Rat Bohemia

[b:The Gentrification of the Mind|12798674|The Gentrification of the Mind Witness to a Lost Imagination|Sarah Schulman|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1320526309s/12798674.jpg|17946935] was incredible, but Rat Bohemia gives the lowest point of the AIDS epidemic the emotional depth I'd never quite grasped from the facts. The mid-1990s New York City it paints is saturated with death and friendship and resentment and activism and politics and family and pain and death and death and death.

A story revolving around three queer characters and their community. Rita is a rat exterminator working for the city of New York, Killer is her unemployed friend, as well as David, their friend who is a writer. This book is split in parts where these friends' stories are each explored, meshing and splitting to merge again in a wonderful tale.

Schulman writes of relationships queer people have with their families. The disappointment and betrayal one feels when cast out by their loved ones because of their sexual orientation and the yearning for a love and understanding that is deserved but withheld and the inner conflict caused by this.

The characters are hard to like, they do come across as annoying and their sarcasm is quite clearly show more their way to cope but Schulman has created such solid characters with weaknesses, desires, dreams and friendships.

I also enjoyed the question relationships in this book. The friendships and companionship. A kinship fostered by mutual acceptance, support and love. This story is very much told during the AIDS crisis and thus is incredibly sad as should be expected. The activism and community development touched upon was inspiring. A wonderful wonderful read and a fantastic introduction to a great writer. show less

Evokes a time, place and group of people really well. First quarter is the best.

A bold, honest story set in the “rat bohemia” of New York City, whose huddled masses include gay men and lesbians abandoned by their families and forced to find new bonds with one another in the wake of this loss. Navigating the currents of the city are three friends: Rita Mae, a rat exterminator; Killer, a career plant-waterer; and David, an HIV-positive writer. Together, they seek new ways to be truthful and honest about their lives as others around them avert their glances.