3) Killing Johnny Fry: A Sexistential Novel Paperback by Walter Mosley


 

    Killing Johnny Fry: A Sexistential Novel Paperback by Walter Mosley
  • Price: $3.26
  • ISBN-10: 0747593140
  • ISBN-13: 978-0747593140

When Cordell Carmel catches his long-term girlfriend with another man - the thick-necked chauvinist Johnny Fry - something profound happens to him. Overnight Cordell's calm life dissolves. Finding himself prey both to thoughts of murder and an insatiable libido, he begins a dark sexual odyssey in search of retribution and gratification, leading him deep into the erotic heart of New York City.


Mosley returns from the vastly underrated Fortunate Son and from Fear of the Dark with a piece of what one might call "deep erotica": there's plenty of sex, and also plenty of motivation for it within protagonist Cordel Carmel's travails and ruminations, as far-fetched as they can get. After a charged-but-chaste lunch with young Lucy Carmichael (a blonde in her early 20s looking to be introduced to Cordel's art agent friend), Cordel, 45, walks in on Joelle (his longtime, non-live-in girlfriend): Joelle's being very consensually sodomized by a white man wearing a red condom, their (very well-endowed) mutual acquaintance, Johnny Fry. Cordel walks out quietly, without being seen. In short order, Cordel buys a porno video and gets enraptured with its sadist star, Sisypha; quits his freelance-translation gig; has conflicted, amazing sex with Joelle (who continues to lie to him); has unconflicted, amazing sex with Lucy (who seems very nice) and with voluptuous neighbor Sasha Bennett (who seems way crazy); meets Sisypha for an Eyes Wide Shut�like experience; seduces the young, ghetto Monica Wells; and finally, within the week, has his confrontation with Johnny Fry. Though it all, Cordel's thoughts on humiliation, submission, pain, family, aging and abuse manage to sustain the wisp-thin plot of this total male fantasy. (Jan.)


Though he's best at crime novels, Mosley has been busy reinventing himself as an all-around writer of high purpose, trying his hand, with mixed results, at literary fiction, political essay, and science fiction. Despite its noiresque title, this one represents a surprising new direction: what Mosley calls the "sexistential novel." Mild-mannered Cordell Carmel drops by his longtime girlfriend's apartment unannounced and finds her having the orgasm of her life with another man. Carmel sneaks out unseen, disturbed and aroused. Obsessed with a movie that seems to mirror his situation, he transforms from passive nice guy to sexual aggressor--and soon finds himself having the sex of his life, with a series of beautiful, adoring women. Adrift and confused, he keeps going, hoping to find himself by losing control. It's hard to know how much of Mosley's audience will want to follow him on this explicitly sexual journey. The sex scenes are compelling, but the story loses its way; it might be too much sex for some readers and too little novel for others. In a way, it contains the same contradictions as a big-budget porno movie that uses a self-important story line to lend the project an air of legitimacy, then drives home the message that our baser sexual instincts are nothing to be ashamed of. Mosley deserves kudos for his courage, but let's hope sexistentialism is a one-night stand. Keir Graff

Known primarily for his crime novels, Walter Mosley ventured into what he calls �sexistentialism� with this highly erotic book. A thinking person's exploration of the deeper recesses of sexuality, Killing Johnny Fry is written in the first person, from a male perspective. This gives you, the female reader, insight into a world of male fantasy to which femmes are not usually privy. While the story contains some of the most explicit sex scenes written by an established American author since Henry Miller and Philip Roth, it is also a legitimately good story. NOT for the modest or easily shocked, this book explores the thin line between the ordinary and proclivities less traveled (like S&M) and will pretty much turn on any guy who sees it on your nightstand.


�Some people may consider this porn, but if porn is as well written and thoughtful as this story, I'm a fan!� says Dr. Block. �Mosley's daring story is erotica for those not of a faint heart... he is on my very short list of favorite writers.�

 


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Dated 26  October 2013