Steve Kluger's 2004 novel 'Almost Like Being In Love' presented and tried to answer the question every hopeless romantic – or simply, hopeless and romantic people – have asked, at least, once in their lifetimes: "What if the great lost love came a-knocking back?"
Craig McKenna and Travis Puckett were two boys at the opposite ends of the male spectrum. Craig was a (not-so average) jock who knew football and baseball and who broke the jocks-don't-sing rule, while Travis was the Broadway and classic film connoisseur who's also very opinionated and outspoken especially when it comes to Anita Bryant, Rosa Parks, or Ethel Merman. Despite their polarizing differences, the two wound up being the best of friends who shared chocolate chips and Grateful Dead shirts. And on May 27, 1978 – as these two adorable kids vividly remember – they shared their very first kiss under the rain.
That kiss was bound to happen, not because it's blatantly written that this is a love story between the two boys, but right before that, they're teetering over the edge of their friendship and ultimately fell in each other's arms. (Actually, it's Travis who literally fell in Craig's arms.) Despite that, it took almost the whole first chapter to share this eventful and life-altering moment in their lives, in which they both wrote in their journals ending with the sentence "My father would kill me". The readers all knew that by the moment Craig noticed tiny details about Travis, or when Craig sang Leaving on a Jet Plane to his best friend that sooner or later, these two would kiss. But it took a while as Kluger subtly built the anticipation, while deftly crafted the foundation and the poignant relationship between the two. And that's one of the novel's strength. It didn't only happen in the first chapter that's solely about their 1978 love, but it was evident all throughout the 354-page long book. Kluger didn't rush Craig's and Travis' story; instead, he let it bloom in itself in all the beautiful subtlety.
But as much as it's one of the book's winning points, its subtlety – which can also be interpreted as its slowness – became its weakness, especially by the middle. When I come across that part, I just want to skim through it and see when the major event is going to happen. When will they finally meet again? Or would they even? But it's understandable. This is not a teenage romance book with all the rushed intimacy and the raging passion. This is the story of successful and career-oriented middle aged men and their great star-crossed love. So it's understandable that by the middle part, Craig was talking about the Kessler case with his law partner Charleen. It's understandable that Kluger didn't make Travis just pop in Craig's office right away. Because this is not an adolescent love story.
I've nothing against adolescent and may-or-may-not-be-true-love story between two teens that were just at the brink of adulthood. I encountered and read a lot of those kinds of stories that I eventually noticed the same pattern of fiery, swooning romance. And maybe it's also because of that, that my mind is preset to raging hormones-based love story. But as I turned the page after another, I realized that of course, this would be different. And while usually, I could tell the ending of another love story when I was halfway through with it, Kluger gave me a difficult time in anticipating how his book would end; partly because these characters were 38-year old men, you could not expect them to have the same irrationality as a 17-year old. But mostly because Kluger presented the irresistible and hard choice between a fleeting, but whirlwind love 20 years prior, and a stable, concrete love that spans 12 years. At 38, you cannot expect these characters to drop everything for the name of love (well, actually, Travis did. But he's always been the brave one with the heart of a 17-year old) especially if one has a stable relationship with a very sweet man. We were all rooting for Travis, of course. He's the main guy. He should get Craig. But the wicked Kluger made Craig and Clayton's (his current "sig oth") story very well told that the readers' can't help but cry as the two met again after breaking up for 3 and a half years. It's amazing how Kluger managed to create equally compelling love stories for the same guy.
As a matter of fact, Kluger presented more stories of romance in this book that you could imagine. Aside from the main plot, he wrote about the blooming tales of love between the supporting characters that feel so huge to be but a subplot: there's Craig's law partner Charleen's and their client Jody's strenuous and patient story, and Travis' "roommate from hell"/ eventual best friend Gordo's and the stranger Travis met on his pursuit of his great love A.J.'s quick but amazing tale. Every romance had its own winning moment, and at times, it compensated when the main story was falling out of hand (e.g., Gordo's and A.J.'s email correspondence that's filled with plans on what to do with Travis while still being sweet and sappy with each other.)
Steve Kluger is a writer that feed off on growing anticipation and surprises. He used that technique well enough until the very last two chapters where he didn't outright say what happened to Craig and Travis and Clayton and Craig. As a matter of fact, the last chapter was set six years later. The sudden leap sounded unnecessary at first, but as you devoured the whole chapter, it would make sense. Though in all actuality, I would like to see a narration about that.
Other Points:
- This is an emotional roller-coaster. This novel would make you ugly-sob, and laugh-out-loud, and would cause that as you read the same paragraph.
- At times, this book can be very technical and ultimately confusing as it incorporates Broadway references, baseball facts and legal terms.
- There should be a separate piece to tell the story of Gary Petrie – one of Travis' students.
- This novel would make you feel the wonder of that great love. This would make you want to fall in love over and over again.
'Almost Like Being In Love' is so engrossing that you would have no choice but to drop all appointments and finish this in one sitting. Come what may, you would want to know what would happen with Craig and Travis (and with the other characters as well.) Kluger presented one of the sweetest, realistic, and life-based love story that's not solely about the irrationality of 'You and Me Against The World' notion. This is a refreshing and amazing read that would make you experience the greatness of that love.
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