Michael Thomas Ford is already known to the gay community as a wry observer of the contemporary gay scene having written essay vignettes on a wide-ranging list of sometimes humorous topics of interest to us all. Library Journal has compared his humor and style to David Sedaris and Ellen Degeneres. I’ve not read any of this material but did come across a longish short story in a vampire anthology…the author’s submission was “Sting” and I found it to be well written and suitably vampirish although a little sappy at its conclusion.
Based on this limited knowledge of the author I looked forward to this book, Ford’s first novel, with some curiosity, if not eagerness. I’m left bemused and vaguely discontented if not wholly disappointed.
The plot is straightforward; summarizing does not ruin it for a potential reader. Boy leaves partner after partner’s confession of a sexual indiscretion. Boy drives to Provincetown to think things through, decides to stay on and begins working on his novel. He meets various locals, several summer residents, fails to grow emotionally, yet still finds a new career, meets a new love, and, one is led to believe, lives happily ever after.
This old “feel-good” plotline is tried and true ‘lo these many years, but conflicts with my worldview. Some basic stuff left me a little incredulous.
My primary concern is with the motivation of the main character. Throughout the first forty or so pages I was totally unable to relate to the protagonist, Josh Felling, and how he sees the world. He had, he believed, a meaningful long-term relationship, over eight years, with Doug. Doug confesses to a sexual dalliance with a guy at his gym and implies that it was one time and all over. Our hero takes a hissy fit, dumps some clothes in a bag and runs out not even knowing where he’s headed. Through a friend he gets connected with a gay couple in P town who conveniently has a guest house which is to remain vacant for the summer (Right!!). Josh sort of falls into ready-made housing.
I’ve discussed Josh’s behavior with other gay men and without exception all of them could find the hero’s’ actions believable!! Some agreed totally and would behave the same way; others would have taken less dramatic action. None of my friends, however, found Josh to be a drama-queen, immature, controlling, jealous and/or clingy. I did. I thought he as all of those things.
If you can buy into Josh’s initial actions you will, no doubt, like the book more than I did.
Of less serious concern is the “college writing assignment” feel to the plot line. It seems that the author made a list of “typical” characters that inhabit the gay community, made a second list of sexual or sexual/social situations many of us have experienced, then shook them up and came out with a novel. The plot is so full of “stock” characters, that, were this a movie, central casting could have filled all the roles.
Sadly the happy ending for the protagonist I fear will last only a while. His character did not mature. I had hoped Josh would grow up and, since he seems to want and/or need a long-term relationship, learn the attributes of selflessness, flexibility and restraint. Josh appears to begin the boyfriend cycle over again at the end with a new career, new boyfriend and his same unrealistic expectations as to what relationships are all about.
The characters are at best two-dimensional, the plot is hackneyed, and I cannot relate to Josh at all. If you like reading that resembles a made-for-TV movie you will probably like Last Summer. My personal choices for summer reading lean more toward the gay escapist whodunits, maybe a little vampirism, or a volume of well-crafted short stories.
Last Summer is, I think, best left to the gay equivalent of the bubble-gum crowd.