SOURCE: “The Heterosexual Underbelly of the City by the Bay,” in Los Angeles Times Book Review, April 17, 1988, p. 2.

In the following review, Curzon argues that although Dreaming begins slowly, the narrative is ultimately rewarding.

San Francisco is as much a character in Herbert Gold's new novel, Dreaming, as any of the other characters. However, it's not the San Francisco of those little cable cars that climb halfway to the stars; it's the San Francisco of financial hustler Hutch Montberg, a “greedy dreamer” in trouble with loan sharks who wouldn't mind seeing him turn into Rice-a-Roni under their little cable car if he doesn't come up with the money he owes them.

This is the noir San Francisco of bachelor Hutch, heterosexual picker-upper of tired blondes, all-around health nut, heavy-duty runner and liver of the good life. For Hutch, it is “important to take care of both the body...