Fiction

The Kingdom of Sand

The Kingdom of Sand

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  • Create Date：2022-06-30 08:51:56
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Andrew Holleran
  • ISBN：178733404X
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Summary

Out in the drought-struck backwaters of rural Florida， The Kingdom of Sand's nameless narrator lives a life of semi-solitude， enjoying the odd， fleeting sexual encounter and the friendship of a few。

His world is ageing， and the memories of another time flash， then fade - visions of parties filled with handsome young men， the parents whom he chose to spend his life besides， the generation he once knew， struck down by AIDS。 But， when forced to watch the slow demise of a close neighbour， he is drawn back to the here and now， and his own borrowed time in this kingdom of sand。

An elegy to sex and the body， but also a tragically honest exploration of loneliness and the endless need for human connection， The Kingdom of Sand marks the much-anticipated return of Andrew Holleran。

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Reviews

Aaron Broadwell ，

Excellent -- the writing style and the insights into the psychology of older gay men and the sociology of rural Florida。So much of this book touched me personally。。。

Yusuf Nasrullah ，

Frankly， I detested the book！ Authors like Holleran love to perpetuate the idea that old age as a gay man is just gloom， inertia and awaiting death。 I found the book exhausting owing to its smallness and tedium and lack of grace and imagination。 Stuck in Florida， a gay man alone after his parents' demise waits for invitations to see old films with an older neighbour or frets and reminiscences and clearly abhors his life。 This is a manual for how NOT to live！ I'm giving this book away。 His reputa Frankly， I detested the book！ Authors like Holleran love to perpetuate the idea that old age as a gay man is just gloom， inertia and awaiting death。 I found the book exhausting owing to its smallness and tedium and lack of grace and imagination。 Stuck in Florida， a gay man alone after his parents' demise waits for invitations to see old films with an older neighbour or frets and reminiscences and clearly abhors his life。 This is a manual for how NOT to live！ I'm giving this book away。 His reputation is solely based on DANCER FROM THE DANCE。 This one should not even have been published！ 。。。more

Caroline Mason ，

tI’m convinced Andrew Holleran could write beautifully about any stage of queer life。 Dancer From the Dance is one of my favorite books of all time， and I’m a fan of his short story collections （esp。 In September the Light Changes！）。 So， when I saw that he was releasing his first novel in sixteen years， I had to read it immediately。 tAs Colm Toibin said in his review of this book in the Times， Holleran is fascinated by solitude。 Our unnamed narrator seems to have found himself in his sixties and tI’m convinced Andrew Holleran could write beautifully about any stage of queer life。 Dancer From the Dance is one of my favorite books of all time， and I’m a fan of his short story collections （esp。 In September the Light Changes！）。 So， when I saw that he was releasing his first novel in sixteen years， I had to read it immediately。 tAs Colm Toibin said in his review of this book in the Times， Holleran is fascinated by solitude。 Our unnamed narrator seems to have found himself in his sixties and living in North Florida， almost by accident。 He is careful never to claim his life in Florida as a decision he came to， but rather a life that was thrust upon him （it is never “my home，” but “the town in which my father chose to retire”）。 He occasionally visits local cruising spots to fulfill his physical needs， but he feels that romance is behind him。 Everything is sort of behind him， it seems， and you get the sense he is merely passing time until it’s his turn to “kick the bucket。” tThe narrator came to Florida during the height of the AIDs epidemic to aid his sick parents， but many years after their deaths， there he remains。 He has a sense of moral duty to stick it out that’s often conflated with a lack of anywhere else to go。 He is of a different era of queer men than you read about in current literature， having never come out to his parents， and retaining a fear of being “outed” to his neighbors。 tThis book is extremely depressing。 It is beautifully written and heart-breaking， but man does it make getting older sound horrible。 I love a sad book， but for me， this did occasionally border on just listing out complaints for the sake of complaining and being sad。 But Holleran’s depictions of Northern Florida were funny and sarcastic without being insulting。 You get a sense that， though he is lonely， he loves his small town。 He has a soft spot for Florida （“When my parents moved to Florida I was certain that people in North Florida were stupid; it took me years to realize that the population in Florida is so fluid that there are as many northerners here as southerners， and that even if they are southerners， they are not stupid， and even if they live in a small town， it does not mean they are less intelligent than people in a city; it just means they have chosen life on a smaller scale。”）tThe Kingdom of Sand is a natural progression of his fiction， and it covers a topic that has not been covered in mainstream literature and feels important。 I’m glad I read this， but if you haven’t read his work before， I recommend starting with Dancer from the Dance and his short stories before checking this out just to know that it’s not all so sad！ 。。。more

