Reviews

Closer by Dennis Cooper

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Another multifaceted text from Cooper on the layered construction of identity, its relationship with myth, and the equal parts deconstruction and enabling of said myth those within and outside of the story take part in. You begin to realize as you read more of Cooper that he operates in a strange space of near anti-porn. His work functions as the functional opposite of eroticism. Revolving around sex and self-destruction, Coopers work is the ultimate in tragedy, and manages to be as engrossing as it is provoking.

Cooper walks a fine line, and at times seemingly (or even does) crosses it. That being said, he does so with so much grace and power it never defeats from what the text and form are meant to communicate. I would go as far to say that Cooper is the greatest transgressor within art I have yet engaged with.

There is a palpable power and tragedy in every line of Closer. The portrait of George especially, a friend Cooper did not know had already (TW) committed suicide by the time this novel was completed, is laced with such devastation the novel is at points hard to read.

In the end, Cooper constructs one of the most layered, meaningful, and powerful texts I have read, and he does so with such violently impactful language it leaves the reader in a state of borderline hysteria by the end. A masterpiece, not as great as the sluts but scarily close.

boomlight's review

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5.0

Wrote smth for this but seems to have disappeared lol?

Anyways

Closer is an absolutely genius work. A book on Identity. Searching for Identity, trying to understand your own Being. However, in this search for identity each of our characters rely (and idolize) George Miles. George is made into myth. The book deconstructs the myth of George Miles then. This paints a complicated portrait, which sees George as angelic and pure, yet ultimately human. We see how George has his purity ripped away from him by the evils of the world. Then, in the final chapter, the novel collapses on itself. Every character's self is exposed. Artificiality is ripped away. What we have left are the lost souls. But with George, even with his purity ripped away, the novel finds love. This is the loving picture Cooper paints for George. That even when George' myth, George's innocence, and his purity, is ripped away. The love for him exists. This novel is brutal, yet with intent. It transgresses and evokes many emotions, but never feels like its simply trying to be edgy. Rather its a tale of searching for identity and how it affects others. Which seeps into its true portrait of how Cooper sees George. Incredibly beautiful work of art.