Simon LGBT Series

Official Review: Simon's Mansion by William Poe Report this post Post   by  Miriam Molina  »  23 Nov 2019, 01:13 [Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Simon's Mansion" by William Poe.] 3 out of 4 stars As a young boy, Simon fantasized that he came from the faraway planet Zenon. That was because he had strange desires which were different from those of his friends. Even at ten, he was attracted to boys. At eighteen, he decided to abandon his Christian faith and his small-town life and join the Moonies, thinking that their Unification Church will cure him of his “queerness.” However, even after marrying the bride Reverend Moon chose for him, Simon felt the same. Opting to accept his sexual identity, he left Moon’s church and moved to Hollywood, flourishing in a career in film distribution. That’s where he met Thad who became the love of his life. They had a tumultuous relationship, though, for both were addicted to cocaine.

IndieReader Review 4.6 Stars In SIMON’S MANSION, William Poe brings his character Simon back to his small town home in Arkansas as he faces the ghosts of his past to desperately find what ultimately matters, creating an emotionally resonant story of universal reach. SIMON’S MANSION, the third book in William Poe’s LGBT literary fiction series, is a compelling story about Simon, the protagonist, and his journey of self-discovery while navigating a strange family dynamic as he explores creativity, religion, and the relationships that ultimately define him. Poe writes, halfway through the novel, “Simon gave himself permission to love, to pursue his art and his education; he accepted the right to be himself despite what others wanted from him. Science made sense, and that was what Simon needed most—for his life to make sense” (153). The third-person omniscient narrator allows the reader to know Simon intimately, as he finds his way through the existential conf