Rob Barry ，

I really enjoyed this book。 The author has clearly put a lot of thought into the process of growing older and dying。 The language of his observations is wonderful， and - at times - laugh out loud funny。 Very thought provoking。 I believe I’ll read this one again and again。

AnnieM ，

This book is so beautifully written - its exquisite detail made me feel I was there with the narrator in the spaces - the homes that still contain the possessions of his parents who are no longer living， or his friend Earl's collection of movies， books and music。 There is a sense of loss and nostalgia and longing that is woven throughout -- and because it was so visually descriptive I could see a movie being made from this， albeit with a slow， lingering pace such as early Terrance Davies or Gus This book is so beautifully written - its exquisite detail made me feel I was there with the narrator in the spaces - the homes that still contain the possessions of his parents who are no longer living， or his friend Earl's collection of movies， books and music。 There is a sense of loss and nostalgia and longing that is woven throughout -- and because it was so visually descriptive I could see a movie being made from this， albeit with a slow， lingering pace such as early Terrance Davies or Gus Van Sant。 It is an incredible reflection on growing older and being lonely and observing other lives （there are great passages of the narrator walking down streets looking at TV lights flickering through a window or Christmas displays。） This book is also about being gay in conservative Florida and how to navigate being oneself vs。 being in the closet。 A beautiful book and I highly recommend it。 I just bought some of the author's previous books and look forward to reading them。 Thank you to Netgalley and Farrar， Straus and Giraux for an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Julie ，

A very sad and lonely book of interwoven essays about growing old and in the closet in a small Florida town。 I was moved despite the repetitive aspect of the narrative。 There is wit in these pages but the overarching tone is hopelessness。 Not recommended

Kurt Freeman ，

Super depressing concept。 Too close to real life for some of us。 Makes me believe even more I have no desire for small town life。

Robert Patrick ，

A funny and melancholy exploration of friendship and death。 As good as Holleran’s “Grief”。 Highly recommend both。

Michael Huerlimann ，

Oh how I wanted to love this！I've always enjoyed Andrew Holleran's work， so when a new book is published I do my duty and rush to buy the new book。And so began one of the longest slogs through a book with less than 300 pages。This book is full to the brim with Holleran's signiture beautiful prose。 His descriptions of the Floridian countryside and the communities and the eccentricities of the characters is still stunning。 At times very funny。 But most of the time I was begging for it to come to an Oh how I wanted to love this！I've always enjoyed Andrew Holleran's work， so when a new book is published I do my duty and rush to buy the new book。And so began one of the longest slogs through a book with less than 300 pages。This book is full to the brim with Holleran's signiture beautiful prose。 His descriptions of the Floridian countryside and the communities and the eccentricities of the characters is still stunning。 At times very funny。 But most of the time I was begging for it to come to an end。This book has little joy in it。 It is the story of a gay man who lives in his deceased parent's house， essentially reflecting on life and waiting to die。The story os full of mommy-issues， and it just felt so unrelentingly 'grey'。 I am glad i read it， nd I still think Holleran is a great writer， but this just was not a book for me。 。。。more

Robert engelbach ，

Really depressing bookInteresting picture of life in Florida in the middle of nowhere， but really gloomy and depressing。 Gives you the impression there's nothing to look forward to in old age。 Really depressing bookInteresting picture of life in Florida in the middle of nowhere， but really gloomy and depressing。 Gives you the impression there's nothing to look forward to in old age。 。。。more

