Fun with Dick and Shane: Memoirs of a Houseboy Paperback – September 29, 2011

This book surprised me in so many ways. I did not expect it to be so funny, but being in Gilli’s head is an absolute joy. I also didn’t expect so many really emotional and poignant moments, as we see Gilli through some difficult situations.This is the story of Gillibran, a houseboy in a throuple with the elder Dick and Shane. Dick is the softer, coddling and cuddling daddy, while Shane is the strict Alpha Male. I have to say I had a hard time liking Shane; though he did have his moments of showing Gilli he cared, he also had his moments or kind of being a heartless and unsympathetic git.But I do absolutely love Gilli. He definitely has his moments where he’s bratty and childish, but he’s also really sweet and just wants to be loved. He’s funny and self deprecating, but he tells the most colorful stories in ways only he can.I’ll definitely be continuing this series as I have to know what happens for Gilli next!

4.75 rounded up~This is a re-read and I enjoyed every second falling in love with Gilli and his voice all over again. I don't pretend to really understand the discipline lifestyle and relationship Gilli shares with his two Daddies Shane and Dick, but what's great is that you don't need to in order to see that somehow, it's right for them. This is definitely not an erotica book, just a recounting of episodes, some of momentous events, and more just accounts in the surprisingly mundane and ordinary lives of a trio who share a very, very unorthodox relationship. There is no real plot to this, just as there is no plot that maps out real life. Gilli's narrative voice is completely endearing, even at his most exasperating, brattiest times, and through some of his more reflective and insightful moments. I laughed aloud, cried only a little, and was quick to sympathize in his moments of anger and rebellion, all the while shaking my head at some of his plain silly (but still chuckle-inducing) antics. I never grew tired or annoyed by him and just happily immersed myself in this book the entirety of this day.I do choose to wishfully think there is a real Gilli out there. Of course, I also believe that some instances have most probably been embellished upon. His form of epilepsy also further leads me to believe that the author knows what it's like to live with this. Regardless, nothing will change the fact that I have all the incentive to fall in love with this little houseboy, fictional or not he may be, and all the motivation to continue on laughing along with him in the rest of this series.

Egalitarian relationships are normative in our society, so a book that explores some of the rough edges and real conflicts of a non-egalitarian relationship in such a realistic and compelling way is a real gem. Gillibran captures some of the stuff that's really hard to put into words -- that overall the relationship can be awesome but rules can rub the wrong way, the missteps and misunderstandings that can occur in pretty much any relationship but are marked in one where certain ways of communicating are closed off for one reason or another but the other person has an expectation of being in charge anyway, etc. And he does this in the background of the ups and downs of life in general and with a good sense of humor. Lovely book.

Engaging, endearing, and funny. Gilli gives a fun and charming insight into his loving, albeit unconventional, relationship. It is impossible to not love Gillibran (even when you want to shake him). He is immature and insecure at times, but I think most readers will easily identify and sympathize with him and root for him the whole time!I also found his partners- Dick and Shane, of title fame- to be fully and charmingly crafted throughout Gilli's narrative. I felt for Shane, despite his unrelentingly stern surliness, keeping his two boys in line. And It's easy to see why Gilli "sometimes loves Dick best of all." He is gentle, affectionate, and funny, but not afraid to exercise his Top power over Gilli when it matters. Not to mention his insatiable lust for Gillibran and Shane kept me laughing throughout.I highly recommend this book to anybody who is interested in m/m domestic discipline stories. This one is emotional and poignant at times without getting too heavy. Mostly, though, Gilli's story is a lot of fun and shows us that love can come in many different shapes and sizes.

I've read all five of "Memoirs of a Houseboy" series, plus the three stand alone books. I really loved reading all of them, and found them to be very interesting. They were funny, which had me laughing at times, and at other times had me feeling sad. I never read a book that was so true to life, and how it felt to live in a domestic discipline relationship. I hope to read more of "Memoirs of a Houseboy". Maybe, the next book will be about how it all started, from living alone, to being employed as a houseboy. Don't stop writing, because I find this to be a very interesting series, which I highly recommend.

