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The Gazebo
Lust can be a curse.
The Gazebo: Thomas has as an unusual fetish that he will do anything to keep a secret. But his wife is on to him. And if she discovers what he’s been up to, their carefully cultivated life will be in ruins.
The Curse: They warned him to steer clear of the Transylvanian temptress, but Theo couldn’t resist her charms. Now the lothario is up to his neck in trouble. Could it be the death of him?
These turbulent romps masterfully merge domestic disaster with caustic comedy. If you like dark psychological fiction and black humour, you’ll relish this quick and engaging read.
Grab your copy.
‘Bawdily brilliant black comedy’ – Adam Riley, comedian
The Gazebo: Thomas has as an unusual fetish that he will do anything to keep a secret. But his wife is on to him. And if she discovers what he’s been up to, their carefully cultivated life will be in ruins.
The Curse: They warned him to steer clear of the Transylvanian temptress, but Theo couldn’t resist her charms. Now the lothario is up to his neck in trouble. Could it be the death of him?
These turbulent romps masterfully merge domestic disaster with caustic comedy. If you like dark psychological fiction and black humour, you’ll relish this quick and engaging read.
Grab your copy.
‘Bawdily brilliant black comedy’ – Adam Riley, comedian
162 pages, ebook
Published September 1, 2020
About the author
Guy Portman
15 books318 followersAs far back as anyone can remember Guy has been an introverted creature, with an insatiable appetite for knowledge, and a sardonic sense of humour.
Throughout a childhood in London spent watching cold war propaganda gems such as He Man, an adolescence confined in various institutions, and a career that has encompassed stints in academic research and the sports industry, Guy has been a keen if somewhat cynical social observer.
Humour of the sardonic variety is a recurring theme in Guy’s writing. His first novel, 'Charles Middleworth', is an insightful tale of the unexpected. Like the author, the protagonist in 'The Necropolis Series' is a darkly humorous individual – though, unlike the author, he is a sociopath.
Guy is a dedicated blogger and an avid reader. Reviews of the books he has read can be found in the review section of his blog.
Click on my website link below and get 'Mangetout' for FREE.
These shocking and suspenseful stories are a must read.
Throughout a childhood in London spent watching cold war propaganda gems such as He Man, an adolescence confined in various institutions, and a career that has encompassed stints in academic research and the sports industry, Guy has been a keen if somewhat cynical social observer.
Humour of the sardonic variety is a recurring theme in Guy’s writing. His first novel, 'Charles Middleworth', is an insightful tale of the unexpected. Like the author, the protagonist in 'The Necropolis Series' is a darkly humorous individual – though, unlike the author, he is a sociopath.
Guy is a dedicated blogger and an avid reader. Reviews of the books he has read can be found in the review section of his blog.
Click on my website link below and get 'Mangetout' for FREE.
These shocking and suspenseful stories are a must read.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 10, 2020
Guess I’m something of a Guy Portman fan. I read four of his books, a short story collection and the Necropolis series. I’m subscribed to his newsletter. In fact, it is through that newsletter that an opportunity to read his latest, Gazebo, presented itself. Fresh off the presses or maybe not quite yet off the presses, this book wasn’t even listed on GR yet. And now it is, my good deed of the day. And so it looks like I’m the first one reviewing it too, let’s get into this…Gazebo comprises two novellas, which is to say this book is only 50% Gazebo. The titular one is all about a modern well to do family living in a modern well to do neighborhood who decide to build a gazebo on their property. And, wouldn’t you know it, the seemingly innocuous pavilion structure acts as a sort of catalyst for the implosion that follows. Or maybe just an innocent bystander/observer, since the main couple is obviously implosion bound anyway. Too many pressures, too many options…the exigencies of the high flying lifestyle. The next story is also something of a morality tale, presenting the dark side of indiscriminately undiscerningly following one’s carnal desires. So the main theme here is pricks with money doing sh*tty things to one another and , in the end, themselves. Which is actually something of the author’s specialty. Portman doesn’t go for conventionalities like likeable characters and his narrative has a peculiar choppy, almost stage direction or movie script, quality with the added peculiarity of discordant character sounds that seem to punctuate the plot. The entire thing is glib, cynical and definitely turns up the dial on your misanthrope leanings, so this isn’t for everyone. But for those who like this sort of thing, it is quite fun. Darkly amusing and reads quickly. So yeah, pretty good.
