One of the funniest books I’ve ever read. Gogol is a master of depicting human foibles and frailties. He presents vivid character types, which may be seen as peculiarly Russian, however these sorts are universal among humans everywhere. A prime example is the miser Plushkin or the braggart/liar/gambler Nozdrev. For me, one of the most amusing aspects of this novel is the tortuous digressions which take the reader down rabbit holes that might include the individual personalities of the horses that pull the hero’s carriage, or a discourse on neckerchiefs. Another droll feature of Gogol’s writing is what the introduction describes thus: “Similes are sometimes longer and more elaborate than what they are supposed to illustrate.” The English translation makes the novel feel colloquial and familiar to an English speaking reader. In spite of all its good humor, the book becomes serious at moments when Gogol lets fly a profound comment like, “Yes, my good readers, you would rather not see mankind’s poverty exposed.”
Gogol's 1842 novel Dead Souls, a comic masterpiece about a mysterious con man and his grotesque victims, is one of the major works of Russian literature. It was translated into English in 1942 by Bernard Guilbert Guerney; the translation was hailed by Vladimir Nabokov as "an extraordinarily fine piece of work" and is still considered the best translation of Dead Souls ever published. Long out of print, the Guerney translation of Dead Souls is now reissued. The text has been made more faithful to Gogol's original by removing passages that Guerney inserted from earlier drafts of Dead Souls. The text…
I loved this book for it’s many revelations about closeted, conservative gay men and women who held high positions in Washington DC and the US government over many decades. Also, that it covers those who were brave enough, or in such circumstances, that they proclaimed their orientation forthrightly and publicly, and in doing so, those few heroic souls moved the USA forward toward a more open society. Kirchick ultimately shows the progress that has been made toward acceptance of homosexuals.
For decades, the spectre of homosexuality haunted Washington. The mere suggestion that a person might be gay destroyed reputations, ended careers, and ruined lives. At the height of the Cold War, fear of homosexuality became intertwined with the growing threat of international communism, leading to a purge of gay men and lesbians from the federal government. In the fevered atmosphere of political Washington, the secret "too loathsome to mention" held enormous, terrifying power.
Utilizing thousands of pages of declassified documents, interviews with over one hundred people, and material unearthed from presidential libraries and archives around the country, Secret City is…
What a terrific book! At once hilarious, heartbreaking, and healing. I can’t recommend it enough. I love Howard's extraordinary self-awareness, which she herself recognizes. I love how she prevails over all her challenges with courage, heartwarming fortitude, and robust good humor. Above all it is her humor that makes this memoir so engaging.
2026 Reader’s Favorite Silver Award Non-Fiction LGBTQ+2025 Finalist Next Generation Indie Book Award for LGBTQ+ Non-Fiction2024 Finalist IAN Book Of the Year Awards LGBTQ+ Non-Fiction2024 Winner IPPY Silver Award for Best Non-Fiction Audio Book “This book is exemplary in character appeal (or interest) and development. All main characters (including antagonists) are unique and fully fleshed out with compelling, layered motivations and traits. Secondary characters are unique and have a meaningful purpose. Shaley Howard’s smiling face makes for a welcoming cover. In fact, the use of pictures within this memoir helped tell the story. There is a flow to this book,…
Jimmy Harper arrives in Chicago with the Diggs Monroe Jazz Orchestra, seeking fame and fortune. Instead he descends into the jazz underworld where he becomes entangled in dark dealings with a sinister mob boss and in an erotic affair with a black drag performer. In this unfamiliar world, Jimmy begins to question whether he can trust anyone, even his old band members. This is book two of the trilogy Medicine for the Blues, which explores the complexities of gender and sexuality through the historical lens of the early 1920s. "...a finely woven tale of self-discovery and acceptance.” —Poison Waters/Kevin Cook, Drag Queen Extraordinaire
