"the screen sizzles, and the phone girls, their studs, and the piano man are laid to waste like so much coagulated bacon grease".

Stripper Lessons by John O'Brien.

Do not make the mistake of not taking this book seriously because of the title. Its indeed a masterpiece.

This book was written by John O'Brien who also wrote "Leaving Las Vegas". It is a deeply moving and extremely dark read that would absolute ly fall into the category of "Literary Fiction" and I'd encourage anyone to read it.

Basically this is a slice of life in the lives of two Souls adrift. Carroll is a shy and somewhat child like man, a file clerk whose life is pretty empty. He lacks social skills and confidence and is almost hopelessly naive.

Stevie is a stripper. Tough and unafraid, she uses her body to get by. She works in a club that Carroll wanders into.

When Carroll sees Stevie on stage, he falls violently in love..or lust I should say. Desperate to talk to her, he pays for a dance.

This book is not about murder or stalking or any of that. It is about loneliness. And emptiness. And what one will do just to get through each day.

What is appealing about Carroll is that he isn't a bad guy. He is actually pretty decent. This book is a character study into his brain where a sad and timid man dwells but we feel for him. Carroll is at times almost frighteningly naive like when he sees a commercial for a video for the "shy man" and the shy man's guide to dating. A sexy woman is advertised and when Carroll calls to order, he cannot understand why the woman does not answer the phone.

Stevie herself is a stripper with soul. She is sort of fond of Carroll or becomes that way. She has a boyfriend who does not give two shits about her but she sees no way out. Her story is poignant too as it shows a beautiful and smart lady who is so used to relying on her looks to get her through, that she does not seem to be aware there are any other options.

O'Brien wrote in such a visceral way. You can feel the atmosphere and the characters in your gut.

I first chose to read this book because I had seen "Leaving Las Vegas" and loved it. I felt so much sympathy toward Carroll. This is a strange dark little book consisting almost entirely of dialogue. I loved everything about it.

SPOILERS:

I read a review somewhere, maybe here, that someone did not get the ending. Neither did I. And there seem to be different interpretations of that end. It did seem unfinished somehow. I'd have liked to know if he met her for coffee and if she showed up. I think the implication was that he did not. That he had no interest in her beyond the idealization of her stage persona. But I could be wrong on that.

In any event, it was a really powerful read. For fans of Literary Fiction and books that will be sure to leave you thinking..look no further. ( )