September 1, 2020
This was one of those books that I flew through in just a couple of days. I would dip in for a chapter and then just keep reading…and reading…and reading. I’ve read other books by Guy Portman and I LOVE his style. Very witty, very elegant, and completely and totally twisted. One of the things I adore that he does so well is that he sets up these characters that you end up hating to the point where it’s almost downright delicious to hate them. Like, every time they come onstage you get a little giddy because you just know they’re going to do something that will make you want to kill them. As a reader, you get pushed into this dark and twisted place yourself where you become happily homicidal toward these characters. I really don’t know quite how he does it, but it’s happened to me every single time I read a Guy Portman book. And it’s always such a guilty-pleasure experience. I love it.
I also love Guy Portman because he does transgressive fiction so well. Everything is beautifully understated until the momentum of the story reaches this intense crescendo and then suddenly everything is in your face with this sharp edge of brutality that makes it so you just can’t look away from the train wreck the characters have gotten themselves into. I always have to laugh at myself when I read his books because I can’t help but make these facial expressions as I’m reading and someone around me always asks WHAT am I doing with my face and WHAT am I reading to bring on that expression. Ha!
I highly recommend Gazebo to anyone who loves transgressive fiction, extremely dark contemporary fiction, and/or is a fan of Bret Easton Ellis or Hubert Selby, Jr. It’s amazing.
I also love Guy Portman because he does transgressive fiction so well. Everything is beautifully understated until the momentum of the story reaches this intense crescendo and then suddenly everything is in your face with this sharp edge of brutality that makes it so you just can’t look away from the train wreck the characters have gotten themselves into. I always have to laugh at myself when I read his books because I can’t help but make these facial expressions as I’m reading and someone around me always asks WHAT am I doing with my face and WHAT am I reading to bring on that expression. Ha!
I highly recommend Gazebo to anyone who loves transgressive fiction, extremely dark contemporary fiction, and/or is a fan of Bret Easton Ellis or Hubert Selby, Jr. It’s amazing.
September 8, 2020
The Gazebo is actually two loosely linked novellas, the first of which features the titular gazebo, while the second involves an associate of one of the main characters featured in the first story.
Both novellas are strongly-paced, and use the format well to convey necessary information cleanly and concisely. I think both novels did a good job of establishing setting to the extent that it was necessary to understand the action, although this is an element that I wish had been a bit more explicit (I'm Canadian, so I didn't quite catch any references - if there were any - to establish the setting as "suburban England").
I have come to expect that the character development is really where this author shines, and, insofar as the male characters are concerned, I was not disappointed. Both primary male characters are darkly disturbing in their own way, and, for me, downright terrifying. I think the author has done a really good job of exploring the concept of toxic masculinity in two different expressions. I did find the female characters to be stereotypical (not altogether unwarranted given the exploration of toxic masculinity) and lacking both nuance and depth. While fleshing out some of these characters would have added to the length of the novellas, I think it would also have strengthened them and added layers of depth to both stories.
Both stories are unsettling - disturbing even - owing to their subject matter, and how realistically attitudes played out. I can't say that these were stories that I exactly enjoyed, but I literally could not but them down, and I certainly don't regret having read them.
I received an ARC via the author.
Both novellas are strongly-paced, and use the format well to convey necessary information cleanly and concisely. I think both novels did a good job of establishing setting to the extent that it was necessary to understand the action, although this is an element that I wish had been a bit more explicit (I'm Canadian, so I didn't quite catch any references - if there were any - to establish the setting as "suburban England").
I have come to expect that the character development is really where this author shines, and, insofar as the male characters are concerned, I was not disappointed. Both primary male characters are darkly disturbing in their own way, and, for me, downright terrifying. I think the author has done a really good job of exploring the concept of toxic masculinity in two different expressions. I did find the female characters to be stereotypical (not altogether unwarranted given the exploration of toxic masculinity) and lacking both nuance and depth. While fleshing out some of these characters would have added to the length of the novellas, I think it would also have strengthened them and added layers of depth to both stories.
Both stories are unsettling - disturbing even - owing to their subject matter, and how realistically attitudes played out. I can't say that these were stories that I exactly enjoyed, but I literally could not but them down, and I certainly don't regret having read them.
I received an ARC via the author.
June 13, 2021
I really enjoyed this. Guy’s dark sense of humour and creativity comes to the fore once again and I tore through it. There seems to be resurgence of creative British authors with a love of the macabre. Add a strong sense of humour and Guy is and should be at the vanguard of this pack.
August 23, 2021
Glad there were only two.
I felt uncomfortable reading these stories. I could not wait for them to be over. Yet I read them both to the end. Great writing doesn't just feel make you feel good, it makes you feel.
I felt uncomfortable reading these stories. I could not wait for them to be over. Yet I read them both to the end. Great writing doesn't just feel make you feel good, it makes you feel.
August 13, 2020
I loved these tales of middle-aged lust gone awry, written in lean prose and hilarious dialogue. Wet and wild.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews