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Nicely written and very true to today. I was torn with Vito's thoughts vs actions and why he thought god would not honor a full life. Perspective.
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Seventy Times Seven
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"Give me chastity and self-restraint, but not just right now."
—The Confessions of Saint Augustine "Jesus instructed us to forgive those who have wronged us seventy times seven times," Brother Vito Fortunato teaches the boys in his high school religion class, but it's Vito himself who has the most trouble with trying to forgive the Church, the gay community, and most of all, himself. Just a few months from his final vows as a Brother in the Catholic Church, Vito finds himself at a crossroads, torn between his spirituality and his sexuality as a fully out and proud gay man. Will a summer of volunteer work at an AIDS center in San Francisco—and a love affair with Gabriel, a recently divorced landscaper—help Vito decide his calling—and his future? Seventy Times Seven is a poignant, sexy, funny, and romantic novel set in the early 1990s about a young man's struggle to integrate his religious beliefs with his sexual desires. The gap between sexuality and spirituality is punctuated throughout the novel with quotes from the Scripture, and from song lyrics from Prince and Madonna, artists who merged the two worlds in provocative and groundbreaking fashion. Vito struggles too, with the idealism that drives his desire to change the archaic ways of the Catholic Church and its views on AIDS and homosexuality. An excerpt from Seventy Times "Come on, let's go in," Tim implored outside the Christopher Street video store. "It'll be a riot. I know you're a Brother, but you don't have to do anything, just watch. But, whatever you do, don't make me laugh. They're hardcore in there." Tim has always been able to persuade me to take risks. He took me into my first gay bar, Uncle Charlie's in the Village, when I was seventeen years old (the legal drinking age in New York was eighteen at the time, so we didn't look out of place). Two years later, we snorted coke off of his Barney's credit card in the bathroom of the Roxy. He later was a part of my first threesome experience with some guy we met at the Spike. There was one risk, however, that Tim was unsuccessful in persuading me to take, and that was leaving religious life. Taking me into the video store that night required little effort on his part. Sal Sapienza's first novel, Seventy Times Seven, is an entertaining and enlightening look at the struggle many gay men experience as their try to reconcile their religion with their sexual natures.
—The Confessions of Saint Augustine "Jesus instructed us to forgive those who have wronged us seventy times seven times," Brother Vito Fortunato teaches the boys in his high school religion class, but it's Vito himself who has the most trouble with trying to forgive the Church, the gay community, and most of all, himself. Just a few months from his final vows as a Brother in the Catholic Church, Vito finds himself at a crossroads, torn between his spirituality and his sexuality as a fully out and proud gay man. Will a summer of volunteer work at an AIDS center in San Francisco—and a love affair with Gabriel, a recently divorced landscaper—help Vito decide his calling—and his future? Seventy Times Seven is a poignant, sexy, funny, and romantic novel set in the early 1990s about a young man's struggle to integrate his religious beliefs with his sexual desires. The gap between sexuality and spirituality is punctuated throughout the novel with quotes from the Scripture, and from song lyrics from Prince and Madonna, artists who merged the two worlds in provocative and groundbreaking fashion. Vito struggles too, with the idealism that drives his desire to change the archaic ways of the Catholic Church and its views on AIDS and homosexuality. An excerpt from Seventy Times "Come on, let's go in," Tim implored outside the Christopher Street video store. "It'll be a riot. I know you're a Brother, but you don't have to do anything, just watch. But, whatever you do, don't make me laugh. They're hardcore in there." Tim has always been able to persuade me to take risks. He took me into my first gay bar, Uncle Charlie's in the Village, when I was seventeen years old (the legal drinking age in New York was eighteen at the time, so we didn't look out of place). Two years later, we snorted coke off of his Barney's credit card in the bathroom of the Roxy. He later was a part of my first threesome experience with some guy we met at the Spike. There was one risk, however, that Tim was unsuccessful in persuading me to take, and that was leaving religious life. Taking me into the video store that night required little effort on his part. Sal Sapienza's first novel, Seventy Times Seven, is an entertaining and enlightening look at the struggle many gay men experience as their try to reconcile their religion with their sexual natures.