Rodrigo ，

As someone who is endlessly fascinated with old people， specifically older gay men this book was absolutely everything I wanted it to be。 It's interesting to read this immediately after Dancer From the Dance because this is such a more loving， sweet novel。 I was sort of puzzled and kept waiting for the story to take a really dark dismal turn as I'd read a few reviews on here with many people calling this book "disturbing" or that it was really depressing and sure there's parts of it that are ple As someone who is endlessly fascinated with old people， specifically older gay men this book was absolutely everything I wanted it to be。 It's interesting to read this immediately after Dancer From the Dance because this is such a more loving， sweet novel。 I was sort of puzzled and kept waiting for the story to take a really dark dismal turn as I'd read a few reviews on here with many people calling this book "disturbing" or that it was really depressing and sure there's parts of it that are plenty sorrowful as comes with any older person who finds themselves alone and looking back on their past but I don't know。。。I really found this book KIND。 like， a genuinely （maybe not sentimental but） kind story of two men in the last chapter of their life having one last great friendship/connection。 I found it very touching and I loved this narrator。 This definitely will not be a book for everyone and I guess I could understand why some readers would find it upsetting but I really found this book to be a unique beautiful entry in the LGBT fiction genre。 More books about the elderly！！！ This was great 。。。more

Donald Sinclair ，

Very depressing

Mark ，

There is unquestionably some beautiful writing here， but I found it to be both a bit of a slog and unrelentingly depressing。 It’s not as much a story as it is a meditation （and brutal description） on what it’s like to be gay， alone and nearing death。 I pushed through just to see where it would take me， but I found it staying in pretty much the same place， as if it wanted the reader to experience on a visceral level the extreme boredom and depression that can accompany a life alone。

Zed ，

The focus of this book is on being gay， single， and old。 If that's not what you want to read about， then this one isn't for you。 However， it still has some comical anecdotes throughout。 It's about one man's journey through life， having to deal with his parents dying and taking over their house in small town Florida， without being able to throw anything away。 He also has to deal with the mundane boredom that someone his age has to contend with living in a small town， still an outsider in his seni The focus of this book is on being gay， single， and old。 If that's not what you want to read about， then this one isn't for you。 However， it still has some comical anecdotes throughout。 It's about one man's journey through life， having to deal with his parents dying and taking over their house in small town Florida， without being able to throw anything away。 He also has to deal with the mundane boredom that someone his age has to contend with living in a small town， still an outsider in his senior years。 As well， there's the loss of his friends， including his closest friend in town。 He passes time by walking through the town peering into other people's windows and looking at their holiday decorations， knowing there is life going on outside his four walls。 It is a tale of loneliness， but also a tale of life。Andrew writes in old school verse， often repeating dialogue multiple times， not accidentally， but to stress a point。 An easy read， but again not for anyone feeling depressed， or with a fear of growing old and dying alone。 。。。more

Elizabeth ，

1

Michael ，

Reminiscent of Philip Roth’s later novels， Kingdom of Sand， is certainly bleak， but so honest and darkly comic， full of sharp observations about growing old， and loneliness， and that lingering lust for the young that endures。 Holleran has been for decades a writer of immense talent。 （And he fucking nails Florida）。

Beth ，

This was a beautiful book about aging and loneliness。 Instead of depressing， I found it soothing， and I loved the narrator's voice。 This was a beautiful book about aging and loneliness。 Instead of depressing， I found it soothing， and I loved the narrator's voice。 。。。more

Eva ，

A story of a very lonely， aging gay man and his relationship with his parents， sister and several friends/acquaintances。 This book won't be for everyone but it definitely grows on you as you keep reading。 I'm very interested to read more stories by the author。 A story of a very lonely， aging gay man and his relationship with his parents， sister and several friends/acquaintances。 This book won't be for everyone but it definitely grows on you as you keep reading。 I'm very interested to read more stories by the author。 。。。more

