The Book That Predicted Internet Drama

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

SORRY FOR THE WEIRD SPIKES IN VOLUME AND AUDIO GLITCHES I AM LITERALLY A CAVEMAN TRYING TO USE TECHNOLOGY! 🙇🏽‍♂️

[@b.l.i.s.e]

No worries, I personally really like this kind of more "organic" youtube videos + it spooked me so cheers to that! :)

[@kaylemkerr6989]

Thanks for the review! As a fan of transgressive literature I plan to read Dennis Cooper one day especially his ‘George Miles Cycle’ series. The way you have described this book reminds me of people on reddit trying to solve disturbing mysteries.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Hi, Kaylem! Yes, very much that. It reads a lot like a reddit thread, too. I think that’s why I devoured it in one sitting. I think my brain is just conditioned to compulsively read mysteries in that format. It’s also very similar to ARGs and such reality-bending works. It has a lot going for it. I, too, will start reading the George Miles Cycle soon!

[@sabrinabramley7095]

Your book reviews are the most poignant I've ever heard. Your insight and brilliance is so spot on to every book and any topic you talk about within each review. Thank you for your videos and many reviews!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Oh my God, thank you so much! This amazing comment means the world to me. I’m so happy you’ve found the videos to your liking! Thank you for watching!

[@thegurkenkaiser9933]

a book about nick carter i finally read it and watched your video about it. i agree with everything. I even laughed at the same points. It's fantastic.

[@jessiem1014]

This is the video that brought me to your channel as I looked for discussion about Dennis Cooper while working through the George Miles cycle. I saved this video until I actually got my copy of the Sluts, and in the meantime I binged the rest of your channel. I love what you're doing! The thoughtful discussion and good taste is sorely needed here on KZbin. I can't wait to read some of your recommendations! I definitely agree with your links to the Club Kids and Luka Magnotta. I wonder how our experiences differ in that this is your first Cooper book, whereas this is my 6th within the past 3 months. It’s been a very wild ride but I think I would like to get off of it for a little while lol. P.S. I wonder if you’ve ever read A Confederacy of Dunces? Seems like it might be up your alley to me.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I have tried to read A Confederacy of Dunces before, but never got too far in. This comment makes me interested in picking it back up! I am currently working myself through the George Miles Cycle. Well... I read Closer, and now I need a break before I pick up Frisk. So far, I am fascinated by these nasty, devastating books.

[@WeirdReadswithEmilyLouise]

One of my all time favourite books! I haven't picked it up in about 8 years, definitely need to get it again.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

After finishing it I turned around and read the entire first section again to see what I missed. It’s an incredible labor of excavating. By the way, I watched your video and went ahead and ordered High Life! I had previously talked about Cows in my first video, wondering if I should venture on exploring Stokoe’s other works. You have convinced me, so thank you!

[@WeirdReadswithEmilyLouise]

@@PlaguedbyVisions Oh yay!!! I'm so glad. It's genuinely one of my all time favourites. Colony of Whores is a really good one as well, I read it this month. I'm still to get to Empty Mile which I don't think is as dark as his other ones. Haven't read Cows either so that's on the tbr too haha.

[@dylanmcmahon4902]

Just found your channel, excellent vid on one of my personal favorites. This book is, in my view, something of a masterpiece, and your exploration of it was fantastic here.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you so much, and welcome to the channel! I agree with you. I truly feel, even though it was back in January, that this is the best thing I read in 2021. We shall see! It’s tantalizing how fresh it still feels.

[@codeinesnaps]

You posted this on your story yesterday and I thought this was an LGBT romance book but knowing you, I knew this book was something disturbing lol

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

To be fair I had no idea what I was getting myself into. 😥

[@Jessica-xn4bk]

I think from everything you’ve mentioned thus far this has to be the book I’m the most excited for. It sounds cool as hell😈. Thanks for another great video :)

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

It definitely is one of the wildest narratives I’ve talked about so far! Thank you for watching. As to your other comment, it’s hardly pressure at all. I love talking about disturbing books. But I have videos touching on different subject matter in the works as well. 🥸

[@samantaluna3870]

After listening to this review a few months ago, I told myself I had to read this book and now that I have, althought I felt it fizzeled out a bit at the end, this book is quite the masterpiece, especially as the mystery of Brad develops. I could totally see it as a faux documentary on Netflix. 😬

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Isn’t it incredible how fresh it feels for a book from 2004? It really predicted how communication operates nowadays in a very disconcerting way.

