Suicide Casanova

by Arthur Nersesian

What do Gary Condit, Woody Allen, and OJ Simpson have in common with Leslie Cauldwell, protagonist of Nersesian’s latest offering? They are Suicide Casanovas. What compels powerful men in the prime of their professional lives to risk so much? Following the commercial success of his first three novels (including cult-classic The Fuck-Up ; over 50,000 copies in print), Nersesian’s new novel is a psychosexual thriller, a dramatic departure from his youthful black Humbert Humbert without the pedophile penchant, Hannibal Lechter without the appetite.

Corporate attorney Leslie Cauldwell is middle-aged, handsome, and rich, but has only a few swipes left on his mental Metrocard. During a rough sex session, he garrotes his beloved wife; now he's an officially designated "sex offender," off on a bender, looking for love in all the wrong places.

Twenty years earlier, when his office was high above the pornographic purgatory of Times Square, Leslie became involved with the adult-film star, Sky Pacifica. She needed a refuge, and he was ripe for the using. Following a brief fling, each went their own way. Two decades later, in 2001, Leslie is still working in Times Square—recently sanitized with its ESPN Zone and MTV window—and fraught with guilt about his "accident" with his wife.

Like Jay Gatsby pursuing an erotic American dream, Leslie, with the help of a private detective, hunts down Sky Pacifica, his latter-day Daisy. Across a landscape of S&M mistresses and porn producers, from L.A. of the ‘80s to New York of the new millennium, we see a modern-day tale of love and loss, innocence and corruption, crime and redemption.

Arthur Nersesian is the author of The Fuck-Up, Manhattan Loverboy , and Dogrun . The former managing editor of the Portable Lower East Side , he currently lives in New York City.

Also available by Arthur Nersesian
Manhattan Loverboy
TP $13.95, 1-888451-09-2 • CUSA
The Fuck-Up
TP $13.00, 1-888451-03-3 • CUSA

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Sexuality, Contemporary

374 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Arthur Nersesian is the author of eight novels, including The Fuck-Up (Akashic, 1997 & MTV Books/Simon & Schuster, 1999), Chinese Takeout (HarperCollins), Manhattan Loverboy (Akashic), Suicide Casanova (Akashic), dogrun (MTV Books/Simon & Schuster), and Unlubricated (HarperCollins). He is also the author of East Village Tetralogy, a collection of four plays. He lives in New York City.

From arthurnersesian.com:
www.arthurnersesian.com/

"Arthur Nersesian is a real New York writer. His novels are a celebration
of marginal characters living in the East Village and trying to survive.

Nersesian's books include The Fuck-Up, The East Village Tetralogy, and now just published by a small press based in New York, Manhattan Loverboy. Nersesian has been a fixture in the writing scene for many years. He was an editor for The Portable Lower East Side, which was an important magazine during the 1980s and early 90s.

When The Fuck-Up came out in 1997, MTV Books picked it up and reprinted it in a new edition for hipsters everywhere. Soon Nersesian was no longer known only to a cabal of young bohemians on Avenue A. His work has been championed by The Village Voice and Time Out."

Reviews

[LanaDelHate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pulpy tour de force through New York (what it used to be) and all other conceivable madness. You want to loathe the main character, but it's hard. Nersesian's writing is at once depraved yes, but, unflinching in honesty. A good read as well as good insight into those who are twisted.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur Nersesian is amazing, he's my hero.

[kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you felt like the resolution to "The Fuck-Up" was an anticlimactic let-down, you definitely won't be deflated by Nersesian's twist of events in "Suicide Cassanova." Perhaps the most visually-stimulating, thought-provoking and eloquently crafted novels I've ever read. The finale will leave you staring ahead off into space for a few minutes when you're finished. Nersesian brings it hard, fast, heavy & lets it 'all' hang out in this one. One of the finest word-sharps of his generation. He'll have you stumbling over your own two feet as you try to catch-up. This is a novel about love, lust and how both are coveted at a hefty price. If you're a virgin, don't even bother reading it b/c it simply won't have the same impact - lol. Nersesian explores just how greedy, sadistic and base the mind can go to achieve its purpose and resolve vexation in the arenas of love and lust. You'll also be left feeling a little introspective (and maybe sad) b/c chances are we've all known an aspect of Leslie, Cecelia or Jeane in our own lives. Replete with Nersesian's philosophical, sarcastically-driven rants and particulars throughout which keep you laughing your ass off. Lastly, the best rec. I could give to someone before reading this book is to look past the eroticism in & of itself. It's about that and it isn't. It's not gratuitous, Palahniuk, "Choke-esque" b.s. narrative. Stay on track and read between the lines. Nersesian explores the idea of how we as human beings can be strangers, then become lovers and then strangers to one another again; all the while eroding an irreplaceable piece of ourselves in the process. - KL

[Stephen J. Golds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sordid. Grimy. Dark. Sad. Funny. Heartbreaking. Tragic.