JAMES CHILSON ，

Significant duplications of previously expressed comment are spread throughout the book which makes one think the book needed more editing prior to publication

jedbird ，

I recently read DANCER FROM THE DANCE for the first time a few weeks ago， and I was enthralled by the oft-breathtaking descriptions of people and places from the nightlife and gay life of 70s NYC。 I'm currently reading a collection of essays Mr。 Holleran wrote during the AIDS crisis。 He's a fantastic writer。 This story of a late-middle-aged gay man languishing in Florida didn't sound particularly interesting to me， but I was more than willing to give it a chance based on my fondness for DFtD。 No I recently read DANCER FROM THE DANCE for the first time a few weeks ago， and I was enthralled by the oft-breathtaking descriptions of people and places from the nightlife and gay life of 70s NYC。 I'm currently reading a collection of essays Mr。 Holleran wrote during the AIDS crisis。 He's a fantastic writer。 This story of a late-middle-aged gay man languishing in Florida didn't sound particularly interesting to me， but I was more than willing to give it a chance based on my fondness for DFtD。 Now， having read it， it wasn't particularly interesting to me， but the quality of the text kept me going--and I read it in a day， devoured it， in part because I was sure something interesting would happen in the next paragraph， or the next， and I was in a hurry to get there。 I wasn't expecting drag queens doing poppers on a dancefloor or anything， but something at least notable。 An event， any kind。I have been to Florida， and I won't be mad if I never go back。 The Florida described in this book is a nightmare of sunbaked mundanity， loneliness， and decay of both houses and people。 Everyone's old， everyone's on the downslope。 The MC is living in his dead parents' house surrounded by his mother's collectibles。 With no fondness for Florida， he seems to stay in the house out of some form of perversity， but his psychology is never discussed。 The gay scene in his town consists of a video store and a boat launch where queer Floridians lurk。 His major social activity is watching black-and-white movies with a much-older neighbor who is very slowly dying。 Later， he gets a desperately lonely person's dual crush on a pair of Walgreen's employees。There are times when the protagonist goes to Washington DC to do a job that actually seems like it might be fun， but we don't follow him there--though it is a place where he has friends and goes to dinners and attends cultural events。 He leaves Florida， stays away for some stretch of time， then returns to Florida， where he is once again describing his mother's figurines or the decrepit state of his house。 This is a dull and depressing story， yet it is beautifully written and has many moments of very dry humor， arid humor， absolutely sere humor。 Unless you are interested in the mundane lives of elderly gay Floridians， there's not much here to enjoy。 My 3* are for my enjoyment of the author's skill as a separate thing from the story， which is sad and tedious。 。。。more

David ，

The near-universal praise for this book is deserved。 Andrew Holleran has been quietly chronicling American gay life for more than 40 years。 While Dancer from the Dance will likely remain his best known work， his latest may in fact be his best。 Set in rural northern Florida， the theme is loneliness: and specifically an aging gay man's fear of dying alone。 Although billed as a novel， it reads as a collection of related stories， repeating at times several key events and revolving around the narrato The near-universal praise for this book is deserved。 Andrew Holleran has been quietly chronicling American gay life for more than 40 years。 While Dancer from the Dance will likely remain his best known work， his latest may in fact be his best。 Set in rural northern Florida， the theme is loneliness: and specifically an aging gay man's fear of dying alone。 Although billed as a novel， it reads as a collection of related stories， repeating at times several key events and revolving around the narrator's friendship with the older Earl， beautifully told in the novella-like chapter Hurricane Weather。 This may not have the structural coherence of a typical novel but， viewed as a collection， The Kingdom of Sand is nearly flawless。 In terms of style， there is nothing innovative here。 Instead， it is a perfect refinement of Holleran's own approach - a memoir with just enough fiction to elide that label。 If one is looking for autofiction， this is the textbook。 There is a realness to this writing that makes everything else I've read this year feel like artifice。 。。。more

Natalia Weissfeld ，

The narrator， a middle age gay man that lives in a small town in Florida， is trying to pickup the pieces of his life after losing his parents。 He is living alone now， in the same house that he used to share with them， but the place is falling apart and he doesn't seem to have the energy to do something about it。 He reflects on aging and decadence and some other painful topics like who is going to be by his side when his time comes。 Now， his good friend Earl is dying and his slow deterioration le The narrator， a middle age gay man that lives in a small town in Florida， is trying to pickup the pieces of his life after losing his parents。 He is living alone now， in the same house that he used to share with them， but the place is falling apart and he doesn't seem to have the energy to do something about it。 He reflects on aging and decadence and some other painful topics like who is going to be by his side when his time comes。 Now， his good friend Earl is dying and his slow deterioration leads him to rethink his own life and the bonds he has formed throughout it。The book is on the slow side and nothing really happens in terms of action。 The descriptions are at some point tedious but I think that it contributes to building a dense and slow atmosphere that is attuned to the protagonist's foggy state of mind。 He seems to be in perpetual grief， for the past and for the things to come。 l also think that you have to be in a good head space to really enjoy this book because some of the topics can be triggering。 。。。more

