Customer Reviews

Love Creeps: A Novel

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I loved Nude Men and Vapor and had looked forward to reading another Amanda Filipacchi novel after reading and rereading the latter book six years ago. Love Creeps is another rich, hilarious and enlightening novel with a disturbing story, disarming characters, twisted philosophies and dark humor. Gallery owner Lynn Gallagher has lost her ability to desire -- to desire life, people and the things around her. She envies her stalker, an unhappy and unappealing loser named Alan, because he desires her so much that he follows her around all the time. So, in an attempt to regain her desire for things, she decides to stalk a French lawyer named Roland Dupont. And that is the beginning of a chain of strange events and twists in stalking tendencies, all of which are viewed by a homeless former psychologist who refuses but is unable to resist analyzing the threesome's behavior. There are many twists throughout the novel.

Filipacchi has once again created a strange, smart, funny and silly story centered on obsession and the condition of the human mind and spirit. The novel is a surrealistic farce that touches on serious subjects such as child abuse, obsessive love, masochism, the meaning of one's life among other things told with a dark, ironic and humorous twist. The author finds logic in the illogical and in doing so she shocks and amuses the reader. But one cannot help but nod in agreement because some of her strange philosophies make sense. It is difficult to explain everything, but this sort of novel is excellent for reading discussions because you have so many subjects to choose from. My favorite quote was this one from Alan: "Abusers are like garbage cans. You can toss all your crap into them." This was regarding a woman he thought had sexually abused him when he was a child. He thought he could place the blame of all his failures in life on her. That is one of the many reasons you should read this book. The novel raises various questions about romantic love, such as why does someone become desirable the minute they stop desiring you? I have always wondered about that very thing and Filipacchi delves into said subject beautifully and insightfully. You will laugh with the oddball stuff that goes on with the characters. The characters are great, albeit unlikeable, but they are not meant to be likeable. The list of characters includes a sex addict and an exhibitionist. The characters have a caricature quality to them that is part of Filipacchi's signature style. All in all, I loved this novel. This is better written than Nude Men and Vapor and less over the top with the twists and turns as well. Filipacchi has been on my must-read list since her first novel and I wish she released novels more often. I couldn't recommend Love Creeps enough to those who enjoy dark, farcical comedies. But be careful, for this novel is not for the faint of heart.

Lynn Gallagher, a successful young gallery owner, knows what it's like to be desired. She is in fact being stalked, followed around the streets of Manhattan and peered at regularly through the windows of her workplace by a short, dumpy, balding fellow named--she later discovers--Alan. Alan doesn't inspire fear in his victim: his behavior and appearance are too ridiculous to be frightening. But Alan does inspire Lynn with envy. Having mysteriously lost her ability to feel desire for anything--food, sex, art, and so on--Lynn wants to feel for something what her stalker feels in excess for her. She decides to take up stalking herself as a therapeutic exercise, and soon selects, more or less at random, her own stalkee: Roland is a tall, reasonably attractive thirty-something who, she has reason to believe, lives conveniently close by for her purposes: "She had no intention of stalking someone who lived far away. Long-distance stalking had to be annoying."

The stalking order thus established (Alan follows Lynn who, though her heart isn't quite in it, follows Roland), the three eccentric principals of Amanda Filipacchi's Love Creeps pursue each other, literally, through the absurdities to follow, exploring many of the possible permutations of their love triangle while falling in and out of desire for one another. What makes the book's plot not only possible but often hilarious is that the stalkers make no attempt to conceal their stalking from their victims or one another: "It's always about you, isn't it?" one stalker complains to his victim. "I just don't understand why you can't pick more fun things to do, out of consideration for us poor stalkers who follow you. I mean, you knew we'd follow you. You know we can't help it. If you were truly considerate, you would consult us as to which activities we could all enjoy."

The phenomenon of stalking may not seem like particularly fertile ground for humor, but Filipacchi proves that weird obsession can be drop-dead funny. Her writing is breezy, her characters deliciously flawed. Readers may not long remember the specifics of this romantic comedy's twists and turns, but they're unlikely to forget the amusing image of a trio of love-sick stalkers pursuing one another openly through the streets, swimming pools, and beading classes of New York.

Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece

I loved Amanda Filipacchi's first two books and couldn't wait to read this one, so I bought an advance copy on the internet two weeks ago. I'm glad I did. The plot is gripping and highly original -- and the characters are unforgettable. It's the kind of book that makes you laugh out loud and think about important issues at the same time. I was sad when it ended, but fortunately there was an extra chapter still to read. Read it and you'll see what I mean.

