Play Book Tag discussion

Blackouts by Justin Torres - 4* - My Review

Poetically written novel in the form of an intimate discussion between two men – one older and one younger, who originally met in a mental hospital ten years earlier. Juan, the older man, is nearing the end of life. The younger man is not named but Juan calls him “Nene.” They tell each other stories, focused on family relationships, past experiences, and mental health “treatments.” It specifically refers to an outdated (real) psychiatric book called Sex Variants: A Study in Homosexual Patterns.

The term “Blackouts” of the title refers to both blackouts experienced by the characters (which they analyze during their storytelling sessions) and blacked out (redacted) pages of the Variants book, where the remaining words create poetry. It has an atmosphere of intimacy. It contains a number of literary references, and a commentary on misunderstandings of homosexuality (previously classified as a mental condition). I am not quite sure how well it works as a novel. I prefer a little more of a storyline, but it’s definitely creative and I appreciate it as a work of art.