Need

by Nik Cohn

New York City is in the grip of a bad-moon heat wave, with the street-corner preachers running amok. Into the fray, four damaged lives come together at a pet store on the Upper West Side, each one consumed by a private hunger and driven toward an inevitable fate. 304 pp. 15,000 print.

Genres: Fiction

Hardcover

First published February 18, 1997

About the author

Cohn is considered by some critics to be a father of rock criticism, thanks to his time on The Observer's early rock column entitled The Brief and his first major book Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom, first published in 1969. Cohn has since published articles, novels and music books regularly.

Reviews

[James E. Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in an almost hallucinatory style, the book is interesting but frustrating if you are expecting a typical narrative. Good characterization and use of flashbacks, etc. Quite enjoyable.

[Jim Bostjancic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not lots happening from an action angle, but the private detective vibe., cool street prose "that petty, five-timing, car-washing piece of nothing" and introspective desperado's, beckon me into considering checking out some of his other work.