Man's World cover art

Man's World

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Man's World

By: Rupert Smith
Narrated by: Nigel Pilkington
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

London today: a world of sex and drugs and designer clothes, where Robert searches for fulfillment in gay clubs. London 50 years ago: Michael enters a secret queer underworld, negotiating the dangers of the law and the closet. Past and present collide when Robert moves into a new block of flats, and discovers that history is alive in his doorstep.

©2010 Rupert Smith (P)2011 W F Howes Ltd Literature & Fiction England
All stars
Most relevant  
Incredibly good! Robert spends his life clubbing, doing drugs and steroids, and going to the gym. He’s doing the bare minimum at work and is in danger of losing his job. His best friend, Jonathan, constantly berates Robert while borrowing (and never returning) his money, clothes, and booze. Life gets more and more complicated as the two get tangled up with drug dealers and free-loading, unfaithful boyfriends. It’s modern life for gay men in their twenties. When he meets his neighbour, Michael, and his friend, Stephen, all he sees are two ageing gay men. He doesn’t realise that fifty years ago Michael and Stephen were living very similar, but illegal, lives, grappling with the same sorts of issues.

This was such a wonderful glimpse into the lives of modern / historical urban gay men! Everyone thinks they’re the ones who invented the wheel, but being human at any time in history has commonalities. Either Robert’s or Michael’s story would have made a compelling book, but comparing and contrasting the two together is just perfect and the similarities between Jonathan and Stephen reinforce the messages brilliantly. These characters are all so well-written, so sympathetically flawed and utterly human. 🎧 Best of all, UK actor Nigel Pilkington’s narration is pitch-perfect for every character, one of the best audio performances I’ve encountered (currently free on the Audible Plus catalogue)!

Two parallel romances, fifty year apart!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.