Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It is such a touching story of a lasting relationship going through many trials and tribulations. I found the characters to be quite likable.There are some funny parts along with some really heart felt moments. My only critique is that it’s a tad too long. Even so, it’s still a satisfying story.

The Way We Were, but make it gay. And funny. Farrell Covington portrays the love affair between a Jewish aspiring playwright (parallels to Rudnick's own life are obvious) and the beautiful, rich scion of a WASPy manufacturing dynasty. Over the span of 50+ years, the couple face many obstacles to their happiness including Farrell's virulently homophobic family, AIDS, and Farrell's own wanderlust. The novel is at its most poignant when narrator Nate describes the closeted lifestyle that was de rigueur in the late 20th century: Farrell was consciously disguising his sexuality, as many are forced to do. If all the world's a stage, gay people are often expected to understudy themselves, reinterpreting the truth of their performances, depending on who's out front, and who's paying their salary. And you can tell that Rudnick is writing from personal experience when the casualties of the AIDS crisis include Nate's nearest and dearest. Farrell himself never quite becomes a fully realized character; I shipped the love story without feeling a strong connection to the seemingly perfect golden god who is larger than life (starting with his introductory declaration to Nate: “Farrell Covington. And I may very well be in love with you. Madly in love. Hopelessly in love. Whom would you like me to kill?”)Rudnick/Nate gets a grumpy old man soliloquy towards the end of the novel about 21st century baby queers who eschew the word “gay” because it reeks of cisgender white male privilege, but the overall tone of book is upbeat and triumphant. It's definitely more substantial than the author's 2021 zany romance [b:Playing the Palace 56293845 Playing the Palace Paul Rudnick https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1608038079l/56293845.SX50.jpg 68726824]. Highly recommended, whether the 1970s are part of your memories or something you once read about in a history book.

I'm usually not one for ~summer reads~, but “Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style” is pretty good, full of camp and heart in equal measure. If anything, the book is a bit too humorous for its own sake: when it reaches for romantic pathos, I couldn't take it as seriously as I think I was supposed to. Recommended if you enjoyed “Less” by Andrew Sean Greer (and, honestly, who didn't?).