Pure Cosmos Club

by Matthew Binder

In this biting satire, Matthew Binder takes surreal aim at the poses and pretensions of high art and fashion. With ruthless wit, Binder chronicles the struggles of Paul, an eccentric artist, and his companion dog, a disabled, quiche-obsessed terrier-mix named Blanche. Together they negotiate hilarious scenes of bad parties, bizarre couture, deranged friends, shady deals, unrequited love, sabotage, and inscrutable art. But there may be a way out for Paul when he meets James, a New Age guru and leader of a secretive cult: the Pure Cosmos Club. Yet, every time Paul believes he's ready for the "Ultimate Level," James raises the price of entry. Just how far will Paul go for love, for art, and to attain cosmic oneness?

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction

252 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

Matthew Binder is the author of the novels Pure Cosmos Club, The Absolved, and High in the Streets. He's also a primary member of the recording project Bang Bang Jet Away.

Reviews

[nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

READING VLOG

With the spirit of John Fante, absurdism finds its way through absolutism to absolve all the inquiries over the crossroads of failed art and the failed artist by ways of a new-agey cult.

Whipped with wisps of humor with a down-and-out guy at odds with oddballs, it busies itself with New York spirit. Just as there isn’t a dull moment in the city, there isn’t ever a dull moment in the book.

Compassion builds itself in every little failure that adds up to a life that tries and tries until we love Paul, our little engine that could, who braves himself with a happy-go-lucky humor that creates a bliss, an optimism, a belief that a no is free, and one must go on when it comes to fulfilling one’s duty as an artist.

[Paula Bomer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novel so much. I read it in 2 days. It is unputdownably funny and smart and truly filled me with the horror of - Good God, What is going to happen next?? Oh NO! What now??

Pure Cosmos Club (PCC) follows a NYC visual artist, Paul, and his best friend, the disabled dog Blanche, through his shenanigans in the art world of NYC, which lands him in a cult- naturally!
One must love and pay profound attention to a thing one viciously mocks. This is satire. A love-hate, love-ridicule thing. Binder loves his characters, loves art, loves NYC. What we love always disappoints us, and everything is corrupt and hilariously so. Part Greek Tragedy, part Shakespearean Comedy, PCC, the cult where Paul lands, is where we all land eventually. Desperate and helpless in the face of our desire to matter, and ultimately failing miserably to do so.

Paul, naive and romantic, oblivious and perceptive, is a seeker, believing that great art can change the world. One could write an entire PhD thesis about Paul's relationship to Blanche, who although anthropomorphized, is also understandably his dearest companion. Dogs are a man's best friend, because, cliche as it is, people suck. And yet. We need each other! We love each other. Badly.

Paul starts out in gentrifying, farflung Brooklyn, with his dear friend (though not as dear as Blanche) and fellow artist Danny: "Back when Danny bought the warehouse from a retired mechanic who used it as a chop shop for stolen BMWs, the neighborhood was a colorful place, where one constantly found oneself embroiled in all manner of adventure. A stray bullet once shattered the studio's window and put a hole through the canvas I was painting. Another time, I was held up at knifepoint over a box of porkbuns."

Setting up the tone of the book is in - The Details! The chop shop for stolen BMWs! Porkbuns! As a reader, I was so IN this crazy world, a world lovingly portrayed, because Paul loves the world. And yet, where do all this love and ambition and purpose lead him? To fashion items made out of dead cat skins, and to the titular cult, run by the cult leader James, one populated -natch-with celebrities and politicians, many on drugs, all of them bonkers.

The subject matter is indeed grand, but the actual novel is grounded where Paul is grounded. At one point, this happens to be an attic of a large mansion where the cult does cult things. Paul, ever observant explains:

"A mischief of mice scurry away when I turn on a flashlight. Even on my hands and knees, my face gets caught in a spider's web. The attic stretches out in all directions. It must be as large as a football field. All around me are the forgotten treasures of past generations- a stuffed lion's head, a signed first edition of Whitman's Leaves of Grass, an eighty year old embroidered Nazi uniform."

Who doesn't want to be along with this ride? I mean, it's amazing. It's real and it's insane.

At one point, Danny asks Paul:
"...just how far does your loyalty to James extend?"
Paul responds:
"If he were to order me to enter a gladiator's ring to battle with a tiger, "I say, and sip my tea, "I would do so without a word."

And isn't this Paul just living out the Human Truth? Don't we all desire to believe in someone, something, with all our heart and soul, for whom and which we would gladly lose an eye, an arm- our life? Risk it all? Paul's journey is utterly unique, being a special snowflake that we all actually are, and as old as existence ourself. Whatever it is- art, money, love, salvation- we all need to worship something. I worship this novel.

[Benoit Lelièvre · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel reminded me of a colleague I once had.

