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adorableautist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Exquisite Corpse lacks the campy revelry, magical realism, or self conscious introspection that marks most of the splatterhouse lit that is actually worth reading. Instead it ambitiously attempts to grapple with the cruel confluenceof queerness and violence that became the dominant culural narrative for gay men in the eighties and nineties. Most characters in the book are HIV positive and nearly all of them have received, witnessed, or inflicted grotesque violence by the end of the book.
This willfully tasteless literary construction might've amounted to something genuinely compelling if it hadn't undermined itself by depicting its serial killer characters as romantically powerful and hyper inteligent super villains. For all of the literary talent on display, which is by no means meager, the end result feels juvenile in its romanticization of serial killers. The monstrous characters would have better served the the book's emotional and thematic needs, no matter how sweetly nihilistic they might be, if they had been allowed to be altogether more pathetic than enticing.
Graphic: Torture, Homophobia, Murder, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Rape
revacholdawn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Murder, Torture, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence
introverted_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Murder, Terminal illness, Sexual assault, Torture, Vomit, Blood, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Rape, Suicide, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia
katelynalice's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Murder, Blood, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Addiction, Classism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual content, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Incest and Stalking
issymaae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Terminal illness, Cannibalism, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Drug use, Drug abuse, Addiction, Blood, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Homophobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Vomit, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
sppalmer467's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Torture, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Child death, and Drug use
ellilo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Vomit, Addiction, Sexual assault, Death, Body horror, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gore, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Torture
erinmichele_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cannibalism, Gun violence, Torture, Rape, Alcohol, Murder, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Chronic illness, Addiction, Drug use, Sexual content, Violence, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, and Terminal illness
agravereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
I loved it. Not sure what that means for me.
It was character-driven in a way I absolutely cannot resist. Four points of view from four (arguably three) terribly flawed and deranged men in their own ways, but with such love amd obsession interwoven that I felt... something? Toward them. Additionally, the AIDS commentary, specifically how the disease and the tragedy of the people who contracted HIV were treated by society was not what I was expecting from this book.
Graphic: Addiction, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Body horror, Blood, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Racial slurs, Incest, Homophobia, Rape, Murder, Kidnapping, Drug use, Vomit, Terminal illness, Racism, Grief, Gore, Drug abuse, Death, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Alcohol, Violence, and Torture
essie101's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Torture, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Murder, and Body horror
Moderate: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Addiction, and Drug use
Minor: Incest and Homophobia