The Exquisite Corpse

by Alfred Chester

Book Overview

Lyric and tender one moment, cruel and dizzying the next, this literary tour de force neither celebrates perversity nor laments it, rather it projects it as part of man's impossible quest for a true self. In 49 brief, highly cinematic chapters, we meet a series of twisted but sincere searchers, each in their own flight from despair.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0881842613
• ISBN13: 9780881842616
• Release Date: January 1986
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf Publishers
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Exquisite Writing: Chester's weird and wonderful voice

I'm so happy to see this book reissued. Alfred Chester is one of the most unappreciated and underrated writers of the twentieth century. At his best, Chester is up there with the best. Like much of his other writing, "The Exquisite Corpse" is filled with startling images and strange and unforgettable characters. His weird and wonderful voice is an inspiration. Chester was able to look unflinchingly at his own unhappy life (and mental illness) and use it to spin literary gold. He captures pain, loneliness, and sexual confusion on a page like few writers. Any serious writer should read him for his mastery of language and word play. Any serious reader should read him for sheer enjoyment.

Must Read

Read the first 100 pages through in one shot and am enjoying it immensely. That book has been on my must-read list for many years, but I was never able to find a copy. I mainly wanted to read it because of its cultural/historical relevance, having also read everything by Bowles (both Jane and Paul) and Burroughs, etc. But Chester's writing is exceeding my expectations in a big way. Part of his problem might have been that he was just way ahead of his time.

Every book called Exquisite Corpse has to be good

I've read three books called Exquisite Corpse and they have all been excellent. This one was a little wierd and slightly hard to follow but it was an incredibly creative yet somehow realistic portrayal of the life some of the less fortunate in fates tend to lead. I intend to read every book called Exquisite Corpse that I can find.