Amanda Filipacchi has done it again. I read Amanda's first two books, Vapor and Nude Men, and loved them both, couldn't wait to see what she would write next. I find Amanda's writing to be so unusual. She's the kind of writer I rave about to my friends and tell them they must, must, must read her books. Amanda's plots are completely unexpected, her stories are surreal while set in the most down to earth of worlds, her sense of humor is hysterical while completely dry. When you read her novels, you wonder, how did she ever think of this. But that's what I so enjoy about her work. It takes you into circumstances you never expected to go, and introduces you to characters you can't bear to leave. I finished Love Creeps in one weekend because it was so hard to put down. I highly recommend this novel, along with every other book Amanda Filipacchi has written. The only bad part about reading any of Ms. Filipacchi's novels is that you want another right away, and once you've read them all, you have to wait.

I picked up this book, expecting a nice frothy romance, but got an insightful treatise on modern day love and dating among singles instead. I wasn't at all disappointed. The author has a real feel for much of the miscommunication and consequent ennui that affects certain segments of our society, and her absolutely deadpan style of presenting somewhat outrageous ideas is both amusing and thought-provoking at the same time.

One theme runing through this book is that many people are attracted only to those they can't have, and when they occasionally succeed, then they no longer want the former object of their affections; perhaps it is only the chase that they love, and what first attracted, then repels. Or perhaps they fall in love with what they would like the other person to be, not what he or she really is. All of this is illustrated through a series of people stalking people, a homeless man (and former psychologist) watching the stalkers, and an assortment of friends, murderers, and other characters thrown in the mix.

The author gives the reader an option of accepting a happily-ever-after ending, or a more cynical and realistic one in the denouement (which, of course, one must read).

This is may not be a book for everyone, but if your approach to relationships is more sardonic than romantic, you will probably enjoy this novel.

This is a terrific book. Amanda Filipacchi is an excellent writer with a unique imagination. If you want to read a book that is "different" yet entertaining read Love Creeps.

I have read all of Amanda Filipacchi's books and just reread "Nude Men", thought they were all good. "Love Creeps" being the best, it is wickedly funny and insightful.

Manhattan gallery owner Lynn Gallagher seems to have everything going for her even attracting a stalker, a short, overweight and bald accountant Alan Morton. Instead of being repelled by his actions and calling the cops, Lynn notices his obsession provides Alan with a zest for life as her admirer. She wonders if stalking might give her a passion for living too as her love life and her gallery fail to do so.

At the nearby bakery, Lynn selects wealthy handsome attorney Roland Dupont, Alan's squash playing opponent, as the object of her "affection". However, Roland wants nothing to do with his stalker, which perversely increases Lynn's pestering of him. Roland reconsiders his disdain for Lynn when he learns that she Alan's target of love.

Satirical but also somewhat inane, LOVE CREEPS is unexpectedly an insightful look at modern society through the various lens of individuals with major psychological issues. The stalking triangle stuns the audience who will not know what to expect next from the lead trio as their interrelationships and uncertainties are laid bare. Living up to its dark title from the first line until the last, readers receive an amusing modern day farcical relationship.

Harriet Klausner

In short: hilarious, unconventional and smartly written. Love Creeps is an eccentric tale of obsession and the need to find personal fulfillment. Lynn Gallagher is frightened that she no longer desires anything. So instead of being frightened by the man stalking her she becomes inspired. Jealous of her stalker's possession of a desire, Lynn decides to emmulate him and finds her own stalkee. The three lives become hilariously entwined and the narrative of this story flies by instead of creeping.

Lynn Gallagher, a successful Manhattan gallery owner, was depressed that she had lost her desire for anything. She was jealous of everyone else who wanted something, so much so that she decided to copy her stalker, Alan Morton, who wanted her very badly. Lynn started to stalk Roland Dupont, who had some strange behavior of his own.

Alan was perturbed by the fact that Lynn was now a stalker, so he befriended Roland to find out why Lynn preferred Roland to him. Alan then proposed a plan: if Roland agreed to spend a weekend with Lynn, she, in turn, would spend a weekend with Alan. Roland reluctantly complied, but none of them expected what consequences their actions would bring.

All the while, Ray, the ex-psychologist-but-now-homeless guy in the neighborhood, was observing and analyzing the development of the relationship among the three. Eventually, he, too, was drawn into the dynamic, fluid and unpredictable relationship only very psychologically unbalanced people could have.

Before I even got past chapter one, I was already thinking: Where do these people come from? Isn't there anyone normal around here? (And I found out as I read on that the answer to the second question is No). I felt as if I was sucked into a Seinfeld episode where everyone who was dysfunctional somehow found a gathering place and became part of each other's life. These were probably amongst the weirdest characters I have ever encountered; but as strange and unrealistic their stories were, they sure made me laugh.

Love Creeps was probably one of the most whimsical novels I have ever read, but the story was definitely original and entertaining. The plot was full of twists and turns, with some pretty outrageous segments and witty dialogues.

Armchair Interviews says: If you are in need of a good laugh, this is the book for you. Love Creeps is a hoot!