Review: So happy to hear Griffin's POV!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 21, 2014
There was a brief adventure for Whyborne and Griffin in this short story, but the real draw was that this book was written from Griffin's point of view. He and Whyborne are so different, coming from vastly different childhoods, but both men are damaged in ways that have led them to believe that they are not worthy of love and respect from someone they admire. Those insecurities are very well detailed about Whyborne as he narrates the first 3 books, but because he feels that Griffin is the very epitome of charm, masculinity, and bravery that Whyborne only wishes he could be, there is always an element of disbelief when he relates Griffin's own feelings of unworthiness. Hearing it in Griffin's words makes it believable.I especially liked hearing about Griffin's past in Chicago, both before and after his terrible experience in the asylum. I had previously been somewhat taken aback by his very casual approach to sex (especially after reading Elliot's account in Threshold), but this quote made it very understandable to me:We were men who f***ed other men; there was nothing of romance in it, nothing of permanence….. we could do as we liked, with whom we liked, and no one could gainsay us.That alone made it very clear how far Griffin has come, and why despite his sexual sophistication and superficial confidence, he really is as naive as Whyborne when it comes to being in a relationship. I can't wait to take these new insights into Griffin's psyche and reread the other 3 books! Unfortunately, it also makes me want to read the entirety of the other 3 books from his viewpoint as well, but that is not going to happen!The only reason I did not rate this 5 stars is that the adventure was actually kind of dull, and felt unfinished. Of course, this is a short story, and the premise was that the events all took place in one day, and therefore not much else was possible, but I still thought it was fairly unexciting. The prose and language, however, are still so very true to the era, and I just loved reading it.