The Complete Lockpick Pornography

Comeau has become a favourite of late (check out his brilliantly strange One Bloody Thing After Another), and Lockpick Pornography continues along the same lines, delivering a pair of weird, odd, funny, and very original takes on homosexuality, relationships, thefts, public sex, abuse, vigilantism, kidnappings, and more. I wouldn't call the two novellas burdened with plot; these are shaggy, rambling tales that charm the reader even as their wincing at some of the graphic descriptions (the title does contain the word pornography, so I don't know what else I was expecting). As Comeau's protagonists amble through a world they aren't really a part of, we grow to understand the effortless alienation that the LGBT community faces, and the show more strong sense of humour that can help people survive such bigotry. It's also remarkably sweet-natured and giving.

Read the full review at Shelf Monkey show less

The two novellas collected in Joey Comeau’s The Complete Lockpick Pornography are not technically related. There are no overlapping characters, and the lives lived in each are fundamentally different. But they make for a brilliant pairing, each giving greater significance to the other.

In the first story, the ecstatic and profane "Lockpick Pornography," a quartet of obnoxious young friends and lovers sets about subverting the heteronormative gender binary, primarily through petty theft, exuberant sex, quasi-political kidnapping, and endless talk. The couple in the second story, "We All Got it Coming," is similarly enraged by a hateful world made discordant by its terrible sexual politics, but Arthur and Clint are older and more sedate show more than the heroes of "Lockpick Pornography," their hard edges worn down by the relentless friction of life.

Comeau writes like he’s hyperventilating, and I mean that as a compliment. Each sentence in this slim volume walks the dangerous edge between despair and triumph as the characters blindly grope for connection, unrestrained by morality or social convention. Not everyone will appreciate the vulgarity and unabashed sexuality of The Complete Lockpick Pornography, but not everyone is meant to. Comeau is writing for his people, and if you’re one of them, you’ll adore this book.

Note not included in the professional review: I enjoyed the shit out of this book. It is fucking hot and unnerving and made my blood race so fast I felt afraid for my heart. I need to go about reading everything else Comeau has touched immediately. show less

This contains two novellas: [b: Lockpick Pornography|1878836|Lockpick Pornography|Joey Comeau|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1189647839s/1878836.jpg|1879839] and [b: We All Got It Coming|8070822|We all got it coming|Joey Comeau|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1271803323s/8070822.jpg|24267559]

The first book is amazing. 1st person narration from a really untrustworthy narrator with strong principles that sometimes don't stand up to proper scrutiny. Really well written and super engaging.

The second book is no where near as good, but still a decent read.