On the HahaFiction shelf
The Extra Man
by Jonathan Ames
Louis Ives leaves teaching after a colleague’s bra proves his undoing. In New York, he finds a roommate and unlikely mentor in Henry Harrison, an older playwright who escorts wealthy women. Henry can introduce him to society even while struggling to maintain his own cramped apartment.
From the publisher’s blurb
“a story of friendship and frustration”Read the full description at Pushkin Press, publisher description
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What makes it funny?
Henry has an improvised answer to almost everything: mascara for his hair, the shower for his laundry and the second half of a performance for a free night out. Art openings provide dinner. Louis watches this elaborate economy with admiration.
The comedy at work
Henry maintains a gentleman’s dignity amid smells, clutter and financial necessity. Louis wants guidance, which lets their friendship grow through habits that another roommate might find intolerable.
Try this if…
This is literary comedy for readers interested in unconventional friendship and social performance. Louis’s education includes Manhattan manners, longing and questions about his own desires.
Good to know
Cross-dressing, sexual exploration and paid sexual encounters are part of the story. Kirkus notes that the sexual-identity strand remains unresolved.
A few distinguishing details
- A young newcomer learning Manhattan from an elderly social escort
- Grand manners on a freeloading budget
More funny coming of age
Sources & further reading
- Publisher
Publisher
- Kirkus review
Review
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