You Must Remember This
A Gay Retelling of Casablanca
by John Michael Curlovich
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Pub Date Nov 11 2017 | Archive Date Oct 10 2018
Riverdale Avenue Books | Magnus
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Description
You Must Remember This is an homage to the classic film Casablanca on the 75th anniversary of the film’s release in America.
It is the height of World War II. Frank Chandler is an American GI who has been separated from the army on a “blue discharge.” Along with his musician friend and sometime lover Dan Jackson, he finds himself in Marrakesh (only a short distance away from Casablanca), an international city where every kind of pleasure is easily available.
But Marrakesh is also a city of danger. The Nazis are establishing themselves there, and their ominous presence means life is fraught with peril.
Then Lilli, a beautiful, mysterious woman from Frank’s past, shows up unexpectedly, and he finds himself confronted with the hardest choice of his life. Lilli’s presence stirs emotions he thought he had buried. Yet there is still the city—and its men—and the thousand pleasures it offers…
Should Frank go with Lilli and try to make a “normal” life with her? Or should he follow what he increasingly believes to be his true nature? That is the dramatic conflict at the heart of You Must Remember This.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781626014206 |
| PRICE | $6.99 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Bradley S, Reviewer
I'm a huge fan of this author and have really loved his previous books. This book is a super easy read and I enjoyed it more than the original Casablanca.
P. M, Reviewer
In Marrakesh in the midst of WWII, everyone comes to Frank's American Cafe - movers, shakers, expats, German officials, the Marrakesh police, refuges - where they listen to the piano player Dan, Frank's fellow American..
The plot of this book mirrors the movie for the most part and Ilsa Lund (played by Ingrid Bergman in the movie) is now the Swedish beauty Lilli Lindstrom, who Frank met and fell madly in love with in Paris. Their theme song is "Isn't It Romantic?" Lilli's husband is Paul Thierry, the famous freedom fighter and they desperately need the diplomatic passports Frank has in order to get to London. Stephan Decae is the corrupt Prefect of Police (Captain Louis Renault in the movie, played by Claude Rains).
The subtitle of this book is "A Gay retelling of Casablanca" and I read this book thinking it might be an interesting perspective for this classic story. Frank and Dan were lovers who met in the Army and have an on-and-off relationship. Dan's lovers include male/female "twins," Frank is torn between his love for Lilli and his yen for men, Paul Thierry and Stephan are gay, as well as many of the German officers (as we learn in a bizarre M/M orgy / knife fight). However, IMHO, having these characters gay or bisexual really didn't affect the story materially nor impart any new insight.
This book just did not work for me and I gave it 2.5 stars.
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