Reviews

• A good read

  Until his death, I had never heard of Mark Merlis, but I wish I had. I have now read a number of his books, and he was a very good writer, in my opinion. Having lived in DC at one time, I could relate to a lot of the story and even figured out some of the places where the story took place. He does an excellent job with character development, and the story line is imaginative. I really enjoyed this book.

• A startling debut!

  After "An arrow's flight" and "Man about town", two novels I thoroughly enjoyed, I decided it was time for Mark Marlis' debut "American studies". I was certainly not disappointed. A splendid novel which I highly recommend. I'm sorry Merlis is such a slow writer. I would very much like to of him.

• 4-1/2 Stars for Mark Merlis

  How is it that Mark Merlis has been around for such a long time and I'm just now discovering him? This is a great book - the story of two gay men, one a student of the other. By using flashbacks to a much earlier time, Merlis weaves a haunting story of both: the narrator, a 62 YO man resting in the hospital after having been mugged by a trick in his own apartment; the other, a college professor who, as a Communist Party member during the McCarthy era, and as a closeted gay, meets his Waterloo at his academic institution. Although "American Studies" includes virtually no overt sex scenes, every page is permeated with the sexual implications of being gay. Merlis does a superb job of characterizing the desire, fears, rationales, fantasies, and botched advances of both his major characters. A particularly amusing and interesting aspect is how Reeves, the patient, interacts with his hospital roommate, a young, straight, clueless hunk who is stuck in bed for days with a ruined thumb that is never quite explained. Reeve lusts after the hunk's buns, which are frequently available for his viewing pleasure because of the rear-view hospital gown. The writing is subtle, nuanced, and sparkling. Every page expands the reader's view of how these two men have responded to being gay in a gay-unfriendly world. The mood fluctuates from being light and amusing to sombre and tragic. The book is both simple and complex - simple in the sense that it's basically the story of a few days in the life of a gay man in the hospital, but complex in that, through flashbacks, it reveals the life experiences, thoughts, and actions of both the main characters - all done in a sensitive, sophisticated manner.

• Incorrect Order

  I actually ordered Cognitive Therapy in a Nutshell but instead received American Studies by Mark Merlis, I will be returning the incorect order and hope to receive the correct book I ordered!!

• Compelling

  This is a great book for a number of reasons. Merlis is an excellent writer who really conveys a lot of emotions through his characters on the page. The intertwined stories of Reeve and Tom that showed how each man dealt with his homosexuality during the 1950s and beyond were fascinating. There is a lot of angst and sadness here, but it's an interesting book with a compelling story.

Purchase links