Reader, I Groomed Him: Gie Laenen's Juvenile Novels as Paedophile Seduction

Abstract

This article considers whether the youth novels of Gie Laenen, a Flemish author who was convicted of the sexual abuse of teenage boys, can be read as a grooming tool for the way they offer positive literary models for a range of intimate (but not explicitly sexual) man-boy relationships. Surveying most of Laenen's published work, the discussion identifies three recurring narrative tropes and several paratextual elements that can be read as attempts to seduce young male readers into a receptive attitude towards intergenerational intimacies. However, the article also acknowledges that such a reading might obscure the reasons why young readers were attracted to Laenen's work, which would impoverish our understanding of the books’ complex seductive appeal.