Mr. Benson

this book has a certain amount of \’historical\’ value, for the light it shines on a period of gay life in NYC. You get glimpses of what the scene was like and how gay men thought of themselves, all of which has changed so much in some ways. And as porn, there are parts that are really fun and hot, if you enjoy S/m fantasies. I read John Preston\’s piece where he talks about how he wrote this book. He says he wrote it more as a joke than anyone took it to be later. And that might be overstating the humor in here, there is some effective social satire that is left at a pleasantly understated level. He also described the process of writing it — at first he was just writing jack off material, but at some point he realized he wanted his book to have a plot, so after a few chapters, the book suddenly lurches into a plot. For me, all the best parts of the book are before he tries turning this into a novel. The relatively plot-free set up of Mr. Benson and his boy is by turns, arousing and amusing. Preston\’s eye for social nuance keeps it interesting. But then the plot kicks in. At first it does pretty well — Benson\’s slave is turned loose and in his despair of being on his own, he turns to various men to top him. This leads to some interesting descriptions of scenes. I like the distinction Preston makes in a scene at the Mineshaft, between the cool people and the bridge and tunnel S/m tourists. But eventually this turns into some sort of comic-book-like adventure story. The sexual tension evaporates and one is left with some poorly written pulp fiction that I found myself skipping more and more of. The book has some moments after that, but the spell is mostly broken. But just when the book is wrapping things up and one is expecting perhaps one more successful erotic episode, the narrator, the slave, goes quite and we get his master, Mr. Benson, addressing us directly. It\’s kind of a funny gambit and I see where one commentator here said it was his favorite part. For me it was another part of the book that kind of broke the illusion of the fiction too much, kind of uninspired and clunky. One has the impression that Preston was good at describing the world he inhabited and at drawing from his libido. And the best parts of the book are pretty strong in those regards. The worst parts show him going beyond the limits of his storytelling ability, the illusion fades.

I re-read this classic novel recently and it holds up over time. It is indeed a fictionalized snapshot of an era when the New York gay men\’s leather and BDSM scene was in its most active underground prime. Anyone reading it must always remember that it is indeed a fictionalized portrayal of that era and of the types of kinky power dynamic relationships that are the focus of the story. It is not a template by which one should necessarily pattern one\’s own sexuality or relationships. But it is without a doubt erotic for anyone with an interest in such styles of sexuality. It\’s a classic that every gay man with an interest in BDSM, leather or kink will likely find deserves a place on his bookshelf or Kindle.

OMG< I wish I could find my own Mr. Benson. I love this book and wish I would have read it 30 years ago, if it had been written then; LOL it could have really helped me focus on the important things in life (in a way). anyhow I loved it and was not disappointed and I don\’t think anyone would be if they are in the least bit titillated or fascinated with the s/m aspect of our gay subculture. I would also love to have the T-shirt with the \”Looking for Mr. Benson\” stenciled on the front and back, i\’d wear his collar anytime. LOL

A definitive master piece of a novel. This journey into an alternative lifestyle will have you on the edge of your seat almost completely identifying with the antagonist. After you question your own nature you\’ll revel in journey this book has taken you on. A must have for any Leatherman, Leatherwoman and/or boy.

Mr Benson by John Preston was possibly one of the most challenging books I\’ve read in a while, but the depth of feeling, trust and sense of belonging was so worth the ride. I have to agree with a comment made to me about the latter parts of the book, which did end up a little bit like something out of Five Go Mad in Dorset. However, by the time I\’d actually reached this point in the book I did not really give a rats as I was up at some ungodly hour reading it. I just wanted to see what happened. I think the final chapter was what really set me on my ear. Mr Benson is not BDSM lite, it is the full banana and then some. One of my top reads of the year.

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