Those are some of the words that came to mind when I thought about writing this review.

This is a VERY GOOD novel about very crappy people in a crappy environment and crappier situations.

Nersesian writes really well, with skill and with a lot of humor and heart.

Obsession, love and perversion are the major running themes throughout.

This novel seems to be the embodiment of New York in the 1980’s and reminded me a lot of Lolita...

5/5

[Elliot Chalom · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of Bret Easton Ellis's "American Psycho". This novel doesn't rise to that level of excellence but is nonetheless pretty good and will keep you interested and on high alert from start to finish. Like I did after reading Psycho (my first Ellis book) I plan to eventually read more from this author.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just hated the main character of this book. Snivelling, obsessive, unhealthy in all the wrong ways. Yet, you want to follow the train wreck of this guys life as he destroys the lives of everyone around him by some sick impulse, and then tries to cowardly escape the consequences. Again, this was a really "fun" read.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acutally, I take it back, Chinese Takeout isn't my favorite Arthur book, this is. The plot is so layered and complex it is on par with a Chuck Pahalinuik book. The voices are real and compelling, the story is satisfying.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Transgressive Erotic Noir novel. This is very different and dark.

[Brad Beard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A white knuckle ride up to the very last page. The character's downward spiral into madness is quite the amalgamation of the quintessential perfect storm. The development of the main character, his back story, and descent is very well written. The book was quite the quick page turner motivating me to read on and on in order to see what will happen next. It does get uncomfortable, some of his antics and transgressions but ultimately you are left with the decision, did this normal person suffer from extreme depression, mental illness? Or was it all guilt inspired. Regardless of the answer, I enjoyed the book thoroughly.

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! This was a book I stumbled upon by accident at Barnes and Noble. I was in between 2 series (Eragon's Eldest and Bartimaeus) patiently waiting for the next release, and I was desperately seeking a new book to get into. When I came a cross this I over looked it a few times but kept coming back to it and before I knew it found myself purchasing it. I must say that this was a pleasant surprise and turned out to be a great read. A psychosexual thriller mixed with dark humor and truly f@ck-up. Awesome read!!

[Lori · Rating 1 out of 5]

from publisher

Read this many moons again. Cannot wait to hear it again!

Listened 3/19/12 - 3/30/12
1.5 Stars - Not Recommended as an intro to the author / Recommended to fans of freaky sex
Audio Download (approx 11 hrs)
Publisher: Iambik Audio / Akashic Books

(Originally read in print in 2002 w/ a 4 star review)

Holy wow. This is exactly why I should never, ever re-read a book. Never, ever, ever. The next time I even consider re-reading a book from my past, please step right up and smack me hard, right across the face, ok? If you love me, you will do this. And I will thank you. Because I never want to question my tastes in books ever again. What the heck was I thinking??!!

Well, I mean, I know what I was thinking. I was thinking that by downloading Suicide Casanova and listening to it after all of these years, I would throw myself down memory lane and rekindle my love of its author, Arthur Nersesian. I clearly remember my obsession with Nersesian in the early 2000's. I had just graduated myself out of the chick lit and religious conspiracy reading loops I had somehow gotten stuck in and was devouring my way through the MTV Books catalog. When I began Nersesian's The Fuck Up, I thought it was gritty and delicious and so unlike what I had been reading that I was completely knocked over. I went on a Nersesian binge. I gobbled up every book he had out at the time - Dogrun, Manhattan Loverboy, and Suicide Casanova. I couldn't get enough. Hell, after nearly a decade, I found myself snatching up a galley of his 2010 release Mesopotamia at BEA - though the book never did make it into my reading line up that year.

That's why I'm so confused with this whole re-reading thing. I mean, if I really liked his stuff back then, shouldn't I still really like it now? Or at least be able to see what it was I liked about it, even though I might not like it as much today? God, I never thought that this time around, Arthur Nersesian's Suicide Casanova would have me seriously reconsidering his place on my list of recommendable authors.

