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The Stalker
Robert Doughten Savile, aka "Doughty," is the son of a once-wealthy, now hard-up family from Darien, Connecticut. Doughty lives in a perpetual cloud of delusion, convinced of his own genius and status. While he has little capacity to accurately assess his own abilities or prospects, he cruises through life on the sheer force of his own sense of entitlement, dropping out of college and landing in the early '90s in New York City, a place brimming with both prosperity and desperation.
He cons his way from a bed at the YMCA into the posh Soho loft of a middle-aged book editor, while pursuing a young bartender, whom he also abuses and gaslights. He spins elaborate tales about his imaginary high-power job in real estate while, in reality, he passes his days watching comedy specials on VHS, smoking crack in Tompkins Square Park, and engaging in occasional sex work in the restrooms of Grand Central Station. His many failures, however, only serve to sharpen his one true gift: Doughty is a skilled predator, and the damage he inflicts on the women around him is real and remorseless. As shocking as it is illuminating, The Stalker confirms Paula Bomer as a contemporary master of the pitch-black comic novel.
He cons his way from a bed at the YMCA into the posh Soho loft of a middle-aged book editor, while pursuing a young bartender, whom he also abuses and gaslights. He spins elaborate tales about his imaginary high-power job in real estate while, in reality, he passes his days watching comedy specials on VHS, smoking crack in Tompkins Square Park, and engaging in occasional sex work in the restrooms of Grand Central Station. His many failures, however, only serve to sharpen his one true gift: Doughty is a skilled predator, and the damage he inflicts on the women around him is real and remorseless. As shocking as it is illuminating, The Stalker confirms Paula Bomer as a contemporary master of the pitch-black comic novel.
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First published May 27, 2025
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About the author
Paula Bomer
19 books99 followersI'm the author of the novels Tante Eva and Nine Months (Soho Press), the collection Inside Madeleine (Soho Press), Baby and Other Stories (Word Riot Press), I grew up in South Bend, Indiana and live in Brooklyn, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 300 reviews
January 15, 2026
Doughty is a shrewdly manipulative alpha male, the guy girls want and other guys want to be—or at least, that’s how he sees himself. The genius of this book is that it puts us inside the main character’s head while subtly revealing the way others actually see him, and shining a light on his subpar intellect. He thinks he’s playing 3D chess while the rest of the world is playing checkers…in reality, he’s losing at Connect Four.
The Stalker portrays one of the most realistic misogynist abusers I’ve seen in a novel. Doughty is not a criminal mastermind, just a guy with a lot of entitlement and some anger issues. To everyone who’s had the misfortune of encountering a Doughty (even in a very limited capacity like “that creepy customer” or “the worst guy in my sociology class”), this will be a cathartic read.
This book is DARK but also so funny, with a truly satisfying ending. This is one of my favourite releases of 2025 so far!
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a physical ARC of this one! I will absolutely treasure it.
The Stalker portrays one of the most realistic misogynist abusers I’ve seen in a novel. Doughty is not a criminal mastermind, just a guy with a lot of entitlement and some anger issues. To everyone who’s had the misfortune of encountering a Doughty (even in a very limited capacity like “that creepy customer” or “the worst guy in my sociology class”), this will be a cathartic read.
This book is DARK but also so funny, with a truly satisfying ending. This is one of my favourite releases of 2025 so far!
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a physical ARC of this one! I will absolutely treasure it.
February 2, 2025
Me, a couple chapters into this book: Eh, it's okay, not really as dark as I was expecting.
Me, finishing the book: Ohhhhh holy shit.
Me, finishing the book: Ohhhhh holy shit.
May 10, 2025
wowowowowow
June 8, 2025
GET A JOB STAY AWAY FROM HER
April 15, 2025
HOLY SHIT. this book it was so wild. this is one of the best character study novel I've read so far. just pure delusion, male entitlement, and the rot of privilege gone to waste. I went into this not expecting any plot but the rather character discomfort was like a slow, grimy unraveling of someone who believes the world owes him everything while he contributes absolutely nothing. this book is not for people who like tidy plots or redemption arcs or characters that learn a single damn thing. this is for people who want to feel like they just licked the inside of a New York City subway pole in 1992.
premise: Doughty, a delusional, entitled failure from a once-rich family who drifts through 1990s New York City. Believing he’s destined for greatness, he lies, manipulates, and preys on women to survive, while actually living a life of addiction, joblessness, and self-destruction. It’s a dark, satirical character study of male privilege, toxic masculinity, and the quiet violence of mediocrity.
