The Demon

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Summary: A great book about the twisted roots of human sin
Review: Usually when fiction writers tackle the subject of men driven by the compulsion to kill, they drag out the same worn Freudian cliches; typically, in showing what made a character turn into a serial killer, an author will treat the reader to scenes from the character's childhood in which they were anally raped by their grandmother or some such nonsense, and this is assumed to be reason enough for the character to become a killer. This is utter bull, and Selby's neatly sidesteps silly psychological explanations to demonstrate more realistic motives behind compulsive, motiveless slaughter. If you study the lives of many serial killers, you'll find that they began killing after having committed less serious offenses. At first, they may be inclined to simply peep in windows or steal. Soon the excitement of these acts diminish with repetition, and more extreme activities must be engaged in to cause excitement, such as rape. And if that ceases to satisfy their jaded sensibilities, they will then engage in murder. Selby illustrates this progression through the character of Harry White, an outwardly successful businessman driven by the compulsion to screw just about any presentable woman who crosses his path. Sounds like most men, but unlike most men Harry begins to find sex too easy, and not exciting enough. To fill this void within himself, he takes up petty theft. And from then on, his crimes become darker, and his soul more tainted with sin. However, Harry is trapped by his own need for excitement, and because of this he is the perfect illustration of the mindset of a serial murderer; the man who kills to fill the hollowness deep within, and who with each crime finds the hole growing bigger, yawning to be filled with more and more blood and gore after each crime. The best book you'll ever read on the subject of compulsive murder.

Rating:
Summary: Le vice caché
Review: Voici une modeste chronique pour les lecteurs francophones qui voudraient en savoir plus sur le livre exceptionel de Selby. Depuis Last Exit To Brooklyn, Selby a eu le temps de mûrir. mais à 70 ans(dont quelques années de HP), sa rage, que l'on pensait appaisée, l'est d'autant moins qu'il la canalise vers un unique but: nous mettre devant nos doutes, nos songes, nos folies. Tout Le Demon est sous tendu par ce mal incidieux qui ronge Harry, jeune businessman prometteur qui ne parvient pas à fair le calme dans la tempête qui sévit en lui. Son désir de pousser à chaque instant sa violence vers un éxutoire plus fou le harcelle entre des périodes de calme dans lesquelles il tente de penser aux siens. Le Démon nous plonge dans un état second, une déréliction salvatrice qui nous intrigue quand même: pourquoi ce roman nous retient avec autant de force? Peut-être parce qu'il caresse nos instincts les plus démoniaques et les plus enfouis...

Rating:
Summary: A dark, brave masterpiece
Review: What Brett Easton Ellis attempted to unveil with 'American Psycho' was left screaming in daylight some twenty years earlier by Selby Jr. This book is one of the most terrifying and honest portraits of an American male's descent into hell ever written. Fans of Selby Jr. will have some idea what to expect. New readers will be amazed by the believability of his world and characters, the depth of his understanding of the human psyche and more importantly, the soul. And oh yeah, it's a cracking story too.