The Exquisite Corpse [Paperback]

Alfred Chester (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1986

Lyric and tender one moment, cruel and dizzying the next, The Exquisite Corpse neither celebrates perversity nor laments it; rather it projects it as part of man's never-ending search for a true self and for transcendent communion with others.

In forty-nine brief, highly cinematic chapters, we meet a series of twisted but sincere searches Tomtom Jim and his naked, hungry family; Mary Poorpoor and her utterly "otherly" baby; angry John Doe and his sex slave, James Madison each in flight from despair. As one surreal episode morphs into the next, these searchers change shape and their journeys change direction; names and identities come and go, storylines collide, and desires intertwine, all with the lightning-quick illogic of a dream. The result is a tragicomic tour de force, an upside-down roadmap to everyone's inner Sodom, a perversely moral (and morally perverse) masterpiece by a modern-day Marquis de Sade.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Sometimes brutal and hilariously waspish, but always humane. --Sam Jordison, Guardian Unlimited (UK) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Alfred Chester was, in the words of Gore Vidal, "a glorious writer, tough as nails." His other books include The Exquisite Corpse (Black Sparrow Books, 2004), Head of a Sad Angel (stories, 1990), and Looking for Genet (essays, 1992). Born in Brooklyn in 1928, he died in Tel Aviv in 1971. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf Pub (October 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881842613
• ISBN-13: 978-0881842616
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,817,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read, April 30, 2004

By 

Mark Terrill (Burg, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Exquisite Corpse (Paperback)

Read the first 100 pages through in one shot and am enjoying it immensely. That book has been on my must-read list for many years, but I was never able to find a copy. I mainly wanted to read it because of its cultural/historical relevance, having also read everything by Bowles (both Jane and Paul) and Burroughs, etc. But Chester's writing is exceeding my expectations in a big way. Part of his problem might have been that he was just way ahead of his time.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite Writing: Chester's weird and wonderful voice, May 6, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Exquisite Corpse (Paperback)

I'm so happy to see this book reissued. Alfred Chester is one of the most unappreciated and underrated writers of the twentieth century. At his best, Chester is up there with the best. Like much of his other writing, "The Exquisite Corpse" is filled with startling images and strange and unforgettable characters. His weird and wonderful voice is an inspiration. Chester was able to look unflinchingly at his own unhappy life (and mental illness) and use it to spin literary gold. He captures pain, loneliness, and sexual confusion on a page like few writers. Any serious writer should read him for his mastery of language and word play. Any serious reader should read him for sheer enjoyment.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Every book called Exquisite Corpse has to be good, November 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Exquisite Corpse (Paperback)

I've read three books called Exquisite Corpse and they have all been excellent. This one was a little wierd and slightly hard to follow but it was an incredibly creative yet somehow realistic portrayal of the life some of the less fortunate in fates tend to lead. I intend to read every book called Exquisite Corpse that I can find.