Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: The Man Within
AUTHOR: Sean Kerr
PUBLISHER: SGK Publications
LENGTH: 202 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 30, 2018
BLURB:
Victorian London is a difficult place to be when you are gay, as Henry and Gabriel know all too well.
When they were young at Oxford University, Henry and Gabriel’s love burned hot and bright, and they thought to change the world together until a devastating tragedy ripped them apart.
Now, as youth fades away, Henry can no longer stand to see his own reflection in the mirror. All he sees is a sad, tired old man whose body has betrayed him. He craves the touch of another, to feel attractive and vital once more but his obsession with finding a cure for insanity has stolen his life away, and now his work has taken on a dark and sinister dimension. How far will he go to recapture the passion of his lost youth?
Gabriel fears that Henry is losing his mind, and when a brutal killer invades their lives, they are thrust into the dark depths of Victorian London in a fight for their very lives.
As their friendship is tested to its limits, Gabriel cannot help but wonder if there is still a chance for love. Can they move beyond the friendship that has spanned over thirty years and find the love that once made their hearts beat as one?
You may never be too old to find love, but will you be able to survive it?
REVIEW:
It didn’t take me long to figure out why the story and the character names in this one sounded so familiar. Mr. Kerr has taken a classic story and turned it sideways to reimagine the story as it would have been if the characters were gay men. Not that that was a bad thing. It was an interesting perspective change on the story, and I enjoyed his take.
In this version Gabriel is a middle-aged gay man who still pines for his ex-lover, now turned friend, Henry. Henry has dedicated his life to science and finding a cure for the madness that killed both of his parents in that famous London hospital nicknamed Bedlam.
I liked how Mr. Kerr used historical accuracy in his writing and telling of the tale. I’m not 100% sure if the original story incorporated Bedlam or not. It has been years since I read that book. But this one did, and I liked how the author made me think about the mother dying in the cell below the old hospital. I could picture it in my mind. Mr. Kerr also did well with re-imagined Henry’s alter-ego as a tall blond muscled Adonis, who appeals to almost every gay man who sees him.
Can Gabriel help Henry escape the mistakes he has made? Can they find that love works even for men of their age? I can’t tell you much more without spoilers.
In conclusion, I liked the story, but I’ll admit I felt it was a bit odd reading the exact same character names from the original story. It felt a little like cheating to me. I’ll leave that up to you though. The consensus seems to be rating it slightly higher than I’m going to rate it, so a lot of people love the book. It was well written and flowed well. I would recommend it.
RATING: 
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