Haakon a novel by C. F. Griffin.

By: Material type: TextTextPublication details: New York Crowell 1978Edition: 1st edDescription: 296 p. 24 cmISBN:
  • 0690017030
LOC classification:
  • PS3557.R4887 H33 1978
Summary: This novel was written in the late 1970s about events that took place between the mid to late 1940s. It is important to keep this mind as you read this work today. Otherwise, the reading experience will involve a lot of eye rolling at incidents and situations much less familiar to the LGBTQ community in the 2020s. Haakon is a Danish American college professor who gets drafted into WWII although he is approaching 50. He is Nordicly handsome, leaving behind at home an unfaithful but beautiful boyfriend who travels the world as a photographer, sleeping with all kinds of gorgeous and/or powerful men along the way. Haakon is well aware of Simon’s long list of infidelities, but accepts it as being part of the secret homosexual world to which they both belong. Meanwhile, Haakon, desperately afraid of having his true nature discovered while in the army, is fastidiously careful to avoid any suggestion that he might be gay. This is particularly difficult in the case of one enlisted serviceman, Dan, who is also ruggedly handsome, but alas only 17 years of age. Dan has a tough time keeping out of trouble, getting in frequent physical altercations in which someone gets injured. Haakon, however, sees a diamond in the rough, and feels drawn to the young man in an effort to put him on the right path. Predictably, Haakon falls in love with him, but not knowing he is still a minor. Haakon is also unaware than Dan has fallen in love with him too, even though Dan is well known for his sexual forays with women. Haakon notices Dan’s love of learning and assumes the role of tutor-mentor. As the war in Europe is winding down, Haakon has an experience he will not be able to shake for the rest of his life. He takes part in the liberation of a concentration camp, but finding that as the escaping Germans left, they brutally massacred as many prisoners as they could. Haakon hears a little girl moaning, and hoping that she can be saved, picks her up. But as he picks her up, she dies in his arms. Later it is Dan who tries to draw Haakon out of the deep depression this incident has triggered. But Haakon realizes it is soon for all to return to the US to live their lives, so he encourages Dan by telling him he needs to go to college and make a success out of his life. Haakon is saddened that he will likely never see Dan again. Back in the US, Haakon resumes his job as professor. Simon goes in and out of his life intermittently, the lack of stability being the only stability in their relationship. And in one of the interregnum that Simon is away, Dan shows up quite a mess. He had traveled to the area to look for Haakon, but upon arriving had gotten himself into a violent altercation where he was hurt badly. Haakon nurses him back to health, and the old feelings are rekindled. Dan expresses his own love for Haakon, and they make love. They become inseparable. Dan enrolls in college, as Haakon wanted. However, their routine togetherness raises lots of eyebrows in the conservative college environment of the late 1940s. Rumors begin to fly, and a well-meaning colleague encourages him to take Dan to the colleague’s lakefront cottage for the summer for the rumors to subside. They go, and have an almost idyllic summer of swimming and making love, just the two of them. It is towards the end of the summer that Haakon learns that Dan is only 17. Horrified, Haakon refuses to have further physical contact, which enrages Dan, resulting in Dan’s injuring Haakon fairly badly. But Dan immediately regrets what he did, expressing his continuing love for Haakon. He tries to convince Dan that having sex with men when you are that young is just a phase, and that Dan will turn out straight. Dan is not so sure. Neither knew that Simon had tracked them down and was photographing their activities together. Simon ultimately decided not to provoke a confrontation, and once again he left and traveled abroad. With the realization that he could be fired, and worse, for not only being a homosexual, but a pedophile, Haakon listens to his colleague and starts to openly date women. He even has sex with the wife of another colleague whom he abhors. He soon reconnects with a former female friend whom he falls for romantically. Realizing his feelings for her, he concludes he is bisexual, and can settle down with her and marry her. His relationship with her ignites a frenzy of sexual escapades with other women, all which reinforce his belief that he is really not homosexual but bisexual, and that he can settle down with a woman. All goes according to plan, until one day Simon returns, looking haggard but still beautiful, and seduces Haakon back into bed. Haakon decides he can probably have the best of both worlds, until Betty walks into his house and sees Simon sleeping and naked. At this point, the story decrescendos to its climax, with Haakon predictably being left alone.
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Item type Current library Call number Copy number Status Date due Barcode
Book Book Stonewall Fiction FIC GRI 1978 1 Available 770260431

This novel was written in the late 1970s about events that took place between the mid to late 1940s. It is important to keep this mind as you read this work today. Otherwise, the reading experience will involve a lot of eye rolling at incidents and situations much less familiar to the LGBTQ community in the 2020s.


