I like Agatha Christie's style. I agree with you about offering up just one side of the gay community in an otherwise straight novel. It isn't that hard to provide balance: insert a line or two about another common situation: long-married, not-open, not partying. Otherwise, there is an implied stereotype and moral judgement. Fine, if that is what the author intends (sorry you're ignorant and bigoted). But not fine if the author didn't mean to go there. It's just dumb to destroy your gay audience accidentally.
To be clear, I like Horowitz’s books generally but he does play into some unfortunate stereotypes about the LGBTQ community (this is not the only book where he does this).
Horowitz is a good writer but he does fall into some stereotypes about the LGBTQ community. I absolutely agree with you that this is lazy writing. I doubt that he is personally homophobic (I really don't know enough about him to judge)
Apparently, his Sherlock Holmes novel "The House of Silk" also includes "boys being rented to wealthy customers" (This is according to Wikipedia).
So I think he has a bit of a thing about rent boys.
I like Agatha Christie's style. I agree with you about offering up just one side of the gay community in an otherwise straight novel. It isn't that hard to provide balance: insert a line or two about another common situation: long-married, not-open, not partying. Otherwise, there is an implied stereotype and moral judgement. Fine, if that is what the author intends (sorry you're ignorant and bigoted). But not fine if the author didn't mean to go there. It's just dumb to destroy your gay audience accidentally.
Thanks for your comment.
To be clear, I like Horowitz’s books generally but he does play into some unfortunate stereotypes about the LGBTQ community (this is not the only book where he does this).
You’re welcome for my comment. I put some thought into it, but guess I didn’t express myself well.
Thanks for sharing that you like Horowitz’s books and dislike that he uses stereotypes
You expressed yourself fine :)
Horowitz is a good writer but he does fall into some stereotypes about the LGBTQ community. I absolutely agree with you that this is lazy writing. I doubt that he is personally homophobic (I really don't know enough about him to judge)
Apparently, his Sherlock Holmes novel "The House of Silk" also includes "boys being rented to wealthy customers" (This is according to Wikipedia).
So I think he has a bit of a thing about rent boys.