Exquisite Corpse

so i really loved the discussion and metaphors for what it's like to be gay dealing with HIV specifically during the AIDs epidemic. I also adored the writing in this beyond belief but on the other hand i was hella bored throughout this story even though it's less than 250 pages and the actual plot outside of the synopsis did not start until about 65% in which is just too slow for me. i also don't enjoy being in men's heads this much but i'm not faulting the book for that. and the rush limbaugh aspect was a choice and not one i liked lol. overall there was things i liked and those i didn't. 

> Despite certain reviews suggesting this book would be too much to handle or so detestable that saying you enjoyed it/liked it would inadvertently guarantee ostracization from most of society, I found this read to be rather disappointing for my taste (not to say I wanted to be destroyed as I was anticipating). Of course, your experience may vary. Save for a few nauseating passages, the narrative was far from unbearable and rather very engaging and tasteful thanks to its often purple (though not smothering) prose; additionally, the especially disturbing passages, I thought, were balanced out nicely by otherwise tamed and intellectual commentary, even if said commentary was bleak as black. Bold, vivid, and cautionary are just a few superlatives I'd award this project, and my morbid curiosity and interest in the macabre and nihilistic world of fiction Brite embraces unabashedly piqued and steadied throughout this exquisite experience, indeed. While not viscerally too much to stomach, Brite did successfully heighten a certain anxiety of mine to a paranoiac level of fear that I'd never felt (nor thought I'd ever feel) about everyday people around you. All I'm gonna say is: you never really know someone completely.

(Old review, but did not post it here.) This book has a very bleak tone throughout its entirety.

It presents gay issues through immoral characters, it stays consistent in its themes. The lack of anyone having good morals is depressing, it still makes you still feel for some characters that horrible stuff happens, but yeah.

The narration is intentionally offensive a lot of the time since it's either narrated by a serial killer or an abusive boyfriend. There's a lot of flowery language around gore and glorification of abuse (as expected when the cast includes serial killers).

I struggle with my thoughts on it, I am not very familiar with gay scenes despite being gay myself, and this book features the worst aspects of it. Makes you feel you shouldn't trust anyone ever.

A lot of sadness about drugs, and HIV.

Rating: 3.5 leaves out of 5Characters: 3.75/5 Cover: 2.5/5Story: 4/5Writing: 3.75/5Genre: Horror/Romance/CrimeType: BookWorth?: YesHated Disliked It Was Okay Liked Really Liked Loved FavoritedWhat a way to end the spooky season! Was it the best read? Eh, but I did like the easy flow of reading it. It is graphic, I will say, and made my eyebrows rise a bit. Poppy seemed to have taken a liken to Jeffery Dahmer because Jay is the description of him from the way he looks to the way he treats his men. As for Andrew... shoot who knows. And Luke... man. Well the romance was... there in the oddest of ways.To sum it up... Jeff Dahmer fanfiction.