Poppy Z. Brite in General

Poppy Z Brite is not for everyone. If reading about vampires, sex, homosexual sex, murder, cannibalism and getting into the mind and soul of serial killers is not for you, then nor is Poppy. However, she manages to take all her subject matter, however gruesome and somehow make it beautiful at the same time. This is thoroughly disturbing, and is perhaps the source of Poppy's horror. I first discovered Poppy back when I was an impoverished student. A friend had written to me, and had included just one short line - "Have you read any Poppy Z Brite?". I hadn't, but I was intrugued - this is a friend whose opinions I respected. Fortunately for ...  Read the complete review

Having read all of the Poppy Z Brite books on the recommendation of reviews as "highly original work" i have to say i was in fact highly disappointed. Im actually singling out one book in particular and this will make more sense to fans(?) if you've read it. The book is exquisite corpses for those who have read it, you'll remember how it tracks two serial killer in seperate and then thier crimes and progress in tandem along with the personal confusion of a young homosexual teenager Tran. The reason that Im unimpressed with the book is not because its badly written, far be it from such, Poppy Z Brites writing is highly detailed, tends ...  Read the complete review

The introduction to Poppy Z Brite's book Self Made Man contains a quote from Rainer Maria Rilke that goes "For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror which we are barely able to endure." This, to me, is key to her fiction. Poppy Z Brite combines shocking subject matter with a lush delicate style. And manages to make not just compatible but stunningly, vividly dependent on each other. Poppy is often categorised as a horror writer as her work contains zombies, vampires and ghosts. Although she is too complex to fit neatly into any genre. There is an undeniable eroticism in her novels though a perverse one. Specifically Poppy finds beauty in ...  Read the complete review