Jim Coughenour ，

When I learned last month that Andrew Holleran would be reading from his new book at my local bookstore in early June， I reread his 1978 Dancer from the Dance， narrated by a more or less invisible ghost。 The two characters at the center of that novel were vivid if not particularly interesting， cartoons rather than characters。 Holleran’s new book brings that narrator back at the other end of his life。 The focus now turns to the restless ghost。Listening to Holleran read from his book and answer ea When I learned last month that Andrew Holleran would be reading from his new book at my local bookstore in early June， I reread his 1978 Dancer from the Dance， narrated by a more or less invisible ghost。 The two characters at the center of that novel were vivid if not particularly interesting， cartoons rather than characters。 Holleran’s new book brings that narrator back at the other end of his life。 The focus now turns to the restless ghost。Listening to Holleran read from his book and answer easy questions was a bit of surprise: he is lively， animated， amusing with a sharp sense of humor。 Impossible not to be charmed by the man。 His new book on the other hand is a bit grim， even dismal。 There’s not much of a story， it’s more an unfocused memoir of echoes and moods， a shimmer of reflections that morph back and forth like a loop of Philip Glass。 For all his fame and success， there is a pervasive lament， a sense that somehow Life has been missed or was perhaps not even possible， that at best being gay is only a capricious way of being doomed。 Even in Dancer， published when gay life was at its most utopian and exuberant， the aura of elegy predominates。 In The Kingdom of Sand the ghost wanders the darkened streets of small town Florida， “house hunting” like a spectral Todd Hido， dropping into the home of a dying friend or a deserted Walgreens or hiking across the bed of a dried-up lake， forever tracing his circular thoughts into inextricable knots。 The strange star of the book is the landscape of Florida itself， illuminated， evocative， exhausted and betrayed。 。。。more

John Sinclair ，

BOOK REVIEW ⭐️⭐️+⭐️I’ve read Holleran since 1978， and have always had mixed feelings。 I consider “Dancer from the Dance” to be a classic。 This work is his weakest， suffering as it does from serious repetition of stories and descriptions。 The same references are littered throughout。 I should have more compassion — repeating himself is part and parcel of his aging， I suspect。 We all do it。 But speaking and writing — and editing — all have their foibles and purposes。 I could have wished for more ed BOOK REVIEW ⭐️⭐️+⭐️I’ve read Holleran since 1978， and have always had mixed feelings。 I consider “Dancer from the Dance” to be a classic。 This work is his weakest， suffering as it does from serious repetition of stories and descriptions。 The same references are littered throughout。 I should have more compassion — repeating himself is part and parcel of his aging， I suspect。 We all do it。 But speaking and writing — and editing — all have their foibles and purposes。 I could have wished for more editing。 The book is truly about aging and is sometimes sad and dark。 And perhaps prophetic which is unsettling to be honest。 Two stars for the book and one in salute to Andrew Holleran。 #bibliophile #book #bookish #book lover #books #books2022 #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #bookworm #homelibrary #instabook #instabooks #reader #readers #reading #readingroom #readersofinstagram #bookreview2022 📚 32 。。。more

Bob Hughes ，

This book is a beautiful and sensitive portrayal of love and loss， and a mourning for a past time。 Our narrator circles through their thoughts， reflecting on the glitzy heyday of gay life in the 70s and 80s， but also looking at it with the wisdom of age， realising what- and who- have been lost。 He looks after another man， a man who is quietly seeing out his final days， and in doing so， provides a haunting and beautiful portrait of the endurance of love and care， even amongst the harshest backdro This book is a beautiful and sensitive portrayal of love and loss， and a mourning for a past time。 Our narrator circles through their thoughts， reflecting on the glitzy heyday of gay life in the 70s and 80s， but also looking at it with the wisdom of age， realising what- and who- have been lost。 He looks after another man， a man who is quietly seeing out his final days， and in doing so， provides a haunting and beautiful portrait of the endurance of love and care， even amongst the harshest backdrops。 I received an advanced copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

