Exquisite Corpse
Aug 1997 · Sold by Simon and Schuster
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40 reviews
Ebook
240
Pages
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About this ebook
From the acclaimed author of Lost Souls, Drawing Blood, and Wormwood comes the provocative and thrilling serial killer novel that #1 New York Times bestselling author Peter Straub calls “a guidebook to hell.”
To serial slayer Andrew Compton, murder is an art, the most intimate art. After feigning his own death to escape from prison, Compton makes his way to the United States with the ambition of bringing his art to new heights. Tortured by his own perverse desires and drawn to possess and destroy young boys, Compton inadvertently joins forces with Jay Byrne, a dissolute playboy who has pushed his own art to limits even Compton hadn’t previously imagined. Together, Compton and Byrne set their sights on an exquisite young Vietnamese American runaway, Tran, whom they deem to be the perfect victim.
Swiftly moving from the grimy streets of London’s Piccadilly Circus to the decadence of New Orleans’s French Quarter, Poppy Z. Brite dissects the landscape of torture and invites us into the mind of a killer. With “intelligence, sweep, nerve, knowledge, and deeply unsettling erotic power” (Dennis Cooper, author of Frisk), Exquisite Corpse is a novel for those who dare trespass where the sacred and profane become one.
To serial slayer Andrew Compton, murder is an art, the most intimate art. After feigning his own death to escape from prison, Compton makes his way to the United States with the ambition of bringing his art to new heights. Tortured by his own perverse desires and drawn to possess and destroy young boys, Compton inadvertently joins forces with Jay Byrne, a dissolute playboy who has pushed his own art to limits even Compton hadn’t previously imagined. Together, Compton and Byrne set their sights on an exquisite young Vietnamese American runaway, Tran, whom they deem to be the perfect victim.
Swiftly moving from the grimy streets of London’s Piccadilly Circus to the decadence of New Orleans’s French Quarter, Poppy Z. Brite dissects the landscape of torture and invites us into the mind of a killer. With “intelligence, sweep, nerve, knowledge, and deeply unsettling erotic power” (Dennis Cooper, author of Frisk), Exquisite Corpse is a novel for those who dare trespass where the sacred and profane become one.
From the acclaimed author of Lost Souls, Drawing Blood, and Wormwood comes the provocative and thrilling serial killer novel that #1 New York Times bestselling author Peter Straub calls “a guidebook to hell.”
To serial slayer Andrew Compton, murder is an art, the most intimate art. After feignin...
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Ratings and reviews
40 reviews
Keith
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June 29, 2026
Don't take this wrong, because Brite is a fine novelist, but, damn, this is TOO MUCH horror. Between the horrors perpetrated by the antagonists/protagonists AND the devastation of the AIDS crisis (which, I believe is the actual reason why the novel was so heavily banned), it's all just too overwhelming. overall, great tension, build up, and execution. You're gonna need a strong stomach to finish this one.
Krystin Lee
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December 12, 2015
I devoured this book in a day. Hands down the craziest page turner I've ever read. None stop gory thrills from beginning to end. A definite must read, I but be warned if your not in to this kind of thing, I you still won't be able to put it down!!!
1 person found this review helpful
Raven WyndtStar
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October 9, 2025
it's a really hard read and the bad guys are really bad... it's just relentless from start to finish
About the author
Poppy Z. Brite is the author of numerous titles and short stories, specializing in horror, dark comedy, and all things thrilling. His novels include Exquisite Corpse, Drawing Blood, and Lost Souls. He is also the author of short story collections including Wormwood.
Poppy Z. Brite is the author of numerous titles and short stories, specializing in horror, dark comedy, and all things thrilling. His novels include Exquisite Corpse, Drawing Blood, and Lost Souls. He is also the author of short story collections including Wormwood.
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