There was a time when I would have appreciated what Poppy Z. Brite was doing here, but that time has passed. Since becoming a mother I find that extreme violence and gore (not to mention necrophilia and whatever the hell else is going on in this book, LOL) just make me sick. I got maybe 80 pages into this and realized that pushing on simply wasn't worth the knot in my stomach. I can't read Exquisite Corpse and then play with my small sons, I just can't. Call me a wimp, if you like. Motherhood changes you in so many ways!

Anyhoo, I'm putting this into time-traveler's Bizarre Bookbox in the hope that it will find an appreciative reader. (There's little doubt that Brite's got talent; some of her short stories rank among my faves. I may try some of her mainstream novels next.)

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Added this to time-traveler's Bizarre Fiction Bookbox.

I know I have to have a copy of this somewhere, but I can't find it. I'm taking this out for a temporary reading copy and will make it available again later. Thanks (again), Guinneth! And, no, I won't call you a wimp. ;-)

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Hardcover, 240 pages

Synopsis:
To serial slayer Andrew Compton, murder is an art, the most intimate art. After feigning his own death to escape from prison, Compton makes his way to the United States with the sole ambition of bringing his "art" to new heights. Tortured by his own perverse desires, and drawn to possess and destroy young boys, Compton inadvertently joins forces with Jay Byrne, a dissolute playboy who has pushed his "art" to limits even Compton hadn't previously imagined. Together, Compton and Byrne set their sights on an exquisite young Vietnamese-American runaway, Tran, whom they deem to be the perfect victim.

Swiftly moving from the grimy streets of London's Piccadilly Circus to the decadence of the New Orleans French Quarter, and punctuated by rants from radio talk show host Lush Rimbaud, a.k.a. Luke Ransom, Tran's ex-lover, who is dying of AIDS and who intends to wreak ultimate havoc before leaving this world, Exquisite Corpse unfolds into a labyrinth of murder and love. Ultimately all four characters converge on a singular bloody night after which their lives will be irrevocably changed—or terminated.

Poppy Z. Brite dissects the landscape of torture and invites us into the mind of a killer. Exquisite Corpse confirms Brite as a writer who defies categorization. It is a novel for those who dare trespass where the sacred and profane become one.

I not only found this copy again, I found the original copy that I already owned before greedily grabbing this one.

I found this on AKSarah's wishlist and will be mailing it to her this week. Hope you enjoy it!

Update - mailed today to AKSarah. Enjoy!

Wow! Thanks for the surprise! I've been wanting to try this author for awhile.

I'm loving the book that I just bought for $1.00 at the Fairbanks, Alaska library! Although I am not familiar with this author, and I find it a little hard to follow at times, I'm already half way through reading it. I'm now living in Dearborn, MI and I and visiting family in Fairbanks, but I'll definitely be bringing this book home with me.