Though this book contains necrophilia, extreme violence, cannibalism, and gore, in no way is this a horror novel. Rather, "Exquisite Corpse" seems to fall into a category of disturbingly erotic romance and/or twenty-first century pop-culture literature. No matter how one decides to classify this novel, it can be said that this is a novel that will not soon be forgotten.

This thought-provoking book will have you cringing in disgust, writhing in torment, and engaged with awe all at the same time. Poppy Z Brite has a way of sucking the reader in with her elegant prose and gorgeously vivid description that seems unrivalled by many other authors. There are few who can make torture and pain beautifully artistic. True, this book is not for the feint of heart, but if you can stomach the seemingly repulsive atrocities on the surface and dig for the deeper meaning, there is wisdom and insight to be found there.

Poppy Z Brite approaches homosexuality and AIDS in a straightforward, no-holds barred manner. What has been, and still is, taboo for many is not for her. She brings current issues plaguing our society to the surface and forces the reader to acknowledge them.

This is the first book I've read by Poppy Z Brite, and it most certainly will not be my last. Brite is the type of author who demands attention. If you are a fan of dark literature then give Brite a try!


Mistress of the Macabre creates a disturbing vision   July 17, 2000
 10 out of 12 found this review helpful

It has been said that Poppy Z. Brite's regular publishers would not accept this book. It's not because of the content, its because of the quality. But before you resolve not to read "Exquisite Corpse," let me finish.

In this novel, the setting is the mid-1980's a time where fear of AIDS was riding high, and people were dying right and left. In this bare, unemotional world, we meet two serial killers. Jay and Andrew murder for the joy of it, reveling in the corpses that they construct. The murders are graphic and gory, the prose clinical and restrained. Fans of Poppy's flowing poetic prose will find a different thing all together this tome around.

"Exquisite Corpse" was written in this way because it suits the mood of the novel. A world where people are dying from a ravishing disease, and embrace death as an escape. Where we are thrust into the minds of murderers of the most sickening sort. A literal hell on earth, this novel is without love, without hope, without any semblance of normalcy.

Poppy took a chance on writing this novel, and I praise her for it. "Exquisite Corpse" is relatively short, which some will think of as a blessing. The ending is too fast and unsatisfying, as if Poppy just got tired of living in the nightmarish world of depression and depravity that she created.

Still, this novel is worth a look for hardcore Poppy fans only. I would read "Lost Souls" and "Drawing Blood" before delving into this book, though.


Icky   June 5, 2003
 10 out of 15 found this review helpful

Poppy Z. Brite's 1996 gross out novel "Exquisite Corpse" must surely rank in the top tier of the most disturbing books ever written. The author, who gives the Marquis de Sade a run for his money, delves into nearly every anti-social activity imaginable in this tale about two serial killers embarking on a blood soaked alliance in New Orleans, Louisiana. The story, which blends southern atmosphere with extreme violence, will repeatedly offend those with easily riled sensibilities. Only fans of extreme horror need apply here.

"Exquisite Corpse" begins with the narrative of Andrew Compton. Andrew speaks to us from his prison cell in England, where he is currently serving life sentences for the murder of twenty-three men and boys. Compton revels in his notoriety as one of England's worst serial killers, but he hates staying in jail and cannot wait to get back out on the streets so he can return to his favorite hobbies. In due course, Andrew does get his chance to roam free again and do what he does best: stalk and murder innocent people. Of course, this killer recognizes he cannot stay in the United Kingdom any longer, so he escapes across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States, cleverly covering his tracks along the way. Compton's observations about other human beings and the blase way he looks at what he does are both chilling and vulgar in the extreme. The story takes a turn for the worse when he eventually encounters Jay Byrne, a tormented soul mate with his own predilection for insane behavior. Not since the union of Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole has such a couple wreaked so much havoc.