Ok, yes, this time around I listened to the audio version, rather than re-reading it in print, but really, that shouldn't make a difference. I've listened to enough audiobooks to know that I am capable of separating the way I feel about the narrator from the way I feel about the story itself. But isn't it strange that, upon hearing the story, the following two things become terrifyingly apparent to me: (1) I don't remember a thing about this book, except for the very beginning and the very end, and (2) I am drop-jaw shocked that I ever found anything remotely likable about this story! I'm sitting in my car, listening to the book, unable to believe my ears. I'm listening to... to... to soft core porn. Sure, it's not marketed that way, but I gotta tell ya, that's basically what this book boils down to.

Suicide Casanova features a split story timeline, bouncing back and forth between the 1980's and 1990's in which our protagonist Leslie shares his early obsession with Sky Pasifica - a porn actress he has stalked and started dating - and the current date, in which our sexually deviant man-with-a-woman's-name has just gotten away with accidently strangling his wife, Cecilia the dominatrix, to death during a night of some rather rough sex. There's a shitload of sex, violence, and funky stuff going on - which typically wouldn't bother me in moderation, but since the entire book revolves around Leslie's relationship with porn and the strange women he finds himself tied up with, there is no escaping the seemingly endless ways in which Nersesian can describe a penis, vagina, anus, or every conceivable combination of things that each can to do to or with the other!

Not to mention that the dialog between the characters comes across as somewhat fake and forced - absolutely befitting of what you would find in a porn film but not what you would be looking for in a work of literary fiction. And that brings me to the narrator of the book, Mark Smith. While I really enjoyed his reading of Matt Bell's How They Were Found, Suicide Casanova was definitely not the right book for him. His story telling style didn't match the pulse of this novel, in my opinion. Could some of the disconnect I had felt between the way the characters conversed with each other be due to Smith's interpretation of the text? That's a possibility. Though I wasn't a fan of his "female" voices - now tell me, why is it that men narrators have a tendency to make women sound nasal and lesbianish? - I'm pretty certain that the best audiobook narrators out there would have had a hard time making this book "listenable".

And that brings me back to my initial concerns with re-reading previously loved books. What was so different about me back then, compared to me now, that I would experience such an extreme dislike towards a book that I once enjoyed, or at least recalled enjoying, since I really didn't remember much of the story once I started listening this time. And what does it say about the me of back then? Who was this girl who liked reading a twisted, raunchy, soft porn and dominatrix kind of book in the first place?

Mommy, I'm frightened. I don't know who I am anymore. Hold me. Please.

This is why, from today going forward, I vow to never re-read another book again. I would much prefer to keep my memories of those books I liked and loved in tact, than risk scaring the shit out of myself, questioning my taste in all things literary, and taint my adoration of those authors of my past.

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, the lowdown:

This is like candy: bourbon flavored candy. Easy to consume and with an edge going down the throat.

Nersesian is a smart, funny writer, Everything seems to flow so easily. He deals with a semi-difficult time-shifting narrative here, alternating the anti-hero protagonist's present (2001) experiences as a successful lawyer and the aftermath/resumption of former loves with his neophyte past (1979-1983, roughly) when his career was starting and he began his obsessive relationships with porn star Sky Pacifica and his bondage-prone future wife Cecilia. All of his obsessions take on elaborate dimensions; in everything he does his is supremely self aware. His concerns are understandable, and yet, he often seems so cold that it's hard to sympathize with him: a true anti-hero.

He is a suicide Casanova. In trying to define that, he uses Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky as an example. A guy risking everything for the dangerous liaison, even one that is less than choice. The turn on being not so much in the physical act or the excitement of the seduction as in the potential for self destruction, obliteration. In fact, our hero contemplates and attempts (aborted) suicides. His personal turn-ons become increasingly vengeful and cruel.

As usual, Nersesian gives us vivid views of the New York scene, he's one of the masters of New York fiction at present, it would seem. He knows what he talks about. Along with the elaborate narrative structure, he gives this one perhaps a more epic feel than usual, the book takes place on two coasts - in LA and NYC. There's a certain nostalgic tinge to his reminiscences of the old porn scene of 30 years ago.

So, this thing reads like a breeze, as hard to turn your head from as a bloody traffic accident.

