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Un beso de Dick is the first novel by Colombian writer Fernando Molano Vargas, first published in 1992. The plot follows the story of Felipe and Leonardo, two Colombian teenagers and high school classmates who fall in love and begin a romantic relationship, which is soon put to the test by the people around them. The work explores themes of love, erotic desire and death in the context of male homosexuality.

It is considered a pioneer work within the Colombian LGBT narrative for its approach to a relationship between characters of the same sex in which the tenderness and happiness of the characters prevails instead of tragedy. It is also considered a cult work and is Molano's most famous book.

Plot

Felipe is a sixteen year old boy who goes to high school in Bogotá in the early 1990s. During recess and in his free time, he loves to play soccer with his friends, among whom is Leonardo, with whom Felipe is secretly in love and for whom he feels a strong sexual attraction. After attending parties together and even having a fight, Felipe discovers that Leonardo is also in love with him, which leads them to start a romantic relationship.

The two become inseparable, but one day, a school custodian finds them kissing. When Felipe's father finds out, he explodes in a fit of rage and beats him. After recovering, Felipe discovers that his aunt had arrived for a visit, which makes him fear that his father was planning to send him to Medellín to live with her. However, Felipe soon discovers that his aunt actually supports his relationship with Leonardo, and she decides to take him to reunite with his partner. In the last chapter, Felipe and Leonardo spend the afternoon together, more sure than ever of their love.

Main characters

• Felipe Valencia Arango: He is the protagonist and narrator of the novel, a 16-year-old Colombian teenager who is in the ninth grade and loves to play soccer with his classmates. He is described in the novel as a naïve boy, but quite curious and inquisitive, so he constantly questions himself about issues such as love, individual freedom and society's reaction to homosexuality. He wants to direct a film, the plot of which he describes as a romantic story in which tragedy comes between the protagonists.

• Leonardo: He is the friend Felipe is attracted to, and later, his boyfriend. Like him, he loves to play soccer, but he also loves literature, particularly classic authors such as Miguel de Cervantes and Charles Dickens. In the novel, he is described in several passages as a nostalgic and sometimes sad person. Due to his extensive knowledge, he presents himself in various facets as a guide for Felipe, who is strongly attracted to Leonardo's displays of affection that make him feel a connotation of belonging to him.
• Hugo: He was a friend of Felipe's who died four years before the beginning of the plot, but who is remembered repeatedly by the main character due to the love he felt for him. He appears from the first sentence of the novel, as a remembrance of the protagonist. The character is inspired by Hugo Molina, also known as Diego, Molano's sentimental partner who died years before he wrote the novel.