The Conversion is a sexy, classy spin on Henry James’s conceit of the young American adrift in Europe. Thirtyish Russell Todaro is the engaging narrator. A translator and would-be writer, Russell has only written a novella because he squanders his creative energies on obsessive liaisons with married men. “Another man, another motorcycle, another country,” seems to be his motto. Wealthy Michel takes Russell around Paris on his BMW motorcycle. Lorenzo, a carabiniere, guides Russell through the Tuscan countryside on his Ducati. Russell finds that his American straightforwardness—and his vulnerability—is no match for his European lover’s brutal, yet civilized treatment of him.
Left alone after a tragic incident in Paris, Russell accepts a mysterious invitation from the novelist Marina Vezzoli to stay at her villa. He brings with him the manuscript of an unpublished memoir by deceased poet Edward Cannon. Edward believed that living for love had kept Russell from writing anything good. Spurred by Edward’s censure, manipulated by Marina, and inspired by his love for language, especially Italian, Russell finds that he is ripe for the powerful conversion that occurs at the novel’s surprising conclusion.
Told in breathtakingly sensuous prose, Russell’s story is perfect for fans of Edmund White’s The Married Man and André Aciman’s Call Me by Your Name. A finalist for the Stonewall Book Award and the Lambda Literary Award, The Conversion is highly recommended for libraries that collect gay fiction of literary quality.
Reviewed by, W. Stephen Breedlove
Reference and Interlibrary Loan Librarian
La Salle University Library