I thought his humour was pretentious, he thought my humour was dumb and offensive. I thought he was dismissive, he thought I was overbearing. He wasn't a bad person by any means. We were just incompatible to a nanocellular level. I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with Pure Cosmos Club either. It was just not meant for me? I think? There's definitely an audience for this type of naive humour that pokes fun at the rich, the famous and the superficial.

The storyline-to-character-moments was a little too skewed for my own personal sensibilities. A lot rides on the protagonist Paul, who doesn't feel like a real person at all. He behaves like a coked out Wes Anderson character. Once again, this might be your thing, but I thought Pure Cosmos Club was missing what anchored me as a reader. Definitely a talented writer. Chalk this one to aesthetic differences and maybe a problem or two with structure and momentum of his story.

[Courtney Maum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blurbed it, loved it.

[Michael Veskovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just get your hands on this book and read it now!

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wacky tale full of pure heart, this book had me laughing at every turn and completely entranced by its characters, prose and plot. There is also an element of Cassandra like warning swimming under the surface- on what our society could become but even worse, on what are society already is.

[Claire Hopple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both whimsical and philosophical, Binder thoroughly entertains.

[Ann (Inky Labyrinth) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Pure Cosmos Club’s moral imperative is not guided by a political vision but a divine one. We have a duty to transcend the drudgery of our daily lives by tapping into the universal mind, the oneness of all things. Come and grow with us–emanate your energy and power!

After his girlfriend moves out, artist Paul is fumbling aimlessly through life in New York City with his disabled dog Blanche. Unfortunately, no wants to buy Paul's papier-mâché art, so he is forced to move into his privileged friend Danny's garage-turned-art-studio-slash-homeless-shelter-slash-sweatshop. Here he meets a leader of a cult called Pure Cosmos Club and chaos inevitably ensues.

A bizarre satire of the art world with a truly dry sense of humor. If the totally absurd makes you uncomfortable, you will hate this. I, for one, laughed a lot. Making fun of rich, out-of-touch artsy people will always be hilarious.

If you're a fan of Chuck Palahniuk or Jen Beagin or maybe even Kurt Vonnegut Jr., I think you should give this weird book a shot.

Thank you Sarah and Stalking Horse Press for reaching out and gifting me a copy!

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

An acid trip of a book. World bending literary fiction. A book with a bizarre charm akin to Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder (both containing surreal, uncanny, magical realism-esque worlds, cult elements, and deranged artists who function as unreliable but fascinating points of view for their tales) and yet this story is fundamentally different, fresh, and unique (with no motherhood element).

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

So weird, but I loved it. Can't say much more than that because honestly I don't know what I just read...

[Zach Werbalowsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

a banger of a book that just may teach me how to read again (we shall see) the fiction section is severely lacking on fun books about artists that dont fall into gossipy bios or just over serious dribble about changing the world through a paintings (yikes/yeah right) so just vibing with blanche and co was a lovely time.

[Bookygirls Magda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
i have to admit i was laughing A LOT. I did not expected this kind of story (mostly because i haven't read the cover XD) but it was very enjoyable and fun to read. I'm in love with Blanche ❤️ i would sell my soul for this quiche-loving dog on a wheelchair

[Thushara]

Comp title - Big Swiss

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

james more like little saint james island

[Edwin Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

In PURE COSMOS CLUB, by Matthew Binder, Paul has a unique life as an artist who creates odd and often misunderstood art that often is dismissed by the traditional art world and at other times lovingly embraced by it's deeper meaning (even if Paul himself is unsure what that meaning is). Paul, along with his disabled dog Blanche, is looking for his own meaning of life and his search becomes a spiritual revelation that is the Pure Cosmos Club, a cult like group that encourages rebirth and freedom of thought. As Paul becomes more intertwined with the group, he begins to wonder if this really is the place for him to continue his discovery of his true self.
Paul is deeply flawed and doesn't seem to have many redeemable qualities and yet the reader almost immediately falls in love with him. He wants to continue to produce art and while he portrays it as a way to continue surviving, the book hints more and more about how he can't help but create more art and that creation seems to fulfill a void in Paul's soul. The cast of characters, including Paul's dog, Blanche (whose personality is so human-like that the reader forgets she is a dog) are not only load of funs, but serve a larger purpose of directly or subliminally guiding Paul forward in his journey. The book is like a giant amusement park ride that goes through the entire park: at times, the reader is on the lazy river, or the spinning tea cups, or the haunted house, or the death-defying rollercoaster. The reader never knows what is going to happen next, but all of those rides are fun.
I enjoyed the wild ride that is PURE COSMOS CLUB and I want more tales of Paul and Blanche and the rest of the characters I got to meet.
Thank you to Matthew Binder and Stalking Horse Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Romane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want the relationship Paul (the man) and Blanche (her quiche obsessed dog) share. And if you want to understand you better read this funny, sharp and smart satirical little book!