BookBagDC ，

This is a story about loneliness。  It is told from the perspective of a nameless narrator， a gay man， who moves to a small town in Florida to take care of his aging parents。  Even after his parents pass away， the narrator finds he cannot leave the small town where his parents spent their retirement， despite his few and diminishing connections there。  The narrator's central and most frequent connection becomes Earl， a gay man twenty years his senior。  The two most often spend time together at Ear This is a story about loneliness。  It is told from the perspective of a nameless narrator， a gay man， who moves to a small town in Florida to take care of his aging parents。  Even after his parents pass away， the narrator finds he cannot leave the small town where his parents spent their retirement， despite his few and diminishing connections there。  The narrator's central and most frequent connection becomes Earl， a gay man twenty years his senior。  The two most often spend time together at Earl's home， listening to Earl's large collection of records and watching his favorite old movies。 Earl in many ways has a fuller life than the narrator， and the narrator frequently finds himself questioning his role in Earl's life。  But when Earl's health begins to fail， the narrator must confront his own mortality， the choices he made， and what his life will be like when this last connection to the place he made his home for so much of his adult life is gone。  This is a powerful story。  It is in many ways a sad story， as the narrator explores his regrets as he faces the twilight of his life -- regrets that alternatively seem attributable to his own choices and to the way society pushes many people， especially toward the end of their lives， toward isolation of different sorts。  It offers interesting insights into aging; love， friendship， and other types of conenction; the nature of loneliness; what we owe each other; and the similarities and differences in the experiences of different generations of gay men。  This is one that you will be thinking about long after you put it down。Highly recommended！ 。。。more

Clementine ，

This follows an aging gay man in small-town Florida as he reflects on his lonely life and the small world he has created for himself。 It is particularly focused on the impending reality of death: both of his parents are long-dead， and his close friend， a gay man 20 years his senior， has semi-recently died after a long illness。 Single and childless， he fears what awaits him。In many ways this novel is similar to THE BEAUTY OF MEN， which I read last year: the setting， the exploration of gay men who This follows an aging gay man in small-town Florida as he reflects on his lonely life and the small world he has created for himself。 It is particularly focused on the impending reality of death: both of his parents are long-dead， and his close friend， a gay man 20 years his senior， has semi-recently died after a long illness。 Single and childless， he fears what awaits him。In many ways this novel is similar to THE BEAUTY OF MEN， which I read last year: the setting， the exploration of gay men who no longer have the asset of youth， the preoccupation with death。 But that novel was very focused on the main character’s survival of the AIDS crisis amidst the death of many of his friends， while this novel is much more mundane。 （Indeed， dying is presented as a long and banal process。） AIDS is only mentioned a handful of times and is not a preoccupation of the narrator。 He is vain， health-conscious， mostly closeted; his life is structured by shame; fear of judgment; and capitulation to what other people think。 His life is made up of small， fleeting intimacies。 As he remarks， “One can make a life around almost any set of circumstances。” He has accepted his circumstances， reluctantly settling in Florida after an exciting youth in New York。 Ultimately I think THE BEAUTY OF MEN expired similar themes in a more compelling way， but this is still worth a read。 Holleran skilfully builds a pitiful character， the flip side to the hedonists he depicted in his debut DANCER FROM THE DANCE。Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC。 This one came out on Tuesday so you can read it for yourself！ 。。。more

