Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style

A Novel

By: Paul Rudnick

Narrated by: Daniel Henning

“A case study in elegant, honest tragicomedy…by the genuinely hilarious Paul Rudnick” (Gary Shteyngart, New York Times bestselling author) that follows the decades-long, rule-breaking romance between the son of one of America’s wealthiest families and a middle-class aspiring author.

Devastatingly handsome and insanely rich, Farrell Covington is capable of anything and impossible to resist. He’s a clear-eyed romantic, an aesthete but not a snob, self-indulgent yet wildly generous. As the son of one of the country’s most powerful and deeply conservative families, the world could be his. But when he falls for Nate Reminger, an aspiring writer from a nice Jewish family in Piscataway, New Jersey, the results are passionate and catastrophic.

Together, the two embark on a unique romance that spans half a century. They are inseparable—except for the many years when they are apart. Moving from the ivy-covered bastion of Yale to New York City, Los Angeles, and eventually all over the world, Farrell and Nate experience the tremendous upheaval and social change of the last fifty years. From the freedom of gay life in 1970s Manhattan to the Hollywood closet, the AIDS epidemic, and the profound strides of the LGBTQ+ movement, this witty and moving novel shows how the world changes around us while we’re busy doing other things.

Written with “engaging wit, side-eyed perceptiveness, and barbed elan” (Michael Chabon), this modern classic proves that style has its limits, love does not.

Critic reviews

"Daniel Henning narrates this story of a decades-long love affair in an over-the-top theatrical manner that is well suited to the dramatic vibe of the story. He depicts a world that is bizarre, glamorous, and tastefully opulent. The writing is witty, explosive, and life affirming. Henning's Farrell is a Midwestern version of an Evelyn Waugh hero; he is clearly gay and very comfortable with who he is. Henning performs the raw, raunchy scenes with the same panache as the tender moments, which are vitally important to the plot. He elicits both tears and laughs as listeners follow Farrell from Yale to his death in his mid-60s."

Such a good book and performance

I have recommended this book to every single person I talk to. It was a great story with incredible writing. The vocabulary was superlative. The performance was fantastic. Read it, enjoy it, and then pass it on.

Brilliant and very GAY

Thank god for Paul Rudnick. He’s created a funny, sweet and touching saga full of entertaining characters and situations. Thank you for this beautiful novel.

Top Notch Fiction

Outstanding narration of an epic love story. Narrator Henning highlights both comedy and drama with great skill and creates memorable laugh-out-loud characters.
Highly recommended.

So sweet

This story is full of heart and good humor.
Farrell and Nate had support and love to guide them through way too much family drama, history-making challenges, and identity crises. They shared a true bond that protected them through it all. It was fun to join them on the journey to see how things turned out. I loved it.

Excellent! Great story, fantastic narrative.

Perfect story, great narration. Story over decades, the cultural shifts all around the world. Highly recommended!