I loved the satyre of art and ascetic artistic creation illustrated through Paul, this absurd, vulgar, socially maladjusted artist who is a poor loser in the eyes of his ex-girlfriend and of his shiny friends themselves. His encounter with James, the guru of an almost cult - the Pure Cosmos Club - marks his will to belong to a group, a pack, a social group that is not his own, which he is trying to integrate. This book is an ascetic critique of the world of culture, and of what anyone is prepared to do to satisfy this need for recognition. Here - sabotaging the work of his best friend, his mentor.

This book is very intelligent and virulent while being extremely funny, absurd and grotesque, I had a great time reading it! During the read, we encounter a collection of handbags made from the bodies of dead cats, a quiche-obsessed dog who, with his humanized features and his ability to think, is also Paul's most loyal adviser, a random man who happily cuts his own veins so that Paul can paint with his blood... etc. I won't spoil all the juicy bits, but you get the idea!

[Breedloaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for a book club and was continuously intrigued and entertained by Paul’s tales throughout the book! So much humor, heart and anxious dread in Paul’s stories. Some chapters read almost like parables he is telling to the reader. “‘Even in my lies,’ I say, and collapse hiccupping into the sofa, ‘there's more truth than in all the facts of natural science.’” (64)
Paul is one of my favorite characters in recent memory and the rest of the cast that Mr Binder creates are great as well. The humor and tragedy in the book, while being dark, never felt sadistic which I believe is part of what makes this book so readable and maintained the light feverishly positive character of Paul’s narration.
I just continued to be surprised to the very end how much I enjoyed this book and I’m excited for the future re-read knowing who Paul is from the beginning.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love this book, one of my favorite books ever! Totally entertaining from start to finish. It's a colorful wild, humorous and preposterous ride - in the very best of ways. I'm not sure what influences author Matt Binder has been inspired by; but it feels like like It has a touch of Hunter S Thompson and the humorous flair of Charles Bukowski to me. This novel will put a smile on your face and paint you a very vivid picture; pardon the pun, the very likable protagonist is an artist after all. With all the tosses and turns we humans experience in this fleeting life, this book is a joy and will make you feel really good.

[Tina Krajniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a bit to get into it, but I'm immensely glad I stuck with it. The absurd events lighten the mood of an otherwise dark topic dealing with cults. Matthew Binder has created many unique characters, but Blanche is truly a gem!

[Robin Olinyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it. The last 70 pages of Pure Cosmos Club were some of the best pages I’ve ever read. Paul is so quirky but so likable and his dog, Blanche, is my favorite character. I’m not exactly sure what category this book belongs in - maybe one of its owe. 10/10 would recommend.

[Reader Views · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Pure Cosmos Club” by Matthew Binder is the story of Paul trying to make it in the art world and life. We meet Paul as an artist, post-breakup, with his dog Blanche, who rolls around on wheels after she loses the use of her two back legs when Paul hits her with a bike. Paul has given everything to the art he works on in the studio of his rich friend, Danny. We read as Paul tries to make and show his art without any encouragement. All the while we get stories of Paul’s life before. At a party, Paul meets Danny’s friend James, who is mentioned a few times earlier and is very charismatic from the start. Like most, Paul is attracted to James’ attention and gets involved with James’ religious group: Pure Cosmos Club. That is where the story gets interesting.

Early in the book we are treated to a lot of Paul and Blanche hanging out, with quite a few stories of Paul’s life. Once in a lifetime, you meet a person who has lived a life so full that it overflows with stories, Paul is one of those people. Even though there are many, his stories are believable. Though, sometimes his present day feels less so.

At one point Paul agrees to have his art shown in a gallery, through Danny’s connections, and takes free drugs at the showing, but refuses the gallerist’s money for his time as well as a free place to live by his landlord. And then, Paul joins the Pure Cosmos Club and quickly starts following James and the beliefs given to him, even though he was the first to question, and rebel against, everything before.

The only person who feels like they have more stories than Paul is Winston. Winston is homeless and ends up living at the studio and, unintentionally stealing Blanche from Paul. If Paul’s life stories overflow, Winston’s stories run so much that they could create a river. It doesn’t feel like there is anything this homeless man cannot do.

We don’t know much about Danny besides the fact that Danny gets his money from his father. Between criticizing Paul’s own pieces, Danny works on his own art and is relatively successful due to the connections he has. The one thing we never learned about Danny, which I had questions about, was how Danny met Paul. Though they come from two very different backgrounds we are thrown into their relationship, as friends and landlord/tenant, without any backstory that probably would have made for a great side story.

