'Urge' may leave readers overwhelmed

By Lisa Rajt

Daily Books Editor

I simply don't know what to think. This is not good: One of the main responsibilities of a book reviewer is to offer opinions. But, bewildered and befuddled, I am mentally speechless. Should one laugh at this book? Cry? Grimace? The verdict is not yet in.

The plot is simple in this 100-page novel, written by University alum Moises Pulido: A first-year University of Michigan student is grappling with his bisexuality, while also dealing with a homophobic upbringing and the demands of college life. "Sounds pretty straightforward ... what's the big deal?" you may be saying to yourself. Read on.

The "big deal" is Anthony the narrator, who is outrageously hyperactive and given to hallucinations. If I were a psychiatrist - I'm not, but just humor me for a second - I would give him a diagnosis of mania with delusional tendencies, and prescribe the most powerful tranquilizers money can buy.

Anthony also experienced fugue-like states, in which he would wake up and have no idea where he was or how much time had passed. It was never made clear what these episodes were a result of. If he were a real person, it would be prudent to overlook Anthony's sexuality dilemma entirely, and focus instead on his mental health issues. Although the reader should probably assume that the two problems are related, Pulido could have spent a bit more time developing that idea.

Over time, Anthony free-associates, rants, raves and loses his mind entirely on several occasions. He yells and cries copiously. In his interactions with others, namely his family, professors and classmates, he is occasionally violent and frequently confused.

The one constant of this novel until the last chapter is that Anthony denies his feelings of attraction toward other men, focusing on his relationship with a female as a means of distraction.

This narrative voice was billed as being "unforgettable," and it was certainly that. Pulido has a definite knack for description. Indeed, all was not lost in this little book, as it was highly imaginative and sometimes even humorous.

If the goal of any novel is to show change within the characters, or growth of some kind, then "Unspeakable Urge" achieved that goal. Three months pass, and Anthony makes the transition from being a blatant homophobic to a man who is learning to accept his bisexuality. At the very least, Anthony can admit that he enjoys having relationships with women as well as men.

The setting of the book was a welcome bonus: It was the lovely, familiar University of Michigan campus, which added a touch of much-needed reality to the story itself. What with the frequent hallucinations and delusions, it was often difficult to distinguish the true from the false in this book. However, one thing the reader can be certain of is that Tower Plaza is located across the street from Cottage Inn, and that the Diag is in the center of Central campus.