Exquisite Corpse

Irwin's Exquisite Corpse captures the spirit and verve of the Surrealist Revolution more comprehensively than any since Artaud or Lautremont. Those well-versed in Surrealist literature will not only appreciate the nudges, winks, and deftly dropped names, but also appreciate the taste of Surrealism in the 30s as tensions within the camp as well as with former allies such as the Trotskyists, French Communists, and Psychoanalysts are represented within the narrative. As a piece of historical fiction the power of this novel lies in Irwin's ability to take the constellation of events and tensions within Surrealism and with the world at large and internalize them in the character of Caspar. Those unfamiliar with Surrealism or the period may need to do some homework before approaching the novel, though. However, the extra work will be well worth the effort.

I think most people will have an extreme reaction to this book. You will really like it; you will really dislike it; or you will be really confused as to whether or not you like it. With a story that can evoke such strongly varied reactions, it is worthy of praise no matter what the result.

This is my favourite book, but i dont expect it to be great for everyone. You need to be in a certain mind set for it, although it's not incomrehendable. If you like surrealism, or odd love srories, you'll most likely enjoy this book. Although Casper is a surrealist, he is not annoying and does not dwell on boring topics. The book is not depressing either. The last chapter is also on of the best. I recomend this book to everyone whose favourite movie is Harold and Maude BTW (as is mine)

Robert Irwin's literary masterpiece, Exquisite Corpse sends the reader into a surrealist world of deception and dreams. His use of informal language captures the tone of the novel completely and adds to the sincerity of the work. The creation process of art correlates with the progress of Exquisite Corpse as Caspar discovers his muse of inspiration, Caroline. The novel is a first person account of Caspar's life, sort of a journal kept through his most intruiging portions of life. As interpreted by Caspar, the reader is often challenged with the thought that perhaps Caspar is making up the story as he goes along. That perhaps none of his experiences are true and that he is a pathetic drunk trying to make some sense of his life through broken memories. Irwin's use of words and imagery create a new universe as seen through Caspar's eyes. His quirky friends and enemies all have the feel of opera characters--highly overexaggerated and overdramatic. As for Caroline, she has the feeling of a non-existent dream. Did Caspar dream her up or was she real? Was Caroline the embodiment of all of his desires and fears in life, the fear of rejection and the loss of love? Or was she a human being? Only the author knows the truth and we are left to figure out this mystery ourselves. Yet, what Irwin creates is a man, lost of all reason, lost in his thoughts and dreams, making up the perfect ending to his tired life of love lost and turmoil. All in all, Exquisite Corpse is a trip through the mind of a surrealist, mind you, it's not a smooth running course, but a course that has no boundaries whatsoever.