241 pages, Paperback
First published June 30,2006
This edition
- Format
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241 pages, Paperback
- Published
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October 15, 2006 by Harrington Park Pr
- ISBN
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9781560235996
- ASIN
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1560235993
- Language
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English
About the author
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Salvatore Sapienza is an author, pastor, and freelance writer whose works explore themes of faith, LGBTQ+ identity, and spirituality. His debut novel, Seventy Times Seven, was nominated for two Lambda Literary Awards and later adapted into the award-winning film Brotherly Love (2017). His other books include Mychal's Prayer: Praying with Father Mychal Judge, Gay is a Gift, and Childish Thinking: How the Church Keeps Us Stuck in Sunday School. In addition to writing for various newspapers and magazines, he has appeared on NPR and PBS. He lives in Saugatuck, Michigan, where he serves as a pastor in the United Church of Christ.
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Rating(3.7 / 5.0, 9 votes)
5 stars
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9 reviews All reviews
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It is a rare day when I give a book five stars. Why this book? For several reasons. First of all, the author, Salvatore Sapienza, is able to craft a readable story, and by readable I mean a story that unfolds with a certain pleasing ease and believability. The mark of a successful writer is the ability to make the reader forget they are reading fiction. I kept finding myself assuming the main character, Vito, was a proxy upon whom the author had projected his own struggle with integrating faith into an otherwise fractured life. Secondly, although the author is no Donald Windham or Alexander Chee (neither of who by the way, received five stars from this reviewer), it is of no matter proveded the message is important. Which brings us to the reason for five stars: There is a dearth of authorship offering readers a chance to see that Jesus is perfectly relevant in contemporary individual lives, especially GLBTQ lives. This is a vital issue. Thank you, Salvatore. I look forward to more in this vein!
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This novel is a warmly written eye-opener. These days when Catholic priests are often called out regarding child molestation, this story deals with one man's challenge of being a gay man who is also a Brother of the Catholic faith, teaching religion in a Catholic school. It takes place in the early 90's when the dialog in such schools is more 'hip' with the culture of the decade in New York state. Vito Fortunato is also finishing up his Master's Degree at NYU in English, paid for by the Brotherhood. Vito is a great teacher, but in his mind he is always trying to justify his right to be gay and also spiritual. He reaches a point in his life where he must decide which life to give up. This novel is well written, the characters well defined, and very likable. I found this story easy to read, thought provoking, and just wonderful.
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This is the novel that inspired a movie I truly love ("Brotherly Love")!
Set in the early 1990's, this is the story of Brother Vito Fortunato. Vito is a (mostly) open gay man, just a few months from his final vows as a Brother in the Catholic Church. He is increasingly finding himself internally at odds between his calling to a life of poverty, chastity and obedience...and the LIFE he feels when he is surrounded by his gay friends and community. To complicate matters further, during a summer of volunteer work at an AIDS center in San Francisco, Vito unexpectedly falls in love with Gabriel (a recently divorced landscaper who is himself learning to come out and embrace life in his Truth).
This novel is a great balance of spirituality and sexuality and serves as a good launching pad for discussion with those who are struggling with the compatability of Christianity and homosexuality.
While I loved the novel as an overall work...I have to admit that I liked the "updated" storyline of the film "Brotherly Love" a bit better!
Set in the early 1990's, this is the story of Brother Vito Fortunato. Vito is a (mostly) open gay man, just a few months from his final vows as a Brother in the Catholic Church. He is increasingly finding himself internally at odds between his calling to a life of poverty, chastity and obedience...and the LIFE he feels when he is surrounded by his gay friends and community. To complicate matters further, during a summer of volunteer work at an AIDS center in San Francisco, Vito unexpectedly falls in love with Gabriel (a recently divorced landscaper who is himself learning to come out and embrace life in his Truth).
This novel is a great balance of spirituality and sexuality and serves as a good launching pad for discussion with those who are struggling with the compatability of Christianity and homosexuality.
While I loved the novel as an overall work...I have to admit that I liked the "updated" storyline of the film "Brotherly Love" a bit better!
