Leading Men: A Novel

I didn't want to finish this poetic, Italian dream of a novel. Sad, worrying but life affirming . I loved it.

Christopher Castellani delivers a devastatingly honest and perceptive treatise on love and sacrifice in this novel, a mostly fictionalised account of the relationship between Tennessee Williams and his partner of 15 years Frank Merlo. Beautifully written, it also captures effortlessly the feel of its settings, from Italy in the 1950s to the United States in the present day. Aspects of the characters' lives are interwoven through time, with each chapter changing the temporal perspective, making for absorbing and rewarding progression throughout. And yet my one issue with the novel is that, like many that inhabit the same or similar genre, its tropes and its tendency for its characters to take such a psychoanalytical approach to everything in their lives put it somewhat out of reach: an examination of their lives rather than immersion in them. That said, it is still a very good novel I am glad to have read.

American author Christopher Castellani has written an almost epic novel about male authors and the men who loved them. The book, "Leading Men", features real people - Tennessee Williams, Frank Merlo, Truman Capote, Jack Burns, among others - while adding to them a cast of fictional characters. (It's handy to read this book on an Ipad or other devise which makes it easy to refer to Wiki when you have a question about a character in the book.) The book is perhaps a little too long, but the relationships between the characters need a fair amount of space to develop. Castellani has invented characters as he is writing a fictionalised version of real events. Not an easy concept to either write or read, it's the only way he can tell his story. The book takes place in the 1940's to the 1960's Tennessee Williams and his lover/aide Frank Merlo live the good life in Italy. Williams is writing during the day, while Merlo keeps Williams' life and household in running order. The two men are not necessarily faithful to each other and they do fight a fair amount, but the reader can easily discern the love between them. Their friends (and rivals) Truman Capote and Jack Burns - both with their own lovers - come in and out of the story. And added to the story as fictional characters are a Swedish mother-and-daughter, Bitte and Anya Blomgren - who meet up with Williams and Merlo in Portofino and are sort of added to their lives. Anya is based on Liv Ullmann, the Norwegian actress and director. Frank Merlo and Anya become life-long friends. But Frank Merlo, who I think is the main character in the book, does not have a long life-time. He dies of lung cancer in a New York hospital in 1963, after his relationship with "Tenn" has withered. Tennessee Williams knows and acknowledges his creative juices flourished during his 20 or so years with Frank Merlo. Still friends with Anya - who has go on to become a highly regarded actress - he writes a short play about Frank he gives to Anya. What Anya does with this not-particularly-well-written play is explored near the end of the book. Christopher Castellano's book is character-driven. A bit of a plot but what's there mainly exists to service the characters. The Frank Merlo character is a particularly well-drawn, nuanced look at a man who is comfortable with his sexuality but is uncertain about his place in his world. He may book airline tickets to Spain for Williams, but he has not-so-secret desires to become an actor/singer/dancer and find success in his own right. Castellani's book is a wonderful read, though not for every reader. Make sure you read all the reviews you can before you buy the book or take it out of the library. As always with well-written fiction, I'm left with the urge to find out as much as I can about the "real people" and their stories.

Slightly disappointing. The 1950s sections were far more engaging than the contemporary sections which I sometimes found overdrawn and pretentious.

I found Leading Men one of those books that really stays with you after you've put it down, a beautifully told love story that rewards you for your attention. There's a wonderful sense of place, particularly the glamour of 1950s Italy, and the enticing experience of being a fly on the wall in the world of legends Tennesse Williams and Truman Capote. It's curious not knowing, until the notes at the end, what's real and made up but thematically what this invented history gives you is a very thoughtful examination of what it's like to be close to fame and conversely what fuels exceptional talent. It's a fair observation to say that the book is not about relentless plot in a Dan Brown kind of way but as you get to know the characters you're drawn into their story on a powerful emotional level. And, as I say, it leaves you thoughtful and a little bit changed in a very good way.

Perfect. No problem.