At the end of the day, Naked Hero is the story of Lewis Macleod's search for the perfect man. It's a common theme - looking for that ideal partner... or as Vikram Seth called it 'A Suitable Boy'
Now that was an epic - one of the longest novels ever published in a single volume. Set in India, it deals with the issues facing that country shortly after independence, including sectarianism and the caste system. With this as the backdrop, the book tells of the search for a suitable boy to be the husband of Lata - a strong willed educated young woman who will not be easily married off to someone she doesn't want.
I found it a fascinating read. There were so many reasons why a man might not be suitable - things in the West we think we have moved away from, like sectarianism and caste... But have we?
I touch on sectarianism in The Journey Home, so will cover that later. But in The Journey Away I tackle the other obstacle - not caste as such, but peoples perception of who is good enough. The British still have it in the class system. We might pretend it doesn't exist anymore, but it does. There is an elite whose families would not be over impressed if some piece of lowlife scum was presented as a potential son. Most families of any class would have concerns over one of their own 'marrying beneath them'.
In Naked Hero the 'Unsuitable Boy' is Lee Porter. It's not a class thing with Lee - it's his background - working as a male go-go dancer/model, and flaunting himself brazenly in public and on the internet. There are other reasons why he might not be suitable for Lewis, but for someone whose life is plagued by the Paparazzi, being associated with a man with that sort of background is asking for trouble. That's certainly what his coach, Jim Murdoch thinks...
A shiver ran down Jim Murdoch’s spine as he recalled the man who had sat there before, and he remembered the consequences of Lewis’s win today - they had never been far from his mind. The introduction that Jim had tactlessly avoided would soon be forced on him - as would the reaction to Lee Porter’s appearance in Lewis’s supporters’ box. ‘That website!’ Jim thought for the umpteenth time. ‘Boy, Lewis - you sure know how to pick them.’
Jim had looked at the site in horror as he discovered more about Lee Porter than he thought decent to know. It went way beyond the call of duty! Surely no other tennis coach had been called on to perform such a task: wade through a series of gay glamour shots that featured an abundance of muscle, skimpy little trunks, and on more than one occasion a brazenly bared ass! It was one hell of an ‘introduction’ and Jim’s earlier reservations about engaging with this man had paled into insignificance with a new found foreboding about seeing him in the flesh.
‘In the flesh!’ Jim thought as he lingered at the door. ‘I’ve seen more than enough of his bloody flesh - as will half the world come Tuesday morning - which I’m sure is something that hasn’t escaped him. The whole thing is a nightmare waiting to happen.’
But Jim knew that there was little point in trying to convince Lewis to abandon his plan. A course had been set, and they all knew now what lay ahead. Jim had reconciled himself to the path, however awkward it might prove.
Now that was an epic - one of the longest novels ever published in a single volume. Set in India, it deals with the issues facing that country shortly after independence, including sectarianism and the caste system. With this as the backdrop, the book tells of the search for a suitable boy to be the husband of Lata - a strong willed educated young woman who will not be easily married off to someone she doesn't want.
I found it a fascinating read. There were so many reasons why a man might not be suitable - things in the West we think we have moved away from, like sectarianism and caste... But have we?
I touch on sectarianism in The Journey Home, so will cover that later. But in The Journey Away I tackle the other obstacle - not caste as such, but peoples perception of who is good enough. The British still have it in the class system. We might pretend it doesn't exist anymore, but it does. There is an elite whose families would not be over impressed if some piece of lowlife scum was presented as a potential son. Most families of any class would have concerns over one of their own 'marrying beneath them'.
In Naked Hero the 'Unsuitable Boy' is Lee Porter. It's not a class thing with Lee - it's his background - working as a male go-go dancer/model, and flaunting himself brazenly in public and on the internet. There are other reasons why he might not be suitable for Lewis, but for someone whose life is plagued by the Paparazzi, being associated with a man with that sort of background is asking for trouble. That's certainly what his coach, Jim Murdoch thinks...
A shiver ran down Jim Murdoch’s spine as he recalled the man who had sat there before, and he remembered the consequences of Lewis’s win today - they had never been far from his mind. The introduction that Jim had tactlessly avoided would soon be forced on him - as would the reaction to Lee Porter’s appearance in Lewis’s supporters’ box. ‘That website!’ Jim thought for the umpteenth time. ‘Boy, Lewis - you sure know how to pick them.’
Jim had looked at the site in horror as he discovered more about Lee Porter than he thought decent to know. It went way beyond the call of duty! Surely no other tennis coach had been called on to perform such a task: wade through a series of gay glamour shots that featured an abundance of muscle, skimpy little trunks, and on more than one occasion a brazenly bared ass! It was one hell of an ‘introduction’ and Jim’s earlier reservations about engaging with this man had paled into insignificance with a new found foreboding about seeing him in the flesh.
‘In the flesh!’ Jim thought as he lingered at the door. ‘I’ve seen more than enough of his bloody flesh - as will half the world come Tuesday morning - which I’m sure is something that hasn’t escaped him. The whole thing is a nightmare waiting to happen.’
But Jim knew that there was little point in trying to convince Lewis to abandon his plan. A course had been set, and they all knew now what lay ahead. Jim had reconciled himself to the path, however awkward it might prove.