Geoff ，

My Recommendation: I think there is a lot of worth in this novel。 Holleran is a part of a generation of LGBT authors and survivors that are slowly dying out of old age and by setting his novel firmly within that generation in this period he's presented a protagonist we don't see very often in pop culture。 He doesn't edit or cut out aspects that were crucial to gay men in the 70s and 80s and have continued to trail （if lessen） over the decades and he writes frankly about the end of life of parent My Recommendation: I think there is a lot of worth in this novel。 Holleran is a part of a generation of LGBT authors and survivors that are slowly dying out of old age and by setting his novel firmly within that generation in this period he's presented a protagonist we don't see very often in pop culture。 He doesn't edit or cut out aspects that were crucial to gay men in the 70s and 80s and have continued to trail （if lessen） over the decades and he writes frankly about the end of life of parents， friends， and self。 As I was reading I was simultaneously frustrated and impressed with the minutia of the book and the grand sweeping observations Holleran made， but ultimately this one wasn't for me。My Response: I wanted to like this book so much like really wanted to， because Holleran is one of those early LGBT authors whose work has stood the test of time for decades。 And that's why I requested a copy from NetGalley。*What I didn't expect was how similar to Mrs。 Dalloway and  A Single Man this would be。 I think that bodes well for the longevity of the novel， but unfortunately， for me， it wasn't the time or place to read it to truly appreciate or enjoy it。 While there were some incredibly beautiful passages throughout， I struggled to get into the book and （for the most part） identify with the nameless narrator。Continue reading on my book blog at geoffwhaley。com。*I received a copy of The Kingdom of Sand via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion。 No goods or money were exchanged。 。。。more

Brett Benner ，

The first book by Andrew Holleran in sixteen years is an exquisite meditation on growing older and coming to terms with the end of life。 Holleran， who is now in his late seventies is from a generation of gay writers like Larry Kramer and Paul Monette， literary heavyweights in the canon of LGBTQ lit， most of whom have now since passed from AIDS。#KingdomOfSand feels like a continuation or maybe more an extension of his previous works， the closest being #TheBeautyOfMen which like this book took pla The first book by Andrew Holleran in sixteen years is an exquisite meditation on growing older and coming to terms with the end of life。 Holleran， who is now in his late seventies is from a generation of gay writers like Larry Kramer and Paul Monette， literary heavyweights in the canon of LGBTQ lit， most of whom have now since passed from AIDS。#KingdomOfSand feels like a continuation or maybe more an extension of his previous works， the closest being #TheBeautyOfMen which like this book took place in the authors home state of Florida and dealt with an aging gay man who has come home to take care of his dying mother。This time Holleran presents an unnamed narrator who for the bulk of the book talks about his relationship with one of his neighbors， also a gay man who is twenty years older。 “By the time Earl was in his eighties and I was in my sixties there were evenings when I walked home from the movie wondering if my interest in him was slightly sadistic: watching what happened when old age gets its claws in you， or at least puts you to sleep in your chair， like a man overcome with carbon monoxide in a closed garage。”⠀His musings on life， on loneliness and the tenuous connections we keep with one another to stave off the isolation of existing on an metaphoric island by yourself reminded me of alot Elizabeth Strout， both in her sense of humor as well as her deep empathy and understanding of the human animal。 Holleran has that too， capturing so many elements of the march of time including the loss of your parents as well as the being alone as you get older， and all of the potential complications that can arise。⠀I thought this was an exceptional piece of literature that almost feels like it could be autofiction。 It’s measured and thoughtful in its pace， and that’s exactly what it should be as he metes out plenty to ponder。 Thanks to @fsgbooks and @netgallay for the advance reader copy 。。。more

