The
Blue Lawn...
slightly
more would have made it
a classic
The
Blue
Lawn by William TaylorPaper, 122 pages, $10.95
Alyson Publications, 1999
a review
by Ronald L. Donaghe
This is a gem of a book—about a half carat, since it's fairly short. Still, there's a full story, here, and the only thing that prevents it from being completely satisfying for me is a sense of brevity of significant scenes. Yes, this is a negative criticism, because there's so much here in such a small space, but when I witness the growing relationship between David (just turned 16) and Theo already 16 and already somewhat cynical I wanted to see more substance. Other than the fact that they are obsessed with one another (sometimes), Theo unaccountably pushes David away frequently, then reappears in later scenes where I thought he had resolved some of his "I'm-not-gay-yes-I-am" issues. But truly, it does represent the volatility of youth and the confusions that come from David's and Theo's attraction to each other.
A somewhat more satisfying subplot that takes place in the story is of Theo's Grandmother and what has happened in her life to make her buy Porches and to then destroy each one she buys. I can't give away this subplot, because to do so would ruin David's discovery of the answers about Theo's grandmother. The title of the "blue lawn" is made clear, too.
This book is so short that to write a very long review would be to hazard writing more words than the book contains. Other readers will no doubt disagree with me on the negative criticism and will find this work totally absorbing, complete, and satisfying. I did like it and it stayed with me after I read the final page. One gets a small view of New Zealand and of the family values and traditions there. Where gay issues fit into this setting is both surprising and informative.
A note about the cover. Don't be fooled by the rather youngish appearance of the two boys. In the cover they look to be no more than ten years old. Anyone who knows what 16 year-old boys are really like will have difficulty squaring the cover with the content.
I recommend this book mainly for older readers. Younger readers might have some difficulty with the writer's vague presentation of some of the issues and historical information.
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