the short story (it isn't really a novel)isnt so short and it is very intellectual at times: quite hard to read I found, although I still enjoyed it. I loved the film when it first came it way way back in the 70's (I saw it with a very dear schoolfriend when both of us were wrestling with our sexualities. He has since died of leukemia and I miss him very much so the film has come to have layers of extra meaning for me. Nevertheless, when I saw it again quite recently I found it very stilted!