Exquisite Corpse (novel)

Plot summary

The novel unfolds in alternating chapters from the points of view of the four main characters. Andrew Compton, a convicted serial killer (based on real life serial killer Dennis Nilsen), escapes his UK prison cell in a self-induced cataleptic trance and escapes to New Orleans' French Quarter to start a new life. Seeking new victims, he instead meets Jay Byrne (based on real life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer), a wealthy recluse who is also a serial killer, as well as a cannibal. The two killers at first intend to victimize one another, but upon realizing their similar proclivities, instead begin a torrid affair based on sex and murder.

Meanwhile, Tran, a Vietnamese teen, has recently become estranged from his former lover Lucas Ransom, who has recently discovered that he is HIV-positive. After learning that their son is gay, Tran's parents disown him, driving Tran into the streets. Tran, who previously had a casual acquaintance with Jay, takes refuge at Jay's home one night. The two have a brief sexual encounter, after which Tran becomes attracted to Jay. Jay is likewise attracted to Tran but refuses to pursue him any further because he cannot conceive of a relationship that does not end in death. When Jay introduces the beautiful Tran to Andrew, Andrew becomes obsessed with the idea of murdering and eating him. Jay, though reluctant, agrees to Andrew's plan, in part to rid himself of the temptation of falling in love with Tran.

Distraught at the loss of Tran and increasingly embittered by his illness, Lucas vents his frustration through his alternate persona "Lush Rimbaud", host of a pirate radio program where Lucas rails at society's denial of gay men and the AIDS crisis. Soon even this outlet isn't enough, and Lucas, sensing that death is approaching, becomes fixated on making amends with Tran before it is too late. Soon Luke realizes that Tran has fallen into Andrew and Jay's deadly hands, and the goal becomes not reuniting with Tran, but rescuing him. Lucas arrives too late to save Tran, but murders Jay and confronts Andrew. Andrew, recognizing that Lucas is already on the verge of death, refuses to kill him, instead offering him several means to commit suicide. Lucas realizes that his life, no matter how short, is still of value to him and flees, telling no one what he has seen. After partially consuming Jay, Andrew leaves New Orleans to continue his murderous career, while Lucas, returning home, vows to spend the remainder of his life writing a novel to try to make sense of what he has witnessed.

Publication history

In 1991 Brite had signed a contract to write three novels for Delacorte Books. The first two were Lost Souls and Drawing Blood, with Exquisite Corpse being the third. In early 1995 Brite turned in the finished manuscript of Exquisite Corpse and was informed that Delacorte would be unable to publish the novel due to its "extreme" content. Soon afterwards Brite received word that Penguin, then the author's current UK publisher, was declining to publish the novel as well. The work then bounced from publisher to publisher on two continents, receiving the same comments everywhere it went: "It's your best writing ever, but it's too nihilistic, too extreme, a bloodbath without justification". Eventually the book was purchased by Simon & Schuster in the USA and Orion in the UK.