Love and Death on Long Island (novel)

Love and Death on Long Island is a 1990 novel by Gilbert Adair. The story follows Giles De'Ath, an elderly, rather reclusive English writer, who accidentally wanders into a cinema showing a teen movie. He becomes infatuated with a young American actor named Ronnie Bostock (played by a fictionalized version of Keanu Reeves) and travels to Long Island in search of him. The novel explores themes of obsession, cultural clashes between Europe and America, aging, and the potentially destructive power of idealized love. The narrative is largely character-driven, focusing on De'Ath's internal thoughts and increasingly desperate attempts to connect with Bostock. The book is known for its satirical tone and explores the potential absurdity of romantic longing, particularly when directed at someone completely unaware of the admirer's existence. It was adapted into a film of the same name in 1997, starring John Hurt as Giles De'Ath and Jason Priestley as Ronnie Bostock.