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When I first began reading this book, I struggled with relating to the main character. His obsession with pop culture, being trendy and fashionable, and his constant references to his good looks were unnerving and annoying to me. Add to this the fact that the book, in spite of several re-releases over the years, contained numerous editorial flaws (not just typos, but blatant errors that could have easily been corrected simply by proofreading), and I thought I was embarking upon a one-star read.
But the redeeming quality of this book is the story itself. When I was able to get beyond my own preconceptions and set aside all judgment of the protagonist's integrity, I began to fall in love with him. I wondered if, in real life, a person such as this would even give the time of day to someone like me, but at least while reading the story, I could pretend I was a part of his world.
Vito is about my age, born in the mid 1960s. In his early 20s he enters the priesthood in spite of the fact that he's known he's gay since the age of 17. He likes Madonna and all the pop music of the 80s and 90s, and he hangs out with his gay friends and parties whenever possible. He also teaches ninth grade in the Catholic school and is greatly admired and revered by his students who all think he's pretty cool for a priest.
Then for the summer, he takes a trip from New York out to San Francisco to volunteer at an AIDS outreach center. While there, he meets one of the volunteers, a man named Gabe, and he falls in love. He then must make a decision as to what he's going to do with his life. Does he continue with the priesthood and take his final vows, or does he give up his calling to pursue his relationship with Gabe?
I guess the reason I liked the story so much was because, in spite of the book's flaws, it was so honest. I don't know how much of the story is fiction and how much is autobiography, but it sincerely felt like the author was talking about his own life. I think it takes a lot of guts to write something like this, and there were sections of the book that moved me emotionally. I also really grew to love the main character's love interest, Gabe. I was so afraid throughout the story that he was going to get hurt badly. I loved the sweetness of the ending, though, and by the time I'd finished reading the book, I even loved Vito.
I was glad to learn that the story is being made into a movie, and I can't wait to see it.
But the redeeming quality of this book is the story itself. When I was able to get beyond my own preconceptions and set aside all judgment of the protagonist's integrity, I began to fall in love with him. I wondered if, in real life, a person such as this would even give the time of day to someone like me, but at least while reading the story, I could pretend I was a part of his world.
Vito is about my age, born in the mid 1960s. In his early 20s he enters the priesthood in spite of the fact that he's known he's gay since the age of 17. He likes Madonna and all the pop music of the 80s and 90s, and he hangs out with his gay friends and parties whenever possible. He also teaches ninth grade in the Catholic school and is greatly admired and revered by his students who all think he's pretty cool for a priest.
Then for the summer, he takes a trip from New York out to San Francisco to volunteer at an AIDS outreach center. While there, he meets one of the volunteers, a man named Gabe, and he falls in love. He then must make a decision as to what he's going to do with his life. Does he continue with the priesthood and take his final vows, or does he give up his calling to pursue his relationship with Gabe?
I guess the reason I liked the story so much was because, in spite of the book's flaws, it was so honest. I don't know how much of the story is fiction and how much is autobiography, but it sincerely felt like the author was talking about his own life. I think it takes a lot of guts to write something like this, and there were sections of the book that moved me emotionally. I also really grew to love the main character's love interest, Gabe. I was so afraid throughout the story that he was going to get hurt badly. I loved the sweetness of the ending, though, and by the time I'd finished reading the book, I even loved Vito.
I was glad to learn that the story is being made into a movie, and I can't wait to see it.
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I wish I could give more than 5 stars! I couldn't put it down!
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A touching story about a young gay priest.
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SPANISH:
Hurgando sin objetivo alguno fue como encontré este libro. De hecho, cuando deambulamos sin rumbo fijo, es el instinto lo que nos guía, y a veces tropezamos con las cosas más encantadoras.
Seventy Times Seven narra los avatares de Vito, un seminarista católico y homosexual, comprometido con su fe y con su sexo de forma abierta y honesta, mientras lucha entre la fe y el deseo, entre el amor de Dios como posta en el camino y el Amor como fin. Y en esas líneas, Salvatore Sapienza dibuja un mundo sencillo, tierno, repleto de sentimientos reales y muy vívidos, y de una ternura encantadora. La historia de amor entre Gabe, un hombre perdido en sí mismo, ansioso de dar amor, y de recibirlo, y Vito, capaz de darlo todo pero con sus desgarros internos y sus dudas, hace de Seventy Times Seven una experiencia única.
