the divided path

The Divided Path by Nial Kent (Greenberg, 1949)

A pre-Stonewall (1949) novel about a young gay man struggling with his sexuality and his love for his beautiful straight best friend.  Michael grows up an only, doted-upon child in a small mid-western town and is attracted to boys and men at an early age.  At the Musical Institute he attends he has a strange unconsummated affair with a much older theatrical woman whose seduction of him is rather ridiculous.  He’s also close to several girls from his hometown, who keep popping in and out of his life but never seem to get wise as to why he spends  all his free time with Paul (the hunky, unattainable best friend).  Michael finally makes it to New York City where he finds several boyfriends and another love of his life, a sweet boy named Nikki who fortunately is gay but unfortunately decides to accompany another man to the Far East instead of moving in with Michael.  Finally, after much heartache and travail, Michael reunites with Paul, but dies (I think) in a car crash on the way to their glorious reunion.

An interesting book, for its glimpses into pre- and post-War gay and bohemian life in the United States, with the surprising appearance of a happily “married” gay couple who live next door to Michael in New York and try to push him towards domestic bliss.  Poorly copy-edited: typos, lines dropped, and some characters don’t hold a steady grasp on their names/identities.