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Tory's
Tory Bacher, a young gay hustler sets up a trendy nightspot that surreptitiously offers any illicit pleasure its wealthy patrons may desire
- GenresGayGay Fiction
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 19, 2012
I never thought I would find this book on GoodReads as it's been out of print for a couple of decades at least!
This is a MUST read for any gay man who either grew up in the late 1970s and early 1980s or who wishes he had. Snyder's story of a hustler who becomes a male madam who becomes a minor mafioso who becomes a "housewife" who becomes... oh, just read the thing!
TORY'S is a delightful comedy that could simply not have been written in this post AIDS world. It evokes a simpler, more carefree time in the gay community where, while we might not have had civil rights, we sure as hell had fun!
It's a lovely bit of fluff with some super serious undertones, incredibly complex characterizations and dialogue worthy of Nick and Nora at their best. TORY'S is quite possibly my very favorite gay comedy ever. And while it's dated, it's only a minor suspension of disbelief to put the reader right back into the heyday of gay discos when "poppers" were the recreational drug of choice and what you wore was FAR more important than who you were.
This is a MUST read for any gay man who either grew up in the late 1970s and early 1980s or who wishes he had. Snyder's story of a hustler who becomes a male madam who becomes a minor mafioso who becomes a "housewife" who becomes... oh, just read the thing!
TORY'S is a delightful comedy that could simply not have been written in this post AIDS world. It evokes a simpler, more carefree time in the gay community where, while we might not have had civil rights, we sure as hell had fun!
It's a lovely bit of fluff with some super serious undertones, incredibly complex characterizations and dialogue worthy of Nick and Nora at their best. TORY'S is quite possibly my very favorite gay comedy ever. And while it's dated, it's only a minor suspension of disbelief to put the reader right back into the heyday of gay discos when "poppers" were the recreational drug of choice and what you wore was FAR more important than who you were.
June 2, 2020
The contents has been described by other reviewers already. It's lighthearted pulp reading - not literature by a long shot. Nothing special (dime a dozen) but a relaxed way to spend some reading time. Similar to the Gordon Merrick pulps on Peter & Charlie which I read after just having come out. Good fun - nothing more.
August 10, 2014
Copyright 1981
is a gem. The inside cover describes our titular hero thusly:
Tory Bacher- Young, gay and gorgeous he worked his way up from one night stands to running the city's most sensual nighttime palace. But there is no pleasure without pain.
The story of a hustler's rise to nightclub superstar, this book makes me sad that I can't quote entire chapters: "Tory kicked off his Dr. Scholl's and grabbed his glass of chablis.""I hear the boys downtown do unimaginable things with their fists!" Really, the excellence goes on and on.
As Tory's rise from waiter, to boy toy, to disco diva to nightclub entrepeneur (finally opening the aforementioned pleasure palace named, of course, Tory's) he becomes more and more of a cocaine and Pouilly-Fuisse addled monster. His friends Brett and Mae and Mona try and rein him in, but his ego is not to be contained. At last, the promise of love with fellow hustler George helps Tory evaluate the opportunities and possibilities of his life.
I've read worse books, to be sure. This book's storyline is entirely adequate for a pulp read, and has a bit of sexiness dashed in here and there. The best way to read it, though, is as a picture of this place and time, and the men who made it magic.
This cheaply produced paperback book also contains a delightful sprinkling of typos. There's more than one reference to 'life in the fast land', but my favorite is when Tory goes to the disco, pays for his entrance, checks his 'coat and pate' and dances the night away. I hope they had a fridge in the coat check room. Nothing's worse than spoiled pate.
is a gem. The inside cover describes our titular hero thusly:Tory Bacher- Young, gay and gorgeous he worked his way up from one night stands to running the city's most sensual nighttime palace. But there is no pleasure without pain.
The story of a hustler's rise to nightclub superstar, this book makes me sad that I can't quote entire chapters: "Tory kicked off his Dr. Scholl's and grabbed his glass of chablis.""I hear the boys downtown do unimaginable things with their fists!" Really, the excellence goes on and on.
As Tory's rise from waiter, to boy toy, to disco diva to nightclub entrepeneur (finally opening the aforementioned pleasure palace named, of course, Tory's) he becomes more and more of a cocaine and Pouilly-Fuisse addled monster. His friends Brett and Mae and Mona try and rein him in, but his ego is not to be contained. At last, the promise of love with fellow hustler George helps Tory evaluate the opportunities and possibilities of his life.
I've read worse books, to be sure. This book's storyline is entirely adequate for a pulp read, and has a bit of sexiness dashed in here and there. The best way to read it, though, is as a picture of this place and time, and the men who made it magic.
This cheaply produced paperback book also contains a delightful sprinkling of typos. There's more than one reference to 'life in the fast land', but my favorite is when Tory goes to the disco, pays for his entrance, checks his 'coat and pate' and dances the night away. I hope they had a fridge in the coat check room. Nothing's worse than spoiled pate.
September 2, 2016
This was a fun read, humorous and suspenseful. A bit dated, but still entertaining.
I met the author through mutual friends a couple of times back in the 80s. He was a gay man living in San Francisco and about 40 years old at the time. (If he's still living, he'd be about 70 now.) Bill worked primarily as bookkeeper (or something like that) and wrote on the side.
"William Snyder" is a fairly common name and there are several other authors with the same name. As far as I know this is the only novel written by this particular "William Snyder." Bill (as we knew him) also wrote "homoerotica" for several gay adult magazines in the 70s and 80s under a couple of different pen names. One name I recall is "Bill Bardelli." I also remember him telling me that he had found a literary agent who helped him get the book published and that he enjoyed being interviewed about the book by reporters from gay newspapers.
I lost track of him sometime in the late 80s or early 90s. If he's still around, I hope he's well.
I met the author through mutual friends a couple of times back in the 80s. He was a gay man living in San Francisco and about 40 years old at the time. (If he's still living, he'd be about 70 now.) Bill worked primarily as bookkeeper (or something like that) and wrote on the side.
"William Snyder" is a fairly common name and there are several other authors with the same name. As far as I know this is the only novel written by this particular "William Snyder." Bill (as we knew him) also wrote "homoerotica" for several gay adult magazines in the 70s and 80s under a couple of different pen names. One name I recall is "Bill Bardelli." I also remember him telling me that he had found a literary agent who helped him get the book published and that he enjoyed being interviewed about the book by reporters from gay newspapers.
I lost track of him sometime in the late 80s or early 90s. If he's still around, I hope he's well.
June 19, 2015
"Summer fun reading" with some pretty great one-liners. A bit mushy, of course... characters that border on 'over the top' but with enough depth to make them believable and lovable.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews