Hooked

by John Franc

In the tradition of Vladimir Nabokov and Henry Miller, John Franc's masterful novel explores sexual obsession, as a group of male friends delve further and further into the world of brothels under the gleaming surface of their cosmopolitan city. Told through an anonymous collective point of view, the narrative names no character or location, implying that these men speak for all men. All seems well in this world where men sneak off to betray their wives and children, visiting brothel after brothel. But while toasting themselves and their moxie, evaluating the quality of their liaisons and caliber of their bought lovers, one man in the group becomes wracked by a guilt that threatens to undo them all.

Genres: Fiction

250 pages, Hardcover

First published August 22, 2011

Reviews

[Aimée · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book switches narrators and is always told in second person. You don't get notification of when it switches, and there are no chapters. I had to reset my brain a few times, because I would not always realize that the narrator switched.

The ending really got me. Wow.

[Lisa Domke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Highly disturbing and I in no way believe that this represents all men. But it's an extremely absorbing book that I feel has a lot of truth to it.

[Elyzar · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has to be the most confusing book I’ve ever read. There are no chapters, and the narrators switch without any notice, and told in second person.

[David Ferris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating, while at the same time truly unsettling read. Married men be warned: no matter what the state of your relationship, this book will give you pause. Written from the point of view of an undetermined number of anonymous men, and featuring the reader as the chief protagonist, (I know, it sounds weird, but it somehow works) Hooked takes an unsentimental look at infidelity, and the havoc it can wreak. A group of gentlemen, brought together initially by their spouses, embark upon an epic quest to visit every brothel in their unnamed metropolis, sampling liberally from the bill of fare along the way. This adulterous lifestyle is adopted by the narrators in such a matter-of-fact and off-hand way, that they are able to convince themselves that there is nothing aberrant, or potentially damaging, in their behavior. But needless to say, things soon get out of hand. This book brings up questions of fidelity, morality, personal responsibility, and causality in a way I have rarely encountered. As a happily married man who has never strayed from the straight and narrow, I was surprised that this book affected me as much as it did. Highly recommended.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is meant to be a revealing little novel about the piggish male craving of hot prostitute sex, but it turns out to miss the mark. Marketing-wise, the book seems juicy--it is allegedly based on real events by a real author...using a fake name to protect himself. But something still seems a little cloaked. When the story does start to gain steam in certain places, it just seems to stop short of really getting deeper. It's a frustrating experience and the use of the collective "we" makes you feel like you're being held at arm's length from any emotional core. It feels cool sometimes but mostly becomes cliched.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Recommended by another friend who read Fifty Shades, I will stop reading this type of book based on friend referrals. It is about a group of men who visit many a brothel. They are addicted in a sense and compare the ladies. I find it hard to believe that their wivesdon't notice the spending of amazing amounts of money for sex with strangers. They tout Tiger woods was a sex addict...lol luckily it was a quick read,yet at times had to be retread as the writing changed and so did the speaker, yet it was not done clearly.

[TinHouseBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly MacArthur (Deputy Publisher): I consider this book a debut because my tight-lipped colleagues at Tin House Books have refused to reveal who “John Franc” really is. What I do know is that “Franc” has written a book in which the mostly unlikable men are monotonously ruled by their basest desires and the women (or rather the madonnas-and-whores) are as deeply inked as a press-on tattoo. That said, Hooked is a book that I loved to hate–and one I could not put down.

[Keri English · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as shocking as expected, but certainly kept my teeth grinding to see whose lives would fall apart. I got this book from the library and was pleased that it was prominently displayed. That was what crossed my mind when I saw the cover (the other cover) and I enjoyed reading without names. Thought that may be weird at first, but it wasn't at all. Voyeurism at it's most anonymous. Well done.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing even though some of the narrative changes were confusing. Asks some uncomfortable questions that have apparently been answered by anonymous readers on the tumblr acct (http://hookedanonymous.tumblr.com/). I did not like the cover

[RD Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writing is decent -- a little amateurish, though, especially in the beginning. The second person voice doesn't work with merely decent writing, however, and that was ultimately what caused me to shelve the book without finishing it.

[Snem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda edgy and interesting. I found the narration changes confusing. I liked the ending a lot.

[Rakisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

pretenious

[Rand · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you want a happy ending go see a hooker

[John Jeng · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was easy to read and hooked the reader from start to finish. This was the first time this reader has read a book told from the second person.