While you read Fun with Dick and Shane you will learn to both want to hug AND strangle Gilli. Is it possible to feel compassion for the person doling out the punishment and not for the one being punished? FwD&S will test this hypothesis over and over. Gilli has a death wish as far as Shane is concerned. He might be a sub but a sub that loves to get his doms riled up.This is a book that helped me get clearer understanding on poly-amorous relationships with discipline undercurrents. At times is hard to understand why this would work for Gilli and Dick and Shane but the book teaches you to respect that it does. As you read this book keep in mind that this menage is not your "standard" menage. This is not a menage where "all sides are equal." There is a hierarchy. So if you find yourself getting upset at how Gilli is being treated try keeping that in mind and consider what's happening under those terms.

This is a great read, interesting and informative about a menage relationship with domestic discipline as a big factor. Gilli is a wonderful writer who engages you in his writing, witty and honest, sometimes painfully so, you can be laughing one chapter and crying in sympathy the next. Would definitely recommend.

I enjoyed this book. The author has a great way with words - and is very open with the lifestyle he has chosen to lead. Fantastic - keep on publishing the memoirs!

An amusing book, well written, a good introduction to the rest of the series, would have benefited from more on how the hero came to be a houseboy.

Da es bereits genug englischsprachige Bewertungen auf amazon.com gibt, hier eine deutsche: Das Buch ist im Tagebuch-Stil geschrieben, und als ich begriffen habe, dass es sich tatsächlich um autobiografische Aufzeichnungen handelt (Gilli führt das hier begonnene, für die Veröffentlichung stilistisch überarbeitete online-Tagebuch auf seiner website weiterhin fort), war ich zunächst etwas ... erschrocken. Das Wort ist möglicherweise ein bisschen zu hart, aber ein besseres fällt mir im Moment nicht ein. Jedenfalls ist der 24-jährige Gillibran Brown der häusliche Part des Trios, zu dem außer ihm noch Shane (43) und Richard (Dick, 34) zählen, und er ist zugleich das unterste Glied in der hierarchischen Struktur. Die dicksten Steine legt er sich tatsächlich selbst in den Weg, weiß das rückwirkend aber auch mit kritischem Humor zu würdigen und entsprechend zu schildern. Ich hatte zunächst so meine Probleme mit Shane, dem strengen, zugleich aber auch äußerst selbstdisziplinierten, verantwortungsvollen Kopf des Haushaltes; was seinen Anteil an Gillis Leben betrifft, wären mir sicherlich etliche Begriffe eingefallen - 'Fun' wäre ebenso sicher nicht darunter gewesen. Während Dick also vor allem derjenige ist, der Liebe und Herzenswärme in Gillis Leben bringt, sorgt Shane in erster Linie für klare Strukturen.Gillis Stil ist leicht und unglaublich witzig, gespickt mit Wortspielen - und voller Leben. Ich habe noch bei keinem anderen Buch so viel gelacht; die meiste Zeit über habe ich mindestens gegrinst. Gleichzeitig klingt in den Erzählungen aber auch eine Menge Sensibilität durch; Gillibran Brown ist ohne jede Frage sehr viel intelligenter als sein nicht eben ausgeprägtes Selbstwertgefühl (und andere Menschen) ihn mitunter glauben machen.Wer sein Tagebuch gelesen hat ohne ihn ins Herz zu schließen, sollte tatsächlich mal über einen Termin beim Kardiologen nachdenken.P.S.(M/M-)Sex (M/M/M-Sex?) steht übrigens keineswegs im Vordergrund der Erzählungen, trotzdem sind entsprechende Szenen natürlich Teil von Gillis Leben und Tagebuch. Eigentlich geht es auch gar nicht so sehr um seine Rolle als Sub - dennoch spielt corporal punishment eine relativ große Rolle in Gillis Alltag.