The Boy with Black Eyes | 
| Author: Brian Lucas
Publisher: PANIC Press
Category: Book
Buy New: $9.95
Rating:  7 reviews
Media: Paperback
Edition: Ecliptical
Pages: 120
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.4
ISBN: 0981487904
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780981487908
ASIN: 0981487904
Publication Date: April 8, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
College freshman Brian Lucas treads the academic waters well, enjoying Deans List candidacy despite having slept or daydreamed through the majority of his classes, until the beguiling beauty of a curiously out-of-touch mystery man sends him spiraling downward in a maelstrom of cat-and-mouse courtship as he attempts seduction of a lover more manipulative than moral. A first novel. Original. Long-Form Description
Nathaniel was not so much a man as he was a muse. From happenstance introduction to romantic intrigue, our relationship blossomed almost as quickly as my infatuation, I was awed by his articulate tongue, inspired by his indefatigable spirit, seduced by his sexual finesse. Yet despite my being completely and wholly enamored, there persisted a nagging fear that something was awry. Occasionally, I could see it in his eyes, hear it in his words, feel it in his embrace--a darkness. There resided within a sickness for which, as I soon came to discover, no cure existed. In retrospect, I should have gotten away when I had the chance, I should have withdrawn, retreated, disengaged. Instead, I cherished, fantasized, and idealized. I was foolish, I allowed him to break me. What I'm about to reveal is as much erotic as it is endearing, as ruinous as it is reassuring, it's the tale of a me I so dearly miss, an account of tender torture, stifled sadism, graceful guile, it's my memory of the boy with black eyes.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 A no hold barred tale of romance and pain July 9, 2008
Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The one - their presence can do so much more for someone than that of a lover. "The Boy with Black Eyes" is a story of Brian, a gay college freshman who begins a relationship with a twenty-something young man known as Nathaniel. The result is an emotional hurricane that leaves Brian confused and conflicted. A no hold barred tale of romance and pain, "The Boy with Black Eyes" is a top pick for gay fiction enthusiasts and for community library collections catering to gay literature.
Dark Refreshment April 30, 2008
AutobahnAMG (Cleveland, OH)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
The Boy with Black Eyes, above all, speaks to man's desperate desire for companionship and connection, and how that craving often leads to self-destructive behavior. Lucas' world in which he allows himself to be drawn in by little more than adventure, clever words, and a pretty face holds a mirror to the reader and reminds us how easily and frequently the same happened to us in our youth - and may still poses challenges today. For the gay audience, Lucas' book resonates on various levels, whether it be similarities in remembrance of the coming out process, or the sad realization that so many in the gay community bear a striking resemblance to the villainous Nathaniel.
Not all is dark in the novel, however. My favorite section was the appearance of Steren, who provides a welcomed comic relief to the story. While she is depicted as a grotesque individual, it is the unexpected and gentle advice she gives Brian which brings light and dignity to even the most bizarre people.
In all, The Boy with Black Eyes is a wonderful and richly written piece. The maturity and sophistication of the writing defies the author's youthfulness and demonstrates that there are those out there who truly create art when they put pen to paper.
 That's why they call them "crushes" ... April 24, 2008
Bob Lind (Phoenix, AZ United States)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Brian was a 19 year old gay college freshman, secure in his sexuality but inexperienced in dating or sex, immersing himself in his studies as a substitute for both. So when he stumbles upon the charismatic and somewhat mysterious Nathaniel, working at a shopping mall, he is instantly infatuated with the 20-something young man with the gift of gab, and is soon spending time alone with him at Nathaniel's apartment.
Although warned by a friend of Nathaniel's about his alleged "track record" of previous relationships with relatively innocent teens such as himself, Brian wants to believe he has found the love of his life, setting himself up for a disappointment he knows is likely to come.
Coming in at just 116 pages, and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d to that by the use of double-spacing and large graphics, "The Boy With Black Eyes" is more of a short story than a novel. But the story best suits that format, and realistically could not have been developed further than it was. It is, after all, a retelling of an incident (billed as "based on a true story") that is all-too-common in first relationships, gay or straight. I give it four stars out of five.
Utterly Eloquent April 12, 2008
Mr. Daniel W. Stepanic
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Lust is a tricky thing; love is even trickier. And when you can't tell which is which, well now you're just playing with fire. If Black Eyes serves as any indication, Brian Lucas knows both love and lust intimately. He's got the burns to prove it.
At its very core, The Boy with Black Eyes is a love story - a seriously tragic, tortuously twisted, but heartrendingly human love story. The wholly likeable Lucas, as a character, is someone with whom everyone can relate; we've all had our hearts broken; we've all given more than we've received; we've all missed the glaring signals that something is awry. Lucas tells his tale straightforwardly from start to finish, his imagery as effective as his symbolism extensive. He puts on little airs, hides nothing, and speaks from a very real place. Though Lucas swears Black Eyes a work of fiction, the narrative's emotional charge seems to contest this point. At 120 pages taut, the novel is a literary cloudburst - it comes on fast and pours over the reader, leaving him sopping wet, wondering where the last four hours of his afternoon went.
Bottom-line: It'll thunder through you.
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