As usual, Nersesian's protagonist is fucked up, in this case perhaps moreso than usual among his rogues' gallery of seemingly aimless males. I found it a little hard to reconcile the character in terms of his lawyerly ambition and success and his seeming nihilism in all else, partly because we never really get much of a sense of his work life. Like much in the book, I was not entirely persuaded by the authenticity of this character. But I did appreciate his struggles and his need to feel superior in the face of his self-aware inadequacies. His habit of shooting pigeons with a bb gun to help attain this is disturbing, along with some of his misguided, self-destructive games (his episode as a fake Calvin Klein photographer, for instance).

But his confusions are well presented, and, even if I wasn't entirely persuaded by this book, I can't deny Nersesian's skills and the compelling readability of his storytelling.

But, in some ways, it all just seems too easy, too pat. I'm not sure why I can't give the guy credit for his narrative deftness. Sometimes I just get a feeling of frivolity in what he's writing. It's hard to explain. I don't feel like it's great literature, perhaps? Maybe it is, not sure.

I still prefer Nersesian's "The Fuck-Up," even though that book too, I feel, has flaws. But the humor gives it a sense of balance lacking here. But, to be fair, this is a more ambitious book. Nersesian tries to make the present and past come together in a kind of orgy, a swirling circle-back. One can see the ever-tightening merger and collision of past and present. There's poignancy aplenty.

I'm tempted to give this four stars, but will leave it as a "thumbs up" three-star...
This is definitely worth your time.

A few further caveats and clarifications:

My copy runs to 374 pages, not 350.

The book was packaged inside an old-style VHS case to evoke the old porn scene depicted in the book. It's a dumb, distracting marketing gimmick that adds nothing.

The flashback episodes to the 70s and 80s are printed in a thin, wide, modern-retro font of some kind that is, frankly, hard to read. It's a gimmick I could have done without.

[B Haze · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book so much and it inspired me to go out and read some of his other things though I never did. "The Fuck Up" is next on my list from him. This book was edgy in a very nonchalant way. I loved how it could surprise you and intrigue you. Very unique and spooky in its own way.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by my boyfriend, and I absolutely enjoyed it! Started perfectly...I love when books start off right away, I couldn't it down! I look forward to reading other books from this author.

[Ryan Lieske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nersesian is most certainly an acquired taste, but if you can swallow it, it's time well spent. He's a more vulgar Salinger, a more confessional Palahniuk. His mind is definitely mired in the gutters of old grindhouse Times Square, and occasionally he does become a bit indulgent, especially where sex is concerned. But his characters always ring true, and he certainly knows how to go for the heart. And when even the most despicable and pathetic characters are allowed to reveal their inner souls, we can always see a bit of ourselves in them. And this is, ultimately, Nersesian's strong suit as a writer. You won't like some of the people who populate his books (or, at least, you won't ADMIT you like them) but they're never treated as ciphers or cliches.

I wasn't moved as much by this book as I was by his brilliant debut, "The Fuck-Up," but I still found myself hoping all would end well, even though I knew that was impossible. Perhaps that is the heart of true tragedy. And if such is the case, then Nersesian succeeded.

This novel is profane, vile, repugnant, and also heartbreaking and wistful. It gets a bit tripped up by its own plotting at times, but overall it's a solid read. It's REAL. And that counts for a lot with me.

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

What made this book most fascinating was how the author develops his characters. Nersesian is skillful at exploiting a wide range of emotions from his readers to turn against or root for the main characters at his will. A satisfying and quick read, the story explores some taboo subjects, e.g. the adult industry and the underground BDSM scene, which are surprisingly enveloped in themes both light and dark. The one I found to be most profound was the omnipresence of loneliness in a city teeming with people. The way Nerserian captures this perfectly is a true testament of his deep and sophisticated understanding of New York City's dark side.

[Andrea Janov · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was skeptical about the structure of this novel as I began it. The bouncing back and forth in time, storylines, and points of view, seemed ambitious and had the opportunity to become messy, fast. But the story moved along in a natural way, allowing for details to be revealed when they would most impact the reader. The subtle way that we grow to despise Leslie as the book progresses is well crafted and even his last attempt at dignity can't sway us back.

[Leddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is insanely dark, but there is something about the full-speed train wreck that is the main characters life that just keeps you coming back. A book that makes you this uncomfortable is worth reading.

[Sean Dailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

i like pretty much every thing nersesian has written and this is no exception. and even though the reader more or less knows the ending way ahead of time, it's still somehow shocking.

[Adam Reynoso · Rating 5 out of 5]

An odyssey of obsession and the many messed forms love takes, Nersesian has created another flawed perverse protagonist just trying to deal with his idea of love and his own broken self.