Morris O'C ，

Holleran begins his latest book， 'The Kingdom of Sand' with a quote from Saint Benedict "Keep death daily before your eyes。" It is something that everyone of us will experience， the last great expression of our humanity before we transition into that great eternal mystery。 Holleran's previous books， "Dancer From the Dance"， "Nights in Aruba"， "The Beauty of Men"， and "Grief" are all written from an autobiographical point of view， and all have a somewhat melancholy ambience to them。 They sometime Holleran begins his latest book， 'The Kingdom of Sand' with a quote from Saint Benedict "Keep death daily before your eyes。" It is something that everyone of us will experience， the last great expression of our humanity before we transition into that great eternal mystery。 Holleran's previous books， "Dancer From the Dance"， "Nights in Aruba"， "The Beauty of Men"， and "Grief" are all written from an autobiographical point of view， and all have a somewhat melancholy ambience to them。 They sometimes overlap with each other， but taken as a whole they present a chronicle of gay boyhood and adolescence， military-service， young adulthood， and middle-age。 They deal with the close friendships， intense yearnings and hopes， and all of the desires， joys， fears， angst， uncertainties， and loneliness of gay life。 And now， in "The Kingdom of Sand"， it deals with old age and the inevitable approach of death。 The setting is a small town in upstate Florida located between Gainesville and Jacksonville。 The story's time period covers about 40 years from the early 1980s to around about 2020 or so。 The tale is told by an unnamed narrator， who clearly is the author himself。 After spending his young adulthood in the exciting， hedonistic， sensual world of gay New York City and Fire Island， he moves in the early 1980s to the small， quiet town in Florida where his parents settled down after their retirement ， in order to help care for them。 He lives with his father in the house they'd bought in the 1960s， and he visits his quadriplegic mother in a Gainesville nursing-home。 As the years go by， he chronicles their quiet resignation and depression as their physical abilities decline， yet they go on with life and bear with their infirmities until the end。A continual presence in the narrator's life is his neighbor Earl （likely Ernie from "The Beauty of Men"）， whom he'd met soon after his return to Florida at a nearby gay cruising spot， and with whom the narrator forms a companionship that lasts for over 25 years。 They have a comfortable platonic relationship that consists of visits， dining-out together， and watching movies and listening to music together in Earl's home。 They both live alone （ the narrator's father having passed away） and enjoy each other's company。 During the course of the story， Earl （ who's about 20 years older than the narrator） ages from his early sixties to his late eighties。 The narrator chronicles this aging process， the physical decline， the loss of independence ， the illnesses and physical infirmities that come with old age。 In spite of their long and close friendship， the narrator and his friend nevertheless remain very private people， and are careful not to cross each other's private boundaries。 The story is told from the narrator's perspective， his intensely personal feelings about the friendship， which include some resentment， especially an element of suspicion and jealousy about Earl's longtime handyman， who eventually becomes his caretaker， and to whom Earl eventually bequeaths his house。 We all experience feelings like this， and we cannot tell if they're justified， or if they represent our own nervous paranoias。 Even close friendships have an affinity that sometimes precludes deeper intimacy。The story also deals with the narrator's interactions with his other friends and neighbors， many of whom are also elderly and dealing with the problems that come with old age， some unique to gays， but others universal。 There is his secret propensity to view porn on his laptop as an outlet for sexual yearnings。 He also misses and longs for some contact with young men， which for gay men with no nearby family， is few and far between。 A greeting from a supermarket bag-boy or drugstore cashier can brighten up what otherwise would be a boring， listless， possibly desolate day。I read the book twice。 "Kingdom of Sand" is an honest， introspective account of an elderly gay man's feelings as he grows older and nearer to his own demise。 It is beautifully written。 But after the first reading， I had a sense of overwhelming dejection， of the inexorable decline that accompanies aging。 When I read it a second time， though， what stood out was the perseverance， actually the quiet bravery， of ordinary individuals as they age， as they bear with their infirmities。 Perhaps the author himself realized that the book deals quite a bit with the sadness and depression of aging， and did not wish to conclude on that note。 Even in old age， even in a small， bleak Florida town， life can still be worthwhile。 The story concludes with a quote from a movie he'd seen， possibly with Earl， "Oh， Jerry， don't let's ask for the moon。 We have the stars。" And he plans a trip to the beach， which he hadn't done in years。 Somewhat similar to the line in the old Desiderata poem， "。。。。Neither be cynical about love， for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment， it is as perennial as the grass。 Take kindly the counsel of the years， gracefully surrendering the things of youth。"The book never does explain where the title comes from。 and we have to draw our own conclusions about that。 I picture sand as a metaphor for the shifting of our perspectives and physical abilities as we age， and for the passage of time， as in an hourglass， perhaps also a metaphor for small-town Florida itself。Much thanks to Farrar， Straus， and Giroux Publishers for mailing me a free copy of "The Kingdom of Sand" a few weeks ago。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Kingdom of Sand

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Kingdom of Sand&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Kingdom of Sand&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0