Content New coming out novel shows self-realization
Last Updated on Saturday, 06 March 2010 21:02 Written by Toby Grace Friday, 05 March 2010 21:39
This very frank novel of self-revelation is predicated on the assumption that the reader will be interested in the inner struggle of the author to come fully to grips with his identity as a gay man. This is not an unwarranted assumption. Tomorrow May Be Too Late, by Thomas Marino shows this struggle on his own personal level. Most gay men go through a similarly long process of self-realization. While the process is often a long one, it can vary considerably in it's nature and it is always interesting to compare one's own journey with that of others.
A large part of this
process is developing the ability to form healthy, lasting relationships. This is not a set of skills one is born with and Marino takes us through his various learning experiences leading ultimately to stability with the right partner for life. This is certainly a process we can all identify with, each of us having lived through our own versions and many still on the quest.
In the course of this book, one quickly gets to know the author on a very personal level. He is a man who early-on developed skill at keeping his life in clearly separate boxes. A South Jersey resident, he was a banker by day and a stripper by night - working mostly at straight clubs and bachlorette parties. Though the book is un-illustrated, one may assume Mr. Marino was a very good looking man. A certain shallow arrogance is immediately evident as a result of this. We have all met this type in clubs far too often and we might find a certain small-minded pleasure in the fact that his good looks seem to bring him more trouble than happiness. Struggling with a gay relationship while at the same time dating a girl from work is a prescription for misery that one would think anyone less blinded by his own reflection in the mirror could see well in advance of the inevitable trouble. But then - we've all done stupid things when it comes to sex and relationships, haven't we?
This book, written in a sort of diary format, gives the reader ample opportunity to compare his own mistakes with the author's and many will identify closely with them. Hopefully the reader will also have found a path to stability and maturity, as has the author. If not, Tomorrow May Be Too Late may help along the way.
ISBN 978-0-578-00823-3
www.tomorrowmaybetoolate.com
paper $24
