Well worth reading, Mendelsohn (a classicist) discusses film, books and theater, most of which he loved but a few he hated. His only really vituperative piece examines Boswell's 'Same Sex Union in Premodern Europe'. His odium isn't directed at the subject matter, but at the shoddy scholarship or deliberately altered textual meanings used to justify same sex marriages. If two people love each other, who is to say their heart is wrong? A acquaintance of mine pointed out that, in her opinion, it still isn't a marriage to which I replied that's because you haven't seen two gay men argue over who's turn it is to do the dishes. At this point I can't help but steal the gay comic writer Marc Acito's line 'Boy scouts, military, have kids. When did the gay agenda become the same as the Mormon's?'. (So I ripped you off, bite me, Marc. No really. Ladies and gentlemen, let us not judge Mr. Acito too harshly, his true and natural essence is sorely distorted by supporting terrific delusions. Why, the man actually believes that Hugh Jackman loves him more than me.)

Mendelsohn discusses the topic of each essay by first letting us know how beautiful it is, and then proceeds to tell us how each can be broken. There is a fatalism, a sadness laced in the essays. Still, I liked the book and, even though I have yet to see Brokeback Mountain, was genuinely moved by his comments on it. Daniel Mendelsohn must make a very interesting dinner guest.