[Book Review] Grotesque (2019)

Imagining a character so despicable, so disgusting and so vile comes from a place of understanding and depth, one that looks within the soul of themselves and within others to find the definition of a person that is so repulsive that even on paper it is hard to even stomach them.

Yet author Mark Foster managed to achieve this feat in his extremely dark comedy horror book, Grotesque from 2019. This is a book that should come with a trigger warning on many levels, and it should not be recommended to anyone that is easily offended. 

The novel introduces the reader to our insightful and far from delightful protagonist Charlie Whitman; he is egotistical, narcissistic, disgusting and somewhat of a cunt to everyone and everything around him. From the very beginning of the book it is clear that Charlie is never going to become a likable character as we are thrown into his world of debauchery, with him getting blind drunk, pissing, vomiting and even coming on himself, followed by Charlie drunk driving until he causes a horrific car accident and not really giving a fuck expect for the fact he wasn’t able to finish masturbating. We are viciously thrown into Charlie’s chaotic life and go underground with him as he enters into the Parisian underbelly after accepting a disturbing and dangerous job opportunity. Unfortunately for Charlie it turns out that curiosity and his greed to know more about the world he’s swallowed by are going to destroy his life.  

Unlike other stories, Foster forces the audience to follow Charlie who is completely despicable in every possible way. However, as time moves through the book, there is a certain attraction to the protagonist, whether that comes from a place of intrigue or a place of horror, it is hard to say but potentially a combination of both. It was an interesting choice by Mark to make the audience confront this revolting man and his behaviour through the entirety of the book, yet it is even more disturbing that the character has traits that many readers resonate with, even if only on the smallest of scales. Charlie’s internal dialogue is intelligent, witty and at times comedic, which allows us to connect with him even when we are willing every inch of ourselves not to. 

The language throughout the book really focused on the distasteful, doing everything in its power to make the reader feel shocked by the words they read. At times it felt like the book was trying to make itself controversial by putting in some highly offensive chapters that really make the reader feel uncomfortable, but even with that said, there felt like a purpose behind it. Grotesque certainly is a controversial book, and if you cannot read through a lens tinted with satire and sarcasm, then there is the chance the reader will just feel infuriated with some of the scenes that play out in the book. Even for someone who has an adoration for books that push boundaries and go further than ever before, there were parts of this book that either made my stomach churn or really pushed me to my limits in terms of subject matter. 

It is clear to see that inspiration has been pulled from some of the most controversial pieces of literature including American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis, and from more unknown but highly disturbing books such as In The Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami. Charlie Whitman is one of the most atrocious characters to be written on paper, but with atrocity comes a form of interest and intellect which allows the reader to immerse themselves in this sickening world and find out the true meaning of Grotesque.

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