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The ultimate fantasy? Or a nightmare of self-discovery? From the renowned author of 253 comes a dark, erotic fable for the modern age. David, a young scientist investigating what happens to the brain during the process of learning, suddenly finds himself the subject of a bizarre experiment. On the way home from the lab one night he spies Tony, a fitness instructor from his gym, on the same platform waiting for the tube. David's had an obsession with Tony for weeks, but David is no Adonis and Tony's barely noticed him at all. Until now. When David imagines Tony naked, a pleasant fantasy to spice up a dull journey home, an extraordinary thing happens: Tony strips there and then on the platform and offers himself in front of all onlookers. Horrified, David flees. But back at his flat, Tony reappears, as if by magic. And disappears, when David wishes him away. And reappears when he calls him back. Being a scientist, David recognises an experiment when he sees one, and sets out to test hypotheses. In quick succession he conjures up Billie Holliday, Johnny Weismuller, Daffy Duck, Picasso, Sophia Loren, even his younger self. Mad with lust and losing all scientific objectivity, he runs th… (more)
User reviews
As you might imagine, this is kind of too good to be true.
And as you can probably guess from the title,
I absolutely loved this book.
Of course, much like the experiments he performs on helpless animals, his manipulation of these people is not without its ethical ambiguities and complications. Each person reacts differently to his overtures and, despite their obligation to obey him, almost none of them acquiesce happily. Slowly, with each encounter, he begins to learn valuable lessons about consideration, responsibility and relationships. In the end, rather than being corrupted by his newfound powers, he comes out a better, more caring, person.
LUST is a rewarding book on so many levels. It has a lot of humour, partly as a result of the absurdity of its premise but in larger part due to the hilarious, whimsical characterizations which are the book's major strength. Every character, whether based on a real person or a complete fiction, is wonderfully alive and completely unique without ever once stepping over the boundaries into caricature. Increasingly I find fictional characters (particularly those in queer literature) to be bland and difficult to distinguish from one another, with the unfortunate exception being the token outrageous, flamboyant stereotype, but the people in LUST are absolutely 100% believable individuals. Even Picasso, the book's most over-the-top creation, is a total delight. Reading it, I felt as if Ryman really knew these people.
In addition to the humour, the book has a lot of heart and is surprisingly romantic. It examines religion, destiny, self-acceptance, relationships (familial and sexual) and responsibility. It has a protagonist who, while not always likable, is extremely easy to relate to, understand and even sympathize with. In many ways, he is just an average guy in extraordinary circumstances. If you like your queer lit with a dose of fantasy, humour, philosophy and/or romance, LUST has something for you.