Guide

I just generally love Dennis Cooper, but this book feels grounded and concrete in a way his other books sometimes don't - the people are presented as people, in a community, as opposed to the elegant distanced Genet-esque (Genetian? Genetic?) tone he sometimes strikes.

Dennis Cooper is an incredibly brave and original writer. His books, however, are not for the faint of heart. "Guide", which is part of a five book cycle that also includes "Closer", "Try", "Frisk", and "Period", is my favorite of his novels because he dares to include himself in the middle of his usual tales of drugs, abuse, exploitation, violence and depravity. He ingeniously draws from an article he wrote for "Spin" magazine about a handful of teenage runaways, and blends reality, fiction and fantasy to create a shocking and original novel. Is what takes place in "Guide" a truthful look into Cooper's own fantasy life? Or is it merely his way of showing how society sexually exploits and degrades young people? It's up to the reader to decide.

I read this book back to back with another that was dedicated to the author. I'd never heard of Dennis cooper so I didn't know what to expect. I was going to give it three stars but then I realized that was only because it was so upsetting. Along with how well written and engrossing it is, that's actually a reason to rate it higher, so I did. It was my own fear getting in the way. The real frustration was the absence of a moral stance. It's like Bret Easton Ellis that way - you have to make up your own mind about what's going on. You realize you're just getting angry because there's no re-assurance provided, you're totally immersed in a world with no ethical designations. This book is one of the more powerful I've read for that. I'd say this is about as transgressive and gutsy as writing gets. Glad I found it.

Guide is the most brilliant book I've read in years. It amazes me to read some of the other reviews here. Cooper's readers seem to want him to continue to do what he did so brilliantly in Closer and Frisk, when he's outgrown that approach, and written a novel much more complex and deep, but with all the power of his earlier books. Guide proves Cooper is truly one of our greatest, most orginal and innovative writers. I can't recommend this novel highly enough.

It's been two years since I bought 'Try', and was eagerly awaiting 'Guide' to progress across the Pond to us here. The first chpater nearly put me off - the druggy stuff goes on for pages, and it's really quite boring, but I suppose the author thought it a necessary 'sub-guide' to clue in people unaccustomed to illegal substances. Anywa, donlt be put off by it. 'Guide' really takes off after that, and shows a new, more mature (maybe that should be 'more confident') I-character, now battling not so much with his desire to eviscerate young men but with apparently 'warm fuzzies' for Luke. Around them, various shades of disintergrating youth charge ever-onwards towards their inevitable end. Cooper's other stuff usually makes my chest hurt. This made me cry. The material is presented as bluntly as ever, and the array of characters displays Cooper's usual - and very welcome - attack on modern gay homogeneity. I canlt recommned this highly enough. No trite platitudes here, but a crystal clear vision of the compexities involved in any - not just desire-based -relationsships. Lots of questions and few answers - which,considering mostepople donlt even know there's a question to be pondered, is so healthy. Just read it. It's good people like Cooper write and long may he continue to do so.