Review: Muscling Through by J.L. Merrow
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 9, 2012
This story reminded me a little The Boxer by Jan Irving, but only since the incipit is similar, after that the development is very different, and above all Muscling Through has a full English flavour. Al Fletcher is this big guy with a kind heart but with a different perception of reality; he is not stupid, but Al is not able to fake emotions, not even the small things you do to not hurt people. To Al, what you say is what you think, what you do is what you want. Larry on the other side is small and lithe, an history art college professor.The first time Larry sees Al, he is scared, he thinks the man to be a rapist, and when he realizes that he has judged Al from his looks like all the other people, maybe Larry is ashamed, and he decides he wants to know the real Al, the kind and sweet man, the one who will never hurt him or anyone else. I like that, being Al an artist and all is not what is influencing Larry's decision, Larry and Al's relationship start before that, Larry is not considering All an idiot savant or a special art project. Sure, he will help Al with his art, he will push him to follow his talents, but that is only since that is what Al likes, and not to prove to someone else that Al is better than what they believe. Al is exactly what he looks, a simple man who loves Larry with all his own, whose first priority is to make Larry happy.I really like the setting, the college town of Cambridge, and also the English characterization of Larry and Al is good, when they talk about blokes, and mates, and other similar slang, they didn't feel forced or fake, and after a bit, it was almost like if I raised my eyes from the screen I could see outside a rainy cobble paved street outside my window.Muscling Through is sweet and romantic, sometime sexy, but mostly it's a love story with a wonderful happily ever after.