and it makes all the difference.
I did wonder as I read it if this book has just aged badly, and that at the time of writing it could get away with its dead prose and maudlin world view because it had political currency. However, there are many positive reviews on here, so I guess it just didn't provide that specific thing that separates my taste from that of many others.
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Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1986
Physical description
319 p.; 22 inches
ISBN
0394538730 / 9780394538730