Mr. Benson: A Novel - Softcover

Preston, John

3.86

477 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1573441945 ISBN 13: 9781573441940

Publisher: Cleis Press, 2004

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Mr. Benson is the compelling story of a young man’s quest for the perfect master. In a West Village leather bar, he finds wealthy, sophisticated, exacting Aristotle Benson, who leads him down the path of erotic enlightenment, teaching him to accept cruelty as love, anguish as affection, and ultimately, Mr. Benson as his master.

If John Preston, the masterly, handsome author of more than 30 books, was himself a gay icon, his character Mr. Benson defined the culture of gay sex for an entire generation. When Mr. Benson appeared in the pre-AIDS early 1980s, its unabashed celebration of male sexuality made it a cult favorite among gay men, many of whom wore T-shirts declaring that they were "looking for Mr. Benson." The novel's fresh voice and insights into identity, desire, power, and love influenced a generation of writers and editors, including Anne Rice, Samuel Delany, Michael Lowenthal, Laura Antoniou, Joan Nestle, Michael Rowe, and Cecilia Tan. Mr. Benson was Preston's first novel and was followed by many more books from the proud, self-styled "pornographer."

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From the Publisher:

Preston's knockout novel, first serialized in Drummer, returns to claim= the territory it mapped out years ago. Jamie is an aimless young man lucky enough to encounter Mr. Benson. He is soon led down the path of erotic enlightenment, learning to accept cruelty as love, anguish as affection, and this man as his master.

About the Author:

JOHN PRESTON's (1945-1994) books include I Once Had a Master, Entertainment for a Master, and The Love of a Master, all forthcoming from Cleis Press.

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