My only source of concern was how late we got to the Pure Cosmos Club. Halfway through the book, we are introduced to the leader, James. And, with only one hundred pages left in the story, we attend the first meeting. With the title of the book referencing the group, I expected to at least learn about them earlier than this. By the time the group, or cult, is introduced I was so immersed in Paul’s daily stories, that I was no longer interested in James’ religion. The book had been about Paul’s life and relationships, romantic and platonic, for so long that by the time we hear about, and meet the group, it just felt like it was two separate stories, surrounding the same man, bound together as one.

I do want to give the author credit for writing an entertaining and funny story. As well as doing an incredible job of building characters through their setting. The book feels like it should’ve been two separate stories about Paul or expanded upon to make the transition smoother. And, since Binder chose to do it this way, it made the ending feel rushed, in my opinion. So, we are meant to believe that the club and its beliefs were true all along? More than that, do they have phone reception in space? I can suspend my disbelief for most things, but that is a big ask.

Overall, I do feel like this book might have been trying to say something or make a commentary. I will say, though, that if you love a main character who never learns, like I do, then “Pure Cosmos Club” by Matthew Binder is for you.

[D. Foy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure Cosmos Club is a book for all of us here in the Anthropocene, a story about a singular man who's negotiating, as the jacket copy says, "hilarious scenes of bad parties, bizarre couture, deranged friends, shady deals, unrequited love, sabotage, and inscrutable art." Put another way, it speaks to the way we denizens of the 21st century find ourselves lost in a ten-dimensional quest for a solace or reprieve that our breakneck pace of life can’t seem to offer. Clancy Martin has already hailed Binder as “our American Murakami,” and Sam Lipsyte says that in this “inventive, antic picaresque with a satirical eye trained on spiritual and aesthetic hucksterism, Binder “sets them up and knocks them down.” Believe them!

[Jamie Starr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I settled into the essence of the book – chaos, humor, absurdity, thwacking convention on the nose – my discomfort subsided and I was highly entertained and delighted by the complexity of the characters and literary devices employed by Matthew Binder (e.g. Blanche!). I found it difficult to put the characters into traditional boxes based on conventional norms (good vs. bad; lovable vs. loathe-able, humble vs. egotistical, etc.), which was challenging for my logic-oriented and values-aligned brain--but a fun challenge and a testament to Binder's unique approach. In a world where everything tends to fit into a box, reading this novel was a refreshing and liberating experience. Highly recommended.

[Laura Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare to be entertained, enlightened, and thoroughly enthralled by this five-star masterpiece! I couldn't put this book down, and read it in two days. PCC is a true gem for anyone who appreciates satire, absurdism, and humor, particularly within the context of the blue chip art world. It is a witty and incisive exploration of the interplay between art, culture, and the human desire for meaning. Binder's remarkable talent for storytelling and his keen eye for the ironies and contradictions that pervade our lives make this book an absolute must-read for fans of intelligent and entertaining literature.

[Paige Mcgreevy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew Binder takes the reader on a psychedelic ride in his third novel PURE COSMOS CLUB. Paul is down on his luck but has far from a defeatist attitude. He and his sidekick, his two legged dog Blanche, do their best to find their way in New York City before getting caught up in the Pure Cosmos Club. An absurdist Bukowski, Binder has created one of the more bizarre but lovable characters I’ve ever come across. Five stars. Highly recommend.

[Dana Vachon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literature has been slow to reply (at least deftly and directly) to the commodification of everyone, and everything, down to your eyeballs (and in time even their twitchings) as you read this. So I read this novel in huge, happy gulps, it is a hilarious, clear-eyed, big-hearted story a man and his dog surveying money’s Boschian terrain in post-9/11, post-08, post-hope New York, seeking traces of the one big soul amid the dream wreckage. Binder is a major talent.

[Emily.M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow I loved this book. Filled with some of the wackiest characters I've read about in a while, this was LAUGH OUT LOUD funny and subtly heartbreaking. Even in the times I just wanted to scream at Paul for his decisions, I was always rooting for him. By the last chapter, my heart was full. BLANCHEEEE <3

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a riotously funny romp and satire through the art world. I absolutely was obsessed with Blanche and her relationship to Paul. I think this is a book you could read over and over and get something new from each reading. It's quite thought provoking and I encourage you to pick this up if you enjoy humor like what you'd find in a Jen Beagin or Chuck Palahniuk book.

[Chloe Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when you think everything is going right, Paul destroys it for himself, but feels free with his choices. This book illustrates perfectly the troubled mind of an eclectic artist and the meaningless of the material world. This book will make you feel like letting go is not as insane as you may think.

[Travis Trevisan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a former New Yorker, I loved Pure Cosmos Club for its vivid portrayal of the city’s energy through the eyes of eccentric artist Paul. The story captures the art world’s unpredictability—one moment scavenging furniture, the next mingling with the elite. Binder’s many idioms and aphorisms added a fresh touch.