L.A. Bizarro: The All-New Insider's Guide to the Obscure, the Absurd, and the Perverse in Los Angeles [Paperback]

Anthony Lovett (Author), Matt Maranian (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2009

The cult classic is back! More than 10 years after pioneering the gonzo guidebook genre, this all-new edition of the beloved #1 best-selling guide to bad taste L.A. has been fully revised. Packed with 75% new material, L.A. Bizarro boasts scores of fresh discoveries plus original photos presented in luscious, lurid color. Connoisseurs of the weird and wonderful, Anthony Lovett and Matt Maranian steer readers into a world of culinary curiosities, morbid museums, sexual sideshows, and dipsomaniacal dives. From pet cemeteries to piata district, hundreds of odd and outr delights are laid bare for visitors and Angelenos alike.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Matt Maranian is author of Pad and Pad Parties. A longtime L.A. resident, he now lives in Vermont.

Anthony Lovett has lived in L.A. for over thirty years without losing his mind. His writing has appeared in Rolling Stone and L.A. Weekly.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; 2nd edition (September 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811865118
• ISBN-13: 978-0811865111
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to Decadent/Deviant L.A., September 18, 2009

By 

Dena M. Martin "Dena" (Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: L.A. Bizarro: The All-New Insider's Guide to the Obscure, the Absurd, and the Perverse in Los Angeles (Paperback)

Years ago, I read the first L.A. Bizarro. LOL - admittedly, I was too young and too afraid to visit some of the places listed in the book, so I read it with a sort of voyeuristic wistfulness.

Now, Older (not that much!) and braver, I was thrilled to find the new, updated L.A. Bizarro.

This isn't your Grandma's guidebook!

The authors of L.A. Bizarro bring L.A. natives and tourists alike a peephole view into the kitschy, deviant and bizarre L.A. The L.A. you only dream about.

The book is full of information on some of the weirdest and most interesting places in L.A. From stores where you can buy hardcore S&M Furniture, to dive bars, to haunted hotels and nude beaches, L.A. Bizarro brings them all to you.

A quick warning: some of the entries and photos are definitely not appropriate for kids. The book is strictly adults only, but it's a great deal of fun!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LA Hurrayo, November 28, 2009

By 

J. L. Baker "PB Jerry B" (Vermont) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: L.A. Bizarro: The All-New Insider's Guide to the Obscure, the Absurd, and the Perverse in Los Angeles (Paperback)

I'm a California native and I thought this book was amazing. It shows a side of LA I never knew about, and it is a spectacular resource to go see this side of LA first hand. It is a creative and unique gift for the holidays. My mother received a copy for her birthday last month. Of course, make sure you have the kind of mom that will appreciate this cult classic before buying it for her.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When you don't know what to give..., December 25, 2009

By 

Gift Giver Extraordinaire (Beverly Hills, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: L.A. Bizarro: The All-New Insider's Guide to the Obscure, the Absurd, and the Perverse in Los Angeles (Paperback)

This book is hilarious, insightful, strange and definitely unlike any other guidebook every written. It makes the perfect gift for everyone (except kids and grandparents, well, I guess it depends on your grandparents!). It certainly lives up to its title as it takes you on a journey through a Los Angeles that is unknown to most and certainly bizarre. The authors write with both authority and humor as they've clearly experienced everything detailed in this book, for better or worse. There is certainly no other book quite like it! However, be forewarned, this is not for the faint of heart and contains material that is quite explicit in its sexual content and journey into Los Angeles' depravity, but that's what makes it so much fun.