[@samantaluna3870]

@@PlaguedbyVisions Yes! Also I'm a huge fan of those forum or twitter threads full of weird stuff and drama. 😬

[@Jessica-xn4bk]

I don’t think you should feel pressured to do disturbing type content only. Social commentary is great too.

[@Apathist1408]

Omg you have a couple of the Familiar books! I have the first one and I’ve yet to read it all lol

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I worked as one of the translators for that series!

[@Apathist1408]

@@PlaguedbyVisions woah really? That’s so awesome!

[@jama1155]

Stylistically akin to Bram Stoker's Dracula. W/ Brad as Mina Harker. Yeah, Cooper can really WRITE. Three Hundred Million: A Novel by Blake Butler?

[@TheMrpiggy6666]

Pleased to here you are reading the George Miles Trilogy now....I think they are his most powerful work......after that the surprise factor is lost.....unless of course you are reading his later work first, as you are here....glad you enjoyed it, I am sure had I not read all before it I would have had a similar reaction to you with regrads Sl*t's....as you will find out when you embark on Frisk, Try, Safe and Guide the latter work is softer and a little more acessible to most readers...a few attempts have been made to film his work..but the books dont lend themself to being filmed and lose all there power..Frisk is the most disturbing of his novels but it has a twist that makes you realize you weren't reading the book you imagined...within the George Miles Trilogy there a couple of moments that are so devastating in exposing the core of male existential dread that you will never forget them...they are horrific and although one cannot necessarily associate with the actions you completely understand and relate to the seed of why they happened and what the men were seeking in their exploration of the internal body...after your reaction to Sl*ts I can see we would agree on much with regarding literature..I did meet Dennis a few times and discussed his work with him and the interesting thing is he does seem intertwined with the books not just the author, they are in a way part of his own fantasy life and the novels and short stories are ways of him critically understanding his own fantasy world now and his own experience of gay life when he was young...excellent work as usual Juan...oh one thing I think the work of David Wojnarowicz is a great companion piece to Dennis, Close to the Knives: A memoir of disintegration is a good place to start

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Recently finished Closer and I am ready to embark on Frisk, so I am very happy to have received your comment beforehand, as I really enjoy your insight on the story! So far, I can describe his books only as watching lost VHS tapes discovered at a deranged man's garage sale, forbidden tapes that could never legally exist. There definitely is something so grimy, obscure, and sick in his writing that would be lost in the celluloid. As I stated here, there's also a strange element of comedy present in his stories that nonetheless feels ill and devastating. It is very much like reading insanity itself. So amazing to hear you have met Cooper! That must have been quite the conversation. Thank you for the recommendation as well!

[@lumel6452]

Nice review

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Thank you!

[@codeinesnaps]

MORE LAIDBACK VIDS!!!!

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

I’m going to try to release two vids a week: one a scripted, deep-dive literary discussion and the other something more laidback and unstructured like this. As always, thanks for watching, Gio! Hope you already threw those romance novels in a storage box somewhere lmao

[@codeinesnaps]

@@PlaguedbyVisions LOL... They're still here across my bed... haunting me

[@b.l.i.s.e]

Hey! Maybe we could all meet on Discord and make a space of our own to discuss and share !

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

That’s a good idea! If I see that enough people are down, I could certainly make that happen!

[@odothedoll2657]

You heard the fame, song not album, by lady Gaga? She really predicted influencers.

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

Never heard this song, but I do remember her VMA performance of Paparazzi being somewhat pertinent to what is discussed in this novel.

[@codeinesnaps]

I was gonna comment Luca once you've described the plot of the book!

[@dornravlin]

Your a star in my mind even if you’re copying other people’s words I’f that’s the case you do it better the James Rolfe

[@PlaguedbyVisions]

HAHAHAHAHA. I only copy the words of books I cite. 😉