The Short of It:

WTF?

My Thoughts:

Ugly Man is a collection of short stories. When I say short, I mean short! Some are just a paragraph or two and most are just a few pages long. The stories center around these themes: sex, death and homosexuality...and then more sex and then more death and then toss in some gore for good measure and you've got an idea of what's contained between the covers.

When I read the first story I was shocked! I gasped out loud. Then when I read the next story I shuddered and then slammed it closed. Then somewhere around the fourth I began to look forward to it and that is when I realized that I must be a twisted *uck because how could anyone in her right mind get into this??

These stories include such things as an abusive Santa, a line editor that is a bit anal-retentive (and I mean that in the truest sense of the word), cats being beaten to death and Cooper even includes a list of the worst Russian porn sites. How thoughtful!

If you can deal with the shock value, there is humor. Here is an sample from Santa Claus vs. Johnny Crawford:

"Johnny's psychiatrist gives him troubling news: Generous, gift-giving Santa Claus is in fact his sexually abusive father. Wracked with disbelief, Johnny runs outside and has a nervous breakdown."

I laughed my ass off at that.

There is quite a bit of foul language and crude humor. Definitely not a book for everyone but some may find it interesting. Next time you swing by a bookstore I dare you to give it a looksie. ( )

The flaw in Cooper's new collection of short stories lies in that there isn't anything here that this controversial author has not put out before. Even the stories herein are all very similar, but I could care less! I don't know what makes this so effective, but Cooper pulls it off. Where contents are repetitive, the form in which they are presented is refreshingly unique and experimental. As always, the author borders on the extreme, almost illegal, and does so with a familiarity that is frightening and fascinating at the same time.

My favorite selections include: Oliver Twink, Ugly Man, The Ash Gray Proclamation, The Hostage Drama, and The Anal-Retentive Line Editor (most hilarious!).

Disappointments: Santa Claus vs. Johnny Crawford, and The Guro Artists (could have been so much more).

Cooper fans won't be disappointed! ( )