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Jordan and Adam are both young, fresh additions to the glamour and filth of Sydney in 2007.
When they both find themselves lusting after heavily closeted men, they must quickly learn to carefully navigate the complicated, personal hurdles that come as a result. Thriving on the excitement at first, eventually the emotional toll this takes proves too much and both are soon left to try and manage the destruction and chaos that is left behind. The Passion of Bright Young Things is a voyeuristic look into the intimate musings and discussions of two young men at the very beginning of a hugely formative part of their lives. Listen in as they discuss everything from deep, forbidden love, art, politics, family and their desires for the future all from the comfort and anonymity of their computers.
Author: Rohan
Paperback Published 16 December 2020 208 pages
Read and Recommended by Hendri:
"Sydney, 2007: written in a conversational style, this debut novel by London-based Australian writer, Rohan, brings together two unnamed young gay men who find themselves lusting after closeted older men. Through their elusive encounters with these ‘daddies’, followed by their intimate dissecting of them, these two men observe and discuss contemporary online dating, intimacy, promiscuity, masculinity norms, and also arts and politics in Australia. One character surrenders himself to an older heterosexual, married man he frequently encounters at the swimming pool. While the other, through the anonymity offered by the Internet, meets a straight-acting curious older man, who soon starts lingering at gay club ARQ and gay sauna Bodyline, despite claiming to be ‘discreet’. Rohan expertly captures the nightlife of gay Sydney, but also tackles the issue of money and sex in the art scenes and provokes the reader to think about issues of consent, power, and professionalism. Bonded by their struggle to understand what closeted older men want, both characters eventually must not only navigate the fragile selves of their men but also deal with their masculinity crisis that subsequently lead them both to criticise gender norms in Australian society. A tour de force of interwoven personal erotic experience and astute examination of contemporary life, Rohan’s gift for observing the mundane and the big picture will captivate readers who desire a quick yet intellectual read".