Official Review: The Pisces Folly by Bryan Beckinsale

[That Reviewer]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Pisces Folly" by Bryan Beckinsale.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Being in a relationship can be a bitter-sweet experience. If you're in sync with your partner, then you'll enjoy the sweetness of a relationship. On the flip side, if your feelings and affections are not reciprocated accordingly, being in a relationship will be a bitter experience for you. The latter defines Bryan Beckinsale's encounters as put together in this romantic memoir, The Pisces Folly.

All Bryan wanted was to have a partner that would love him, both in equal proportion and for who he was. However, whenever it seemed like he found someone he loved, something happened that left him heartbroken. His romantic journey began at 26. All the experiences he had with different partners, at different times, were recorded in this memoir. Did he eventually find the perfect partner?

The Pisces Folly is a book that x-rayed gay relationships. At the time Bryan began exploring his sexuality, gay relationships were not yet allowed in most parts of the United States. However, Bryan was bold enough to be the architect of his happiness. Though I'm not gay and don't intend to be, Bryan's narrative gave me some insights into what it was like to be in a same-sex relationship. Furthermore, reading through many of his experiences, I figured how to read telltale signs of a relationship that would or wouldn't work.

What I like most about this book was the way Bryan went into detail while maintaining a high level of discretion. He left no stone unturned in the narrative. For every experience shared, he began the story from the beginning. This helped me follow through with each narrative. His discretion was exhibited in the use of pseudo-names to describe his exes. That way, he ensured their identities were not given away. This was important because there are folks whose relationship with other people could be affected if they found out those people were gay. More so, some of his exes may not want their sexualities to be made public. I applaud Bryan for his thoughtfulness.

There were a few things I didn't like about the book. First, I felt the author emphasized more on the shortcomings of his exes than on himself. For most of his failed relationships, he directly or indirectly pushed the blame away from himself. This made me almost doubt the genuineness of his story. Secondly, the writing style wasn't engaging at all. Even as a short book, it was a bit boring to read. There were no aha moments in the narrative. For a book that has a selected reading audience, I expected the writing to be exciting. However, I was a tad disappointed.

In addition to the issues I stated in the preceding paragraph, there were a couple of grammatical errors in the book. Hence, I rate it three out of four stars. I recommend this book to anyone who has challenges reading the signs that someone is not worth being in a relationship with. However, if you're uncomfortable with gay relationships, you can take a pass on this one.

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The Pisces Folly
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[Splendour0606]

Starting a relationship can be quite easy but keeping the relationship is where most people fail. Though I am not gay, but I think I can pick a few lessons from this book.Great review.

[Jajachris]

Because you said it is a short read, I will definitely skim through its pages when I am not too busy with work. I just want to see what life as a gay person is like from the authors experience.

[Adanna Inya]

Although, I don't intend to be gay, I want to know how their relationship work. It will be nice to look at it from an author's perspective.

[LinaJan]

I might be wrong in thinking so - maybe, after reading this book my outlook would change - but I think that a vast majority of couples' relationships are defined and experienced in a similar way, regardless of whether it is a heterosexual or homosexual relationship. Before we are any gender, we are human first. By saying that, in no way am I trying to underestimate the potential strain the forced secrecy and having to hide may take on any relationship. I might be misguided in all my thinking though, so maybe this book would expand my understanding.

[Ediomis_Enwongo01]

Same sex relationship is totally against my belief. Hence, this book might not appeal to me in any way. However, thanks for a great review.

[Reubeney]

The book focuses a spotlight on a sensitive topic and very intriguing.

[Aiman zafar]

Starting a relationship can be quite easy but keeping the relationship is where most people fail. Though I am not gay, but I think I can pick a few lessons from this book.Great review.

[Nujudee]

Wow.
Boring novels are a turn off for me.
So I think I might have to pass this one.
No review.

[Namaste23]

I was intrigued during the first part of your review but towards the end when you said it was not that exciting to read, it made me second guess whether I wanted to read it or not. Not sure yet on this one. Thanks for the great review!