Paul Elliott Russell

The Coming Storm is a sensitively and brilliantly depicted narrative set against the backdrop of a conventional boys' school in upstate New York that uncovers the most carefully kept secrets of the human heart. Louis Tremper, the headmaster at the Forge School; his wife Claire; Tracey Parker, a 25-year-old gay man and recently hired teacher at the Forge School; and Noah Lathrop III, a troubled student - all struggle with their own inner demons, desires, and conflicted loyalties in Russell's show more award-winning novel. When Tracey and Noah start having an affair, dark episodes from the school's past collide with the current state of confusion that they are all dealing with. show less

Most people who like to read know who Vladimir Nabokov was. Until this book, almost no one had heard of Sergey Nabokov. Sergey was Vladimir’s brother, younger by only 11 months. Throughout childhood the stuttering Sergey stood in the shadow of his charismatic brother, largely ignored by parents that had two children too close together. He was gay, something that his famous brother was not happy with. Born in Russia in 1900, his early life was one of comfortable wealth but uncomfortable show more emotions. All too soon, the Russian Revolution scattered his family and destroyed the wealth, leaving Sergey with only his talent for languages to fall back on. He eked out a bare living by giving language lessons and doing translations. Despite his poverty, his life was rich in artistic acquaintances- Cocteau, Diaghilev, Stein, Toklas, poets and dancers and composers were among his friends and lovers. Eventually, he died in a Nazi concentration camp, having committed the two crimes of being gay and speaking out against the Nazi régime.

This book is a novel, not a biography although it is very well researched. Sergey speaks to us in first person, alternating between telling us of his youth and the tense days that build up to his arrest by the Nazis. He comes across as an appealing man, one who craves the love of his family and a stable relationship. While possessing no great talents himself, he loved the avant garde art that was current in Europe at the time, giving up food to be able to attend shows. The book is a marvelous look at the art crowd, with all its foibles and flamboyance. Sergey’s search for happiness, which eludes him for so many years before finally being rewarded, is all the more poignant for knowing that it will end all too soon. show less

This book pulled me back into the Gay men's culture that i rrmember as a young woman being raised up into adulthood by the gay mens community in the early 80s. Lost most of my best friends to AIDS before we figured out what it was. I'm 35 years past that time in my life -but this book was written with a pretty good understanding of the guys (culture) and how each of the many types of personalities flourish in youth - and age.. For that alone this was an excellent book.
Why do we always have show more to die in the end... Its just as much a fact of life as the fact of our lives...
Very good book show less

The story of seduction and the resulting experiences of a somewhat unconventional teenager. The labyrinthine paths that the protagonist, young Tony Blair, takes lead to adventures that become twisted and very dark. This makes for an interesting and often riveting read.