Eight Days a Week

by Larry Duplechan

Johnnie Ray Rousseau, a 22-year-old black gay aspiring nightclub singer, has met Keith Keller, a six-foot-two blond bisexual ex-football jock who works in a bank. This is a story of a couple as different as -- well, as black and white. And it's as funny, and sexy, and memorable as any love story you'll ever read.

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Gay Fiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1985

Reviews

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful read about a circa 1979 interracial gay romance between a black nightclub singer and a white banker. Duplechan’s witty style is laugh out loud funny and his books are a pleasure to read.

[Milan/zzz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh nothing special. This is sequel of very good indeed, "Blackbird" but this one has been written and published before "Blackbird". So I was hoping that the atmosphere from "Blackbird" will be transmitted in this one as well. Hardly. I didn't find resemblance between Johnnie Ray Rousseau in "Blackbird" and the one in "Eight Days a Week".

I like humour indeed but 'till certain point. Too much of even humour becomes kind of bland, even annoying. OK I don't mind sex but I always find it in literature kind of unnecessary especially in huge amounts. I always think "OK just finish and lets move one with the story". There are way too many music references and for someone (like me) who is unfamiliar with US pop music from 70s or so this was kind of tricky. Because many times mentioning of the certain song was an answer or description of the situation, emotion, etc. However, this part was actually kind of positive because I wasn't lazy, so I was hanging on the internet checking many of the hits mentioned in the book and discovered some amazing melodies I've never heard before.
So music revelation was the best I took from this story.

[Jay Langer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review contains spoilers for Eight Days a Week.

Rating: 3/5

Not so much a love story than it is a lust story, but I enjoyed my time with it either way.

I love Johnnie Ray, he’s one of the better first person narrators I’ve come across.

I disliked the last minute bait and switch at the end, the one that implies that Johnnie Ray sought out Keith again. Also not too thrilled about the use of the "bisexual cheater” trope with Keith. How hard would it have been to have him mention that he broke up with Betsy so he could pursue Johnnie Ray? Meh, whatever.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd time.
First read 1987.