Byrne may even be more perverse than Compton. Descended from an old New Orleans family (with their own dark secrets that skipped a few generations to find expression in Jay), Byrne does not need to work due to inherited wealth. Living alone in a large house provides Jay with all the time in the world to imbibe in his grim pleasures: drugs, prowling for victims, and killing and dismembering bodies. And now Byrne has his eye on a young Asian man named Tran, a local drug dealer with his own problems. Tran used to date a famous writer named Luke, but Luke tested positive for HIV and has a big problem with drugs. In his haste to move beyond a failed relationship, Tran attempts to attract the attentions of Byrne. Jay knows he cannot lay a finger on Tran in the way he wants because Tran is a local boy with family and friends who will miss him. Most of the book deals with the relationship between these three characters as they move to a showdown that ranks about a ten on the gore meter.

I had a few problems with "Exquisite Corpse." My disdain for this book has nothing to do with the fact that every major character is a homosexual, or with the shocking amounts of violence, or with the severity of that violence. Nor do I have a problem with Brite's prose, which is quite good considering the subject matter. The difficulty comes from Brite's use of stereotyping. The world of the homosexual presented here is one of endless drug use and reckless sexual behavior. The impression the reader gets from this book is that all homosexuals engage in these practices on a regular basis, which is definitely far from the truth. Moreover, Brite's rantings against AIDS and how no one in society cares falls flat when she has her characters living lives of immense risk for the disease. Acquiring any potentially fatal virus is a tragedy for anyone, but when people continue to engage in behaviors when they know what the consequences might be is a tragedy of another sort, namely one of sheer idiocy. And that is exactly what several of the characters here do when they overtly declare they do not care if they get sick.

"Exquisite Corpse" is still worth reading for the avid horror hound. Excellently drawn characters with great insights into their personalities mixed with jaw dropping scenes of explicit violence make this one a memorable experience. The locality of New Orleans works as well, providing just the right colorful background for the shenanigans committed by the characters. Brite ought to have a long career in the genre, and if this book is any indication, that career will shine for a long time.


GO THERE IF YOU DARE!   June 17, 2000
 9 out of 11 found this review helpful

All the while I was reading EXQUISITE CORPSE, Poppy Z. Brite's most recent full-length novel, I kept asking myself what I would say if a stranger on the subway asked me what I was reading. Would I lie? Would I say, "Just the latest murder mystery"? How could I possibly describe this book to my mother without having her hide the cutlery and cry herself to sleep over the tortured state of my mental health? Would my adult siblings forever ban me from spending time alone with their children if they knew the horrors I had witnessed - and in which I had vicariously participated - while strolling between the covers of this harmless looking paperback? Is there anyone in the world to whom I could feel wholly comfortable recommending this book? Probably not, if I were honest with myself. My squeaky clean could not withstand the stress.

As with her previous novels, Poppy Z. Brite is as uncompromising on theme as she is on imagery. Forget Anne Rice! Brite shines darkly as the unchallenged Maven of the Macabre. Her prose is virtuosic - she lures you in with a sweet scent and then devours you with a heady, but often painful bite. Yet even though the actual words printed on the pages of this book paint bloody images of torture, grisly serial murder, heinous acts of cannibalism and unbounded necrophelia, EXQUISITE CORPSE might very well be one of the most powerful statements about the consequences of hate, bigotry and loneliness to ever survive the mass-market censors. Yes, it lurid! By all means, it's WAY over the top. But it clearly gets your attention - like a pick-axe right between the eyes. Surely, EXQUISITE CORPSE is one of the most significant - and maybe the most accurate - statements about the hopeless destiny to which we relegate those "undesirables" in our society that we so casually and carelessly discard. It makes the reader confront his or her own bigotry ... come face to face with his or her own dark side ... own up to the horrific potentials that lurk in the hearts of men - and obviously, dear Poppy, of women too.

If you have the courage to face your own demons, forget everything you've read about this book and take a walk down the forbidden path. If you're afraid of what lurks behind your own shadow, maybe you should take the well-lit road and read the latest bodice ripper instead.