Best Man

In his first novel, Reidinger portrays the modern version of a love triangle, one that involves a bisexual man, a heterosexual woman and a homosexual man. Katherine and David meet the first day of their freshman year at Stanford and quickly become best friends. There is no possibility of romance between them, however, because David believes he is a homosexual. After graduation they take an apartment together in San Francisco, where David adopts a gay lifestyle. The harmony of their friendship is disrupted when Katherine becomes involved with Ross, a straight-laced law student. David is unhappy with the relationship, not only because he misses his time with Katherine, but also because he is attracted to Ross. Remarkably, however, Ross begins to seek out David and soon they begin a secret affair. Reidinger tells his story in a casual, familiar manner and in flat, listless prose. Because he fails to develop his characters, the reader is unable to empathize with their pain. (October 8)