Very Recent History Summary
Sicha, Choire

Very Recent History Overview

This novel explores the lives and experiences of a group of young gay men in “the City” in the aftermath of a major financial and economic crisis. The narrative is widely regarded as thinly disguised non-fiction, with many of its elements (including context, characters, and setting) being more than slightly recognizable despite the fact that names have been changed, or even withheld (i.e. “the City” is never referred to by name, but is quite clearly New York). As it explores the real-world historical contexts of many of its fictionalized narrative elements, the book provides some subtle, yet cutting social commentary, exploring as it does so aspects of money, the presence and power of technology, and the tension between promiscuity and longing.