About book Are You Loathsome Tonight?: A Collection Of Short Stories (2000)
Poppy Z. Brite, Are You Loathsome Tonight? (Gauntlet, 1998)I've read some of Poppy Z. Brite's novels over the course of the last ten years, but have somehow not read any of her short stories until now. Perhaps, judging by the reviews, this wasn't the best place to start. If so, I can't wait to get to the other collections I have lined up.Most fans (and professional reviewers) seem to consider this one a weaker piece of output. While some of the criticisms are justified (not knowing some of the characters are from previous novels, for example, may confuse), they don't take away from the writing in general. And it's the quality of the writing in this collection that makes it worth reading. It's rather like Caitlin R. Kiernan's From Weird and Distant Shores; the subject matter may not be what the more plot-centric fans were hoping for, but the style is unmistakable, and wonderful. Probably the best book I've read in the past three weeks (and that's not as left-handed a compliment as it sounds, since that encompasses some twelve books). ****
"Are You Loathsome Tonight?" is a little pricey for such a small volume (185 pages) but as a big fan of Poppy Z. Brite's work I felt it was worth splurging on. Why? Because I got a quickie update on two of my favorite lovers, Trevor and Zach from "Drawing Blood" who, as she puts it, are still in "happy, disgusting, perfect love" - that short story alone was worth the cost of the book for me. Other highlights were "King of the Cats" a sweet, kinky, imaginative retelling of the fairytale "The Poor Miller's Apprentice and the Cat", "Self-Made Man" is another favorite because I can't seem to resist a good graphic zombie/cannibalistic tale, and "Saved" was another stand-out that is both violently erotic and terribly sad. If you've never read Poppy Z. Brite you might want to start out with "Drawing Blood" or "Lost Souls" before you delve into this collection.
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Brite always writes with vigour and clarity, but in this collection she is rather weak on content. Two of the stories ("Arise" and "Entertaining Mr. Orton") have very similar plots, and so many centre on torrid sexual episodes that one tires of the repetition. Several of the tales are scrappy addenda to other works, with little significance for those who haven't read them. The most substantial story, the historical fantasy "Mussolini and the Axeman's Jazz", doesn't make much sense. Readers new to Brite's work are better off starting with her remarkable novel, The Exquisite Corpse.
—Isidore
If you haven't liked Poppy Z. Brite's other writiong you won't like this either. This is not for the squeamish nor is it for those who are bothered by darkness, because it gets very very dark. I will say however, my two favorite stories in here were less than dark- "Entertaining Mr. Orton." a perfectly un-loathsome ghost story; so long as your aren't a homophobe. (And if you are, you shouldn't be reading Mz. Brite anyway) And I loved the title story, which I understand pissed off a great many people because it contains Elvis and Elvis fans I guess don't like any less than reverent treatment of Elvis. I don't care. To me it could have been spot on; maybe that's what they didn't like.
—Grainne Rhuad