Haakon is a Danish American college professor who gets drafted into WWII although he is approaching 50. He is Nordicly handsome, leaving behind at home an unfaithful but beautiful boyfriend who travels the world as a photographer, sleeping with all kinds of gorgeous and/or powerful men along the way. Haakon is well aware of Simon’s long list of infidelities, but accepts it as being part of the secret homosexual world to which they both belong. Meanwhile, Haakon, desperately afraid of having his true nature discovered while in the army, is fastidiously careful to avoid any suggestion that he might be gay. This is particularly difficult in the case of one enlisted serviceman, Dan, who is also ruggedly handsome, but alas only 17 years of age. Dan has a tough time keeping out of trouble, getting in frequent physical altercations in which someone gets injured. Haakon, however, sees a diamond in the rough, and feels drawn to the young man in an effort to put him on the right path. Predictably, Haakon falls in love with him, but not knowing he is still a minor. Haakon is also unaware than Dan has fallen in love with him too, even though Dan is well known for his sexual forays with women. Haakon notices Dan’s love of learning and assumes the role of tutor-mentor.


As the war in Europe is winding down, Haakon has an experience he will not be able to shake for the rest of his life. He takes part in the liberation of a concentration camp, but finding that as the escaping Germans left, they brutally massacred as many prisoners as they could. Haakon hears a little girl moaning, and hoping that she can be saved, picks her up. But as he picks her up, she dies in his arms. Later it is Dan who tries to draw Haakon out of the deep depression this incident has triggered. But Haakon realizes it is soon for all to return to the US to live their lives, so he encourages Dan by telling him he needs to go to college and make a success out of his life. Haakon is saddened that he will likely never see Dan again.


Back in the US, Haakon resumes his job as professor. Simon goes in and out of his life intermittently, the lack of stability being the only stability in their relationship. And in one of the interregnum that Simon is away, Dan shows up quite a mess. He had traveled to the area to look for Haakon, but upon arriving had gotten himself into a violent altercation where he was hurt badly. Haakon nurses him back to health, and the old feelings are rekindled. Dan expresses his own love for Haakon, and they make love. They become inseparable. Dan enrolls in college, as Haakon wanted. However, their routine togetherness raises lots of eyebrows in the conservative college environment of the late 1940s. Rumors begin to fly, and a well-meaning colleague encourages him to take Dan to the colleague’s lakefront cottage for the summer for the rumors to subside. They go, and have an almost idyllic summer of swimming and making love, just the two of them. It is towards the end of the summer that Haakon learns that Dan is only 17. Horrified, Haakon refuses to have further physical contact, which enrages Dan, resulting in Dan’s injuring Haakon fairly badly. But Dan immediately regrets what he did, expressing his continuing love for Haakon. He tries to convince Dan that having sex with men when you are that young is just a phase, and that Dan will turn out straight. Dan is not so sure.


Neither knew that Simon had tracked them down and was photographing their activities together. Simon ultimately decided not to provoke a confrontation, and once again he left and traveled abroad.


With the realization that he could be fired, and worse, for not only being a homosexual, but a pedophile, Haakon listens to his colleague and starts to openly date women. He even has sex with the wife of another colleague whom he abhors. He soon reconnects with a former female friend whom he falls for romantically. Realizing his feelings for her, he concludes he is bisexual, and can settle down with her and marry her. His relationship with her ignites a frenzy of sexual escapades with other women, all which reinforce his belief that he is really not homosexual but bisexual, and that he can settle down with a woman. All goes according to plan, until one day Simon returns, looking haggard but still beautiful, and seduces Haakon back into bed. Haakon decides he can probably have the best of both worlds, until Betty walks into his house and sees Simon sleeping and naked.


At this point, the story decrescendos to its climax, with Haakon predictably being left alone.

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