La casualidad me llevó a su libro lo mismo a que me llevó a encontrarlo, y forma parte de esa red absolutamente sublime de personas creadoras, comprometidas y únicas que, muchas veces, esta red de virtualidades mundanas cosecha con gran éxito. Y me gusta mucho jugar con su nombre: Sapiencia Salvadora…O, lo que es lo mismo, la aventura humana entre la fe, el amor, la vida y Dios: Salvatore Sapienza.
ENGLISH:
Salvatore Sapienza is a writer. A good one. Seventy Times Seven is a journey into Vito’s life, struggles, fears, feelings and realities fills with this gentle touch, this warmth sense of joy and greatfulness that made it such a brilliant and tender book.
It’s a love story. A love stroy between two men searching for love, understanding and acceptance. A love story between a soul and a religion and God. A discovery, an open journey into one man cosmos as he discovers the real world, the authentic world, inside him.
Vito and Gabe’s story is tender, touching and refreshing. It’s candid but direct; it’s funny but so romantic; is so real, that maybe it is real life and not fiction. And Seventy Times Seven teachs us that religion, homosexuality, God, sex and love are not too far from our real selves; even though, it’s an example of the ilusion that billions of people are still living: we’re all queer people, we’re all struggling with faith issues, love issues and self acceptance.
I do like to play with Savatore Sapienza’s name: Salvatore’s Sapience… His sapience is a wonderful gift. And I’m honoured to share it with him and with you.
Hurgando sin objetivo alguno fue como encontré este libro. De hecho, cuando deambulamos sin rumbo fijo, es el instinto lo que nos guía, y a veces tropezamos con las cosas más encantadoras.
Seventy Times Seven narra los avatares de Vito, un seminarista católico y homosexual, comprometido con su fe y con su sexo de forma abierta y honesta, mientras lucha entre la fe y el deseo, entre el amor de Dios como posta en el camino y el Amor como fin. Y en esas líneas, Salvatore Sapienza dibuja un mundo sencillo, tierno, repleto de sentimientos reales y muy vívidos, y de una ternura encantadora. La historia de amor entre Gabe, un hombre perdido en sí mismo, ansioso de dar amor, y de recibirlo, y Vito, capaz de darlo todo pero con sus desgarros internos y sus dudas, hace de Seventy Times Seven una experiencia única.
La casualidad me llevó a su libro lo mismo a que me llevó a encontrarlo, y forma parte de esa red absolutamente sublime de personas creadoras, comprometidas y únicas que, muchas veces, esta red de virtualidades mundanas cosecha con gran éxito. Y me gusta mucho jugar con su nombre: Sapiencia Salvadora…O, lo que es lo mismo, la aventura humana entre la fe, el amor, la vida y Dios: Salvatore Sapienza.
ENGLISH:
Salvatore Sapienza is a writer. A good one. Seventy Times Seven is a journey into Vito’s life, struggles, fears, feelings and realities fills with this gentle touch, this warmth sense of joy and greatfulness that made it such a brilliant and tender book.
It’s a love story. A love stroy between two men searching for love, understanding and acceptance. A love story between a soul and a religion and God. A discovery, an open journey into one man cosmos as he discovers the real world, the authentic world, inside him.
Vito and Gabe’s story is tender, touching and refreshing. It’s candid but direct; it’s funny but so romantic; is so real, that maybe it is real life and not fiction. And Seventy Times Seven teachs us that religion, homosexuality, God, sex and love are not too far from our real selves; even though, it’s an example of the ilusion that billions of people are still living: we’re all queer people, we’re all struggling with faith issues, love issues and self acceptance.
I do like to play with Savatore Sapienza’s name: Salvatore’s Sapience… His sapience is a wonderful gift. And I’m honoured to share it with him and with you.
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