Is it me, or do Hootie and the Blowfish, Pearl Jam, and Creed all have the same lead singer? Would it change anything if they did?
The Night Listener is many things. Those familiar with Maupin through the televised Tales of the City but yet to experience his written output have been missing out. This is his latest, stunning work. The material is not light stuff, and a lesser author might have stumbled easily into trouble. After all, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you discover a fifty-something gay man phoning a thirteen year-old boy? Granted, such a scratch-the-surface question is unfair, but the reader is constantly sensitive to the potential, which is heightened by the twists and turns that promulgate the story. Never mind, though; Maupin is in command of his art and never trips.
The story is told through the eyes of Gabriel, the writer of a much-loved NPR storyline. However, an almost out-of-body experience at a recording session renders him creatively mute. Around him are a healthy and respectable cast that exert their influence in believable ways. The main players are Jess, Gabriel’s boyfriend or perhaps soon-to-be ex-boyfriend, and Pete, the thirteen year old AIDS victim whose upbringing would give anyone the shivers. Jess brings to light all of Gabriel’s weaknesses, while Pete sheds light on his strengths. It is a beautifully balanced double pairing. As a bonus, the historical perspective is granted through Gabriel’s father, a cantankerous and old-school but hardly senile man.
Amid all of this, a mystery emerges out of nowhere and is resolved in the way the best mysteries are resolved...several times and not at all. Everytime you think everything is neat and tidy, something you know is turned on its ear and you are once again unable to put the book down.
Several themes emerge, and all are of relevance to people in general, not just to the gay community. My favorite is the concept of love without boundaries, which plays out in the three relationships Gabriel fosters: his dad, Jess, and Pete.
Then, in a beautiful twist, a “jewelled elephant” comes at the very end of the book to tell you that not everything is absolute. A simply delightful way to end this book. This is a fairly fast one or two day read, and well worth the time.