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The Palace of Varieties

by: James Lear

April 03, 2008
This is the book I wish I'd written myself. It's sleazy and highly explicit; not for the faint-hearted. But it summons up brilliantly the atmosphere of the Halls and of the queer subculture of the thirties, (not that I remember!)

Paul Lemoyne is a pretty unpleasant character, but like his few real friends, you can't quite abandon him, and despite yourself, you care what happens to him. I suppose the fact that he knows he's behaving badly is a considerable redeeming feature. The end suggests that this may be the first of a series -- I would guess a trilogy -- a prospect which makes me very happy.

The book is written in spare prose and with a lightness of touch which makes it a pleasure to read.