Review of ​In Tongues by Thomas Grattan

​In Tongues by Thomas Grattan is a novel about a gay man, Gordon, who, after being dumped, moves from Minneapolis to New York where he eventually works as a dog walker. He gets by through living at a bar owner’s, Janice’s, place and during his job is brought on as a helper for a wealthy older couple in Brooklyn. The wealthy couple, Philip and Nicola, work as art curators who let Gordon tag along with them. During this time, Gordon has encounters with other men, and at a party, hooks up with Nicola. As Gordon integrates more into Philip’s and Nicola’s lives, he pines over a well-known painter, Pavel. However, Gordon’s introduction into the couple causes some rifts in their relationship, and so on a trip to Germany, Gordon and Philip go alone. There, Gordon and Philip grow closer to each other in a platonic way. Pavel also appears in Germany, but leaves before Gordon can pursue him. On their trip in Germany, 9/11 happens which starts the separating of Gordon from the couple’s life. When they return, and while Philip and Nicola are on a trip, Gordon invites Janice and her friends over to the couple’s house where they perform burlesque. Then, Gordon and Pavel have a relationship while Pavel paints Gordon. All of it comes to a head when word of the party reaches Nicola, who never liked Gordon in the first place. Gordon is fired, his friendship is strained with Janice, and so in a desire to keep what little he has, Gordon travels to meet up with Pavel in Mexico City. However, by that time, Pavel is already in a relationship and was not expecting Gordon to take up his offer of staying. In Mexico City, Gordon receives an email from his father saying that he’s going in for heart surgery, which spurs Gordon to return home. Gordon and his father had never had a good relationship which is slathered in religion. When he returns to Minneapolis, he stays with his father and step-mother, but is rejected once they find out he’s been sleeping with other men. After being kicked out, and living at a friend’s place, Gordon receives a letter from Philip with five thousand dollars. With that, Gordon travels to Brooklyn and picks himself up by working at hospitals, eventually working at an ICU. One day, ten years after their first encounter, Gordon finds Philip succumbing to cancer as a patient. There, they have a final moment together laying in Philip’s hospital bed. At the end and in an effort to repair his friendship after Philip’s death, Gordon calls Janice where they talk about Philip, Janice’s new family, and the small things of New York.
 
Grattan imbues Gordon with a wry and smart sense of humor, often times to a fault of his character. The writing is direct and specific and I found the way it addressed religion, Gordon’s misdeeds, and the way he’s treated to really work. We get to see Gordon continually fail to forge strong and meaningful relationships either with Philip, Pavel, his father, his mother, or Janice. I really loved the sometimes tender, sometimes contentious moments between Gordon and Philip. An utterly raw and drama filled read.
 
Final Rating: 5/5