The Front Runner
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The Front Runner
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Narrated by:
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Christian Rummel
About this listen
First published in 1974, The Front Runner raced to international acclaim - the first novel about gay love to become popular in the mainstream.
In 1975, coach Harlan Brown is hiding from his past at an obscure New York college, after he was fired from Penn State University on suspicion of being gay. A tough, lonely ex-Marine of 39, Harlan has never allowed himself to love another man. Then Billy Sive, a brilliant young runner, shows up on his doorstep. He and his two comrades, Vince Matti and Jacques LaFont, were just thrown off a major team for admitting they are gay. Harlan knows that, with proper training, Billy could go to the '76 Olympics in Montreal. He agrees to coach the three boys under strict conditions that thwart Billy's growing attraction for his mature but compelling mentor.
The lean, graceful front runner with gold-rim glasses sees directly into Harlan's heart. Billy's gentle and open acceptance of his sexuality makes Harlan afraid to confront either the pain of his past, or the challenges which lay in wait if their intimacy is exposed. But when Coach Brown finds himself falling in love with his most gifted athlete, he must combat his true feelings for Billy or risk the outrage of the entire sports world - and their only chance at Olympic gold.
©1974 Patricia Nell Warren (P)2011 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Front Runner
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Trish
- 22-09-13
A wonderful Gay Love Story
It was a little slow to get going, however, it drew me in so that I didn't want to stop listening.
A very moving and at times tearful listen of a wonderful sensitive guy relationship. Good ending as well. Thoroughly recommend this book
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Waggy From Derby
- 19-04-22
American bigotry in athletics
bigotry abounds in American athletics.
but to me, if a country elects a president like trump, what can yo expect
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Daniel Cairns
- 24-03-16
BRILLIANT and enlightening!!!
fantastic story reminding me how good I have it these days. reader was excellent, kudos!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Buffalo
- 02-05-13
My all time favourite Gay romance novel
This is truly an all time great. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good story about gay love and the problems gay lovers had in the past with society. It truley is an all time great. ENJOY
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kil
- 11-12-19
A great classic brilliantly told
Really loved this interpretation of the greatest gay novel ever written. I read to novel in the 90s, still remember the tears. This narration was very sensitive to the book, got me totally caught up in it. Can't wait for Harlan's Race and Billy's Boy.
If you're a younger reader, under 40, you need to understand that this novel was written in 1974, when the world was a very different place for gay people. Trans hadn't even become a thing until MANY years later. Exposure as gay wasn't just gossip as it might still be today. It meant being ostracised, it meant being blocked from advancement. It meant your achievements counted for nothing: all that counted was making sure you NEVER advance, never progressed, and that you would NEVER be accepted by 'normal' society. In the sports world, you may as well just hang up your jockstrap now.
So this novel may delve deep into how 'gays' were treated by society, but in fact there was no other perspective. The relationships in this novel would have still been secret from straight society, or should I say 'normal' society.
Don't treat this the same as a contemporary gay novel, where it's normal for people to have open gay relationships. Back in 1974, toilet sex, secret nightclubs with secret password entries, NEVER telling your best friends or your 'close' family about who you really were, never being able to discuss your loves and losses with your brothers and sisters (forget about mentioning anything about it to your parents) were still normal for gay men. So this novel is about a world that could be, about the struggle to be accepted, to advance in sport, to be given some respect.
Read and learn. Probably the greatest gay novel ever, and one of mainstream's great novels to boot.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Hemmel M.
- 06-03-20
history lesson
The focus on gay rights and injustice made this novel a slightly depressing lesson in history. I would have liked a happy ever after.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Joe
- 11-06-13
Disappointed
Having read the front runner is supposed to be the first gay novel that was well recieved in the mainstream I am at a loss to understand how that was ever the case! The story lacks depth, is repetitive and full of stereotypes. The first audio book I have been unable to finish out of annoyance with the depressing tone, moments of sickly sweet dialogue and repetitive useless information about what the characters are eating. The constant need to point out people's sexuality and especially describing groups of men as 'gays' is exceptionally grating.
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