Pretty Things

by Susan Compo

A sparkling portrait of a talent agent juggling the interests of her oddball clients, combined with a haunting memoir of coming of age in 1970s glitter-era Los Angeles. Susan Compo's satirical and allusive narrative voice has been compared to Dorothy Parker's, and her characters display an irresistible blend of smart-ass wit, despair, and whistling-in-the-dark bravado.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1891241125
• ISBN13: 9781891241123
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: Verse Chorus Press
• Length: 204 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

rock dreams

This slice of life captures the angst, ambition and dreamy abandon that comes with living in LA. A cast of characters going full-throttle after what they want, be it stardom or ransom, is by turns poignant and funny, with those flashes of I-know-that-girl recognizability that make you feel their pain and wish them the best. This novel breaks little bits off the edges of your heart and shows them to you.

Thanks for the glimpse.

I truly enjoyed Susan Compo's new book, Pretty Things. She is a fresh, engaging writer who gave me a glimpse of a culture I wouldn't have had access to otherwise. I found myself grinning over and over again at her clever manipulation of language and her hey-wait-a-minute-I-didn't-catch-that-right-away allusions. I enjoyed my moment in an unusual culture peopled with quirky and fascinating people. Thanks, Ms. Compo, for inviting me into your world.