Looking for a sentimental, dark, and depraved novel for your next read? This book will satisfy your fascination for the macabre. I initially discovered this book at Barnes & Noble under “Morbid Reads”. It seemed to be an interesting read, and the title is also the name of a French creative drawing game. The hand of the presumed “Exquisite Corpse” is on the cover. I was intrigued by the author’s works, and it turns out that before Martin transitioned, he was a female gothic writer named Poppy Z. Brite. Poppy was a goth during the 1980s and her upbringing in the South helped develop her unique writing style. He currently lives in New Orleans, which was once home of another famous gothic writer, Anna Rice. Martin has written numerous other horror books as well. The author liked to adopt stray animals and had around 20 stray cats and a ball python living in their house at once! They were also featured in Propaganda Magazine Issue 24, in a section about New Orleans goths and a promotion article about Exquisite Corpse. Propaganda Magazine was an American Gothic magazine publication that ran from 1982-2002. It was founded by the photographer, Fred H. Berger, and covered all aspects of the gothic subculture (the arts, literature, fashion, music, the occult/morbid, sexuality, etc. ) It is a highly influential and sought-after publication by niche collectors in the art, photography, fashion, and alternative scenes. The book, Exquisite Corpse was written in 1996. It details the life of a homosexual serial killer named Andrew Compton who is a cannibal and necrophiliac. He escapes prison in London, by faking his death and restarts his life in New Orleans under a new identity. Compton starts a killing spree and evades the authorities. He hangs around the troubled youth. Andrew teams up with another serial killer Jay Byrne and they both set their eyes on killing a gay, Vietnamese runaway named Tran (his dad exiles him from home because of his sexuality). As this book progresses, it actually turns into a gay love story between two crazed and cannibalistic/necrophilic serial killers. I found this book quite difficult to read at times, due to how annoyed and angered I became at the behavior of some of the characters. The hopelessness of the situations these people put themselves into was horrible. There is a realism factor, to murderers or killers targeting troubled youth because the world usually does not know of their existence (many of these kids are immigrants, orphans, or runaways.) Something that bothered me was Andrew’s fetishization of Asians, and how he saw Tran as an “exotic” victim. There is a specific scene in the book that draws a parallel to the Asian boy Jeffrey Dahmer killed. The boy ran away and asked the police for help (he was naked, and hurt/distraught) and the police did not help him because they thought it was just a disagreement between two lovers. It was extremely sickening how in both instances, law enforcement did not help clear victims of abuse, who had narrowly escaped death. They simply dismissed these claims and laughed about it. I honestly felt the worst for Tran, because he was unbeknownst to the fact Andrew was a serial killer, and by the time he found out it was too late. Tran’s past HIV-positive lover and radio host, Lucas Ransom tried to rescue him but did not make it in time. Despite these factors, I thought that this book was very interesting and well-written on Martin’s part. You can clearly visualize the detailed depravity Martin put into this book and into writing Andrew and Jay. I found it engaging how the author puts the reader into the mind of a psychopathic and demoralized individual. The deep, illustrative metaphors about death were also very thought-provoking. Analyzing the psychological and behavioral processes of these characters were very compelling. The diction utilized by Martin makes Tran’s lover and writer Lucas’ discontent and loathings for life very apparent, due to the HIV that weakens him and causes him to rot in his bed alone (he eventually writes a book about the evil he had witnessed). Humans have an inherent and natural inclination for destruction, and if given the opportunity, some will act on these tendencies. This book is also not for the faint-hearted, as there are many gruesome scenes, selfish behavior, and inner monologues that will leave you feeling disgusted, disturbed, or deeply saddened for the characters. It is a memorable read, and it will stick with you, as well as echo throughout your head for a while. I would not recommend this book to everyone, but is a great read for those into a novel about poetic death and the filth that encompasses humanity.
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