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bethany6788's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
This is a really interesting perspective on gay bars and their history. The important thing to remember when reading is it is one man’s opinion. I confess that at first I thought Famous Blue Coat was some sort of metaphor but turns out it is actually a person who doesn’t have a name other than “famous.”
I thought the history of the gay bars in different corners of the world was really well done. I also liked how he brought in multiple other works and photographs to discuss the history in detail. I thought the photos were such a nice touch and really breathed life into the pages of this one. I also thought Jeremy’s frank discussions of his sex life and what he and his partner were in to was refreshing because you don’t always see that in a memoir type non fiction.
I do wish it had been told in a more linear fashion, as it jumped around decades often within just a paragraph. I had to reread a few pages to make sure I was in the right spot.
Overall, a really cool read about gay bar history.
I thought the history of the gay bars in different corners of the world was really well done. I also liked how he brought in multiple other works and photographs to discuss the history in detail. I thought the photos were such a nice touch and really breathed life into the pages of this one. I also thought Jeremy’s frank discussions of his sex life and what he and his partner were in to was refreshing because you don’t always see that in a memoir type non fiction.
I do wish it had been told in a more linear fashion, as it jumped around decades often within just a paragraph. I had to reread a few pages to make sure I was in the right spot.
Overall, a really cool read about gay bar history.
joeldrama's review against another edition
5.0
a fascinating read. really made me think about my own position with gay culture and how lucky I am to be able to find community and connection without the seedy bar and clubbing experiences that was so essential to gay life in the late 80s through early 2000s (even if I do feel to have somewhat missed out)
tobbled's review against another edition
4.0
Very intriguing book that I spent months not only reading, but anticipating and thinking about. Unfortunately, Joe wasn’t what lil’ old me was anticipating nor wanted.
There isn’t anything wrong with Gay Bar: Why We Went Out, it just lacked that something I was wanting for it.
Lin is a beautiful writer and this is objectively a very very impressive piece of work. The structure just let it down for me. I felt like there were just too many tangents and side stories and whilst interesting, they came too quick to actually take in. Any meaning was lost by the onslaught of side story after side story. It distracted me. The real reason I’ve been in a reading slump? This book distracted me.
Luckily, it isn’t the only book I was reading that distracted me (Oscar Wao…) but it is part of the blame for my slump.
Could you potentially argue that the slump is actually a side effect of my depression and that is also the reason I wasn’t able to enjoy this book fully? Maybe. You could be right.
I just didn’t get anything from this book. And I really wanted to. I might read this again one day, on a less distracting one.
There isn’t anything wrong with Gay Bar: Why We Went Out, it just lacked that something I was wanting for it.
Lin is a beautiful writer and this is objectively a very very impressive piece of work. The structure just let it down for me. I felt like there were just too many tangents and side stories and whilst interesting, they came too quick to actually take in. Any meaning was lost by the onslaught of side story after side story. It distracted me. The real reason I’ve been in a reading slump? This book distracted me.
Luckily, it isn’t the only book I was reading that distracted me (Oscar Wao…) but it is part of the blame for my slump.
Could you potentially argue that the slump is actually a side effect of my depression and that is also the reason I wasn’t able to enjoy this book fully? Maybe. You could be right.
I just didn’t get anything from this book. And I really wanted to. I might read this again one day, on a less distracting one.
smalltoad's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
2.75
notlikethebeer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Part memoir, part history, part exploration, Gay Bar tries to do a LOT. Not to mention that it aims to do this across three different contexts (London, San Fran, LA). I really appreciate what it tried to do, but I think it became quite sprawling and hard to follow at times: I often didn't know whether we were in a historical contextualization or Atherton Lin's present day. Personally, I found this to be a memoir more than anything else: which is not to say that there wasn't an impressive amount of research and information (there was!!) nor that it failed to provide a history and analysis. It was just more anchored to Atherton Lin's experience more than anything. I went into this hoping to learn more about why WE, as a community, seek refuge in bars and clubs. What I learnt was why Atherton Lin and his compatriots did this. Again, there was a wealth of information in here and I really appreciate just how much I learnt, but there were some clear limitations. Some aspects were touched upon - such as the policing of (non-white) bodies in clubs and the increasing presence of straight women in gay clubs - but not really analyses; other important topics felt glossed over altogether, like much semblance of women's history or a more considered analysis of the role of the gay bar in a community often so strongly affected by addiction. That being said, it sparked some fantastic book club conversation, and has left me with a lot to chew over. I also really appreciated that this focused on an era of gay bars I haven't read much about, in the wake of the HIV/AIDS crisis. Lastly, and perhaps what I will take most from this, is that I was incredibly struck and appreciative by the way that sex and sexuality was presented!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Islamophobia, Racism, and Sexual content