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5.0 out of 5 stars
THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL, July 13 2004
... Sheer Genius ... Sacred Text ... A Masterpiece of Modern American Literature ... A Book That Changed My Life ... My Favorite Novel .... My Favorite John Rechy Novel... All this describes how I feel about *Numbers* -- but nothing I could type in this space would come close to fully expressing my profound love for this phenomenal work and its talented author. While I am sympathetic to some of the confusion and frustration expressed by reviewers who have found only darkness and despair in its pages, I am more horrified by the lack of attention paid to the themes of liberation that resound throughout this story. For me, *Numbers* will always be beautiful and timeless. A tale of wonder filled with ageless glamour and promise. In case you're wondering if my perspective comes from sharing in a particular "generational" or "environmental" link with Rechy himself, no, it does not. I was far from being born at the time the novel was written, and I have never (and in fact never could have) experienced or participated in many of its rituals. However, *Numbers* is about much more than a series of sexual acts. It is the quintessential American journey of identity and one that is gloriously and unabashedly capable of contextualizing the experience of self-discovery with a sense of human vitality and spirit that acknowledges sexuality. This achievement alone puts *Numbers* above not only its contemporary works, but on a level that continues to evade many writers today. Read *Numbers* not as a description of "days gone by," or a depiction of specific things you cannot do or would find harmful, but as a story filled with hope, possibility, and the power of finding yourself. Should you follow Johnny Rio's example or replicate his experience? Not if you think that means committing sexual suicide. *Numbers* may delve into themes of darkness and death, but it needn't be seen as a necessarily "fatalistic" novel. Why not be inspired by Johnny Rio's bravery instead of disgusted by his recklessness? Follow him not by mistaking exploration for degradation, but in seeking (as he does) to learn ways in which you are deceiving yourself or playing needless games with others. Anyone can do that if, like Johnny Rio, they can ultimately commit themselves to the act of personal discovery -- in whatever form it may take.
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