Miss Corpus

by Clay McLeod Chapman

ill has just returned home from sea to find his wife lying dead on the kitchen floor. Four states away, Phil has been waiting for his son to return home, only to discover his body decomposing at the bottom of a nearby swamp. Will's wife always wanted a highway-bound honeymoon. Phil's son always wanted to see the country. In an attempt to pick up the pieces of their lives, both Will and Phil load up their cars and hit the road-unknowingly traveling toward a collision-their destinies literally crashing together on I-95. From the moment their keys slip into the ignition, to the second their fenders clasp, every person with whom Will and Phil come in contact weaves a tapestry of narratives that gives a singular, vivid voice to the Deep South.

Genres: Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published February 5, 2003

About the author

Books. Children's books. Comic books. Film.

Reviews

[Bria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a couple months ago, and then gave it time to settle before I came back to it. Recommended by a friend, I can see why they would think I'd like it, and I did!

This book was definitely twisted and morbid, side stories coming into play which were interesting enough to have been their own standalone tales. While there were a few instances where I felt things slow, overall, the pace was quite good, and the content hooked me. There was a lot of heavy sexual and reproductive referencing, which, I'll admit, did throw me off a bit here and there. That said, even now, a few months later, I'll think about the storylines and the characters and wonder where else they might have gone if things didn't end as they did.

Speaking of the ending, it was perfectly deranged and morbidly amusing. I really enjoyed reading and am most definitely a fan!

[Rom Alejandro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Chapman works better in the short form.

[Joshua M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would describe this novel as a Southern Gothic anthology road-trip horror novel bathed in the darkest aspects of Americana. What makes this novel so effective are the macabre slice-of-life portraits of the American South that the protagonists engage with during their journeys. One chapter in particular has even been adapted into a feature film called The Boy (no, not the creepy doll one) whose screenplay was also written by Chapman. These chapters run the gamut from funny to tragic to horrifying and everything in between. It’s a very poignant and entertaining read.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best, I personally don't like the writing of the story. I do like the story of the "Henley road motel", it's one of my favorite stories ever. I again, do not like the choppy writing of the story. But it all evens out with pros and cons when you watch The Boy (2015) and realize where the authors head was during the writing.

[Kyri Freeman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure this is great for what it is and was the right book for any number of people. For me, personally, I'm not engaged by fiction that is non-character-driven and/or stream of consciousness without a defined plot, and that's what I found this to be. YMMV

[Rikki Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was weird. Big fan.

[SSteppenwolFF · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last chapter was the best part of the book . More of that kind of creativeness throughout and this book would have earned more stars .