Love Without

"Love Without" is a book I've owned for awhile now and I finally got the chance to read it. It's not your average short story collection, these stories are cruel, sweaty, dirty and sometimes vile. Of the eleven stories in the book, there was really only one that I didn't enjoy. "Lil Dickens", a satire about Dick Cheney, just didn't hit the mark. A few of my favorites were: Twilight of the Stooges Pure Finnegan's Waikiki The Somnambulist's Wife If you like Chuck Palahniuk and/or that kind of craziness ( I do), you would probably enjoy "Love Without". This was my first Jerry Stahl book, but I plan to read his crime fiction / black comedies "Plainclothes Naked" & "Painkillers" which go together.

If you have followed Jerry's writing career up to this point, his new collection of short stories will be a welcome addition to the Stahl cannon. Bringing together stories both old and new, Love Without serves as a sort of geological slice charting the progress of Jerry's writing career. These stories are well crafted and often humorous in a dark light. They transcend the superficial laughs by revealing the common thread all creatures share who walk this planet, our vulnerability. Do yourself a favor and grab it, Stahl picks up where Balzac left off, the human comedy continues.

Jerry Stahl is a unique writer, one that will shock your socks off, make you feel as though you should put brown paper over the cover of the book so that no one will know you're reading it, and definitely reserve participating in his stories in secret private places. BUT, the man can write short stories more original in content and craftsmanship than most anyone around. This collection of eleven stories covers a large span of his career and when grouped together in the manner in which his publisher has placed them, they shock, entertain, tickle, horrify, and in general provide come of the strangest exploration of human borderline behavior ever written! Meet Miss Chatty Cheeks, a woman of advanced years who abuses cocaine through an 'original' portal; Doris (an older woman) and early teen virgin Bob and the physical encounter they share in their assigned seats while flying across America; Puray, a chubby blond small person (AKA midget) who has a flair for using braised carrots in a most bizarre fashion; Lorraine and Mr. Carrigan who share an apartment wall with surprises; Vice President Dick Cheney in a sadomasochistic encounter with a fellow gun aficianado in the back room of a guns and ammo shop; and a religiously challenged prostitute convinced her services are acts of charity. Some would call these stories smarmy at best, but that would be ignoring the superb writing of this fine author. He knows what he is about, loves to tantalize the reader with tales that border on hallucinations, and yet he rounds up these stories with such skill and craftsmanship that they hold the readers blushing attention. He may not be the first author to enter the realm of the bawdy, but he is the equal of many of the greats who have lasted through time with their naughty little tales. He is outrageous AND he is gifted! Grady Harp, September 07

This is the first book I have read By Jerry Stahl, and I enjoyed it. It was a quick read, and good for someone like me who has a short attention span. I love Bizarre Americana, and these short stories really highlight the hidden Middle Class skeletons in closets. I do want to read his other titles now, I like Stahl's style.