Underneath the sex and drugs and BDSM, there is a story about loneliness and wanting to connect. The story weaves through the past and present and the way it informs the other will have you hooked.

Nersesian does such a great job writing a real character out of New York. Despite the seediness he describes of the 80s, there’s also a tenderness to the way he writes it. His characters are always some kind of fucked up or have fucked up things happen to them, but he also writes stories about the persevering humanity shining through them. It takes such a certain type of skill.

The way grief leads to obsession turns to depravity, and then the entire story is flipped on its head in one fell swoop, it’s shocking and welcome. There is no predicting the daring third act, but it will break your heart.

And while the female characters are very much sexualized, they are still forces of natures and dared to be messed with. Sky/Jeane’s characters is such a wonderful character arc. It is sad and tragic to watch at times, but seeing the person she becomes is what had me wanting to see where it would go. Cecelia was maybe my favorite, because she was strong and learning more about her made me want to keep reading her sections.

The story tied together in wonderful ways. The past informs the present and vice versa. And the heartbreaking end seems inevitable, and yet still painful.

[Yossra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into Suicide Casanova expecting something closer to American Psycho, but Leslie felt far more restrained by comparison. Everyone in the story is flawed, with no clear villain, though the male protagonist may come closest. If this is meant to be transgressive fiction, I expected Leslie to be more aggressive or deviant early on. The pacing starts slow and the fragmented timeline jumping between the 70s, 80s, and 2001 was often confusing, with key details revealed out of order. That said, the writing is strong and I was engaged, but the moral ambiguity of the main character was frustrating since I tend to want characters to fall clearly into one category or another.

[M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I pretty much exclusively like protagonists that are so toxic they're nearly irredeemable, but even I didn't like this book

[Shaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of this had my slightly confused, but it picked up in the second half.

[Luna Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love the rawness of this book but god forbid i needed a WARNING. i loved the psychologics, but it was such an uncomfortable read for obvious reason.

[Aaron · Rating 1 out of 5]

Crap. Crap. Crap.

This book is a big load of unreadable crap. And I am embarrassed that I actually finished the whole thing.

The book starts out strong, with the death of Cecilia, and then just dwindles away to pointless meandering, vulgar sex scenes, and a climax that just could not ever in a million years happen in the world that Nersesian has created. In the end, the book turns out to be little more than an excuse for Nersesian to bitch about the Disney-fication of Times Square.

Not good at all.

[Matty Byloos · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wouldn't necessarily recommend this -- it's a bit on the predictable side, and the language, although it claims to be pulpy and contempo-noir, mostly falls flat and sounds silly. I had read The FuckUp many years ago and was looking forward to another by the author. The packaging was pretty great, although I ended up just getting the standard paper back. All in all, I stuck with it but it was trying. A couple of decent moments. Interesting structure in the book, but hasn't held up well with the passing of a few years.

[Steven jb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a conflicted man unable to love, lost in his sexual proclivities. Rarely have I read a novel with such an unlikeable character engaging in such utterly self-destructive behavior. I was torn between hating him, and being fascinated by his perversity. In the end, I felt sad for him as he had some redeeming qualities. I wouldn't even know what to suggest for him, he was such a mess. He was like a drug addict without the drugs. Perhaps that is what Nersesian intended--at least, in part, this is a story of sex addiction.

[Henry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Protagonist was wholly unsympathetic. He did one generous thing by letting Jeanie stay with him to get on her feet, but he didn't seem to have to sacrifice much to do it. Everything else he does is selfish and hurts others.

I didn't feel his fall - my opinion of a successful life is apparently different than making a lot of money as a partner.

Prose is fine, but at times too fancy. This isn't a book that inspires me to work to get obscure references.

It took me years to actually finish this book.

[Dick Baldwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

After Choke and this, I'm a little tired of reading about people with big sexual hangups. And, I'm tired of reading sex scenes. Staying at home with kids, reading these kinds of books makes me wonder if I'm turning into a 40 year old housewife. This isn't all that bad, and while it isn't nearly as good as his first book (none of his have been), it was still enjoyable to read. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone though.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading "DogRun" and "Chinese Takeout"...I had to get my hands on more of Nersesian's books. Liked "The Fuck Up", but this one was much darker and the main character was a total asshole. This book is sick and twisted but I couldn't stop reading it. There is something about Arthur Nersesian's books that just suck you in and his stories are very unique and strange.