Robert Doughten Savile "Doughty" is quite literally the worst man I have ever met on page. He's like if mediocrity was a sport and gaslighting women was cardio. He is a master of absolutely nothing except being a delusional parasite. No talent. no skills. just raw, unfiltered entitlement and crack pipe dreams. this man wakes up and chooses FAILURE every single day and I couldn't stop watching. the novel doesn't just explore toxic masculinity, it throws it at you like a brick through a Soho loft window. it's super grotesque and darkly hilarious it's so real it hurts. every page feels like watching someone dig their own grave with a spoon while monologuing about how they're definitely the next big thing.
and the worst part and scariest part of this is I KNOW MEN LIKE THIS EXIST. we've all met one. the guy who blames everyone else for his failures while preying on vulnerable women just to feel powerful. the author literally said "here's the American Dream rotting from the inside out."
this book is not pretty. it's not kind but it's unforgettable.
thank you so much Soho Press & Paula Bomer
the book comes out on May 27.
premise: Doughty, a delusional, entitled failure from a once-rich family who drifts through 1990s New York City. Believing he’s destined for greatness, he lies, manipulates, and preys on women to survive, while actually living a life of addiction, joblessness, and self-destruction. It’s a dark, satirical character study of male privilege, toxic masculinity, and the quiet violence of mediocrity.
Robert Doughten Savile "Doughty" is quite literally the worst man I have ever met on page. He's like if mediocrity was a sport and gaslighting women was cardio. He is a master of absolutely nothing except being a delusional parasite. No talent. no skills. just raw, unfiltered entitlement and crack pipe dreams. this man wakes up and chooses FAILURE every single day and I couldn't stop watching. the novel doesn't just explore toxic masculinity, it throws it at you like a brick through a Soho loft window. it's super grotesque and darkly hilarious it's so real it hurts. every page feels like watching someone dig their own grave with a spoon while monologuing about how they're definitely the next big thing.
and the worst part and scariest part of this is I KNOW MEN LIKE THIS EXIST. we've all met one. the guy who blames everyone else for his failures while preying on vulnerable women just to feel powerful. the author literally said "here's the American Dream rotting from the inside out."
this book is not pretty. it's not kind but it's unforgettable.
thank you so much Soho Press & Paula Bomer
the book comes out on May 27.
May 30, 2025
I was promised satire, but instead got 240 pages of fart-joke humor. If you like reading about a character that has an erection on every page, then this is the book for you.
January 14, 2026
this book is like stepping into the mind of donald trump and then watching him get exactly what he deserves. i couldn’t recommend it MORE.
May 25, 2025
(4.5/5⭐)
Whaaaat did I just read? & why do I keep imagining Dwight as the Scranton Strangler?
I’d never been so far into someone’s head that I emerged in fear it could have rubbed off on me. Paula’s writing of Doughty? May have forged some new neurological pathways, and I am scared. Jk..kinda.
Trying to grapple with Paula being the force behind Doughty’s words has proven impossible. Impressed doesn’t begin to cover it. It’s fairly easy to think up an a$$hole in vast strokes, but what Paula accomplishes here is akin to detailing an iris (I don’t paint, but eyes are small so this can’t be that much of a reach 😂). This dude is the epitome of the entitled white guy w their head so far up their own 🍑 they’ve list any sense of reality. Def not a fan of how it manifested in Doughty, but man would it be nice to think this highly of myself, even for a day 😅
Doughty’s brand of “unhinged” is so naïve. The sheer delusion is hilarious. Not in full, but in glimmers I got Dwight Schrute with roid rage and a family history of intentional misogyny. Even knowing he’s full of it, it was impossible to ignore his…charm? I’m not sure what the word is, but I think the synop is spot on when making a Ted Bundy comparison. I can’t think of a single redeeming quality in this guy—it got to a point while reading I was so annoyed with him I kinda wanted to stop, just to get a break from being inside his head. I am SO glad I didn’t stop. You could have paid me a milli and given me a year to think and I still couldn’t have come up w a better ending.
Taking a step back from the humor you see an outline of cyclical, familial abuse. The slippery slope of taking things much too far becoming the norm, raising children into the next batch of terrible role models. While sobering, it’s a thread that was astonishing to find woven in throughout.
I highly highly recommend this as long as you’re okay w offensive humor. Keep in mind this is set in the early 90’s, so your internal Overton Window will need to shift a good amount. I will say though, the jokes and statements in poor taste are effective & indispensable—not for shock value. You’re laughing at Doughty, not with him.
Thank you times a milli to Paula Bomer & SOHO Press for the stunning gifted finished copy 😮💨😍
"I've never seen her get this excited opening a book." - My Husband
Whaaaat did I just read? & why do I keep imagining Dwight as the Scranton Strangler?
I’d never been so far into someone’s head that I emerged in fear it could have rubbed off on me. Paula’s writing of Doughty? May have forged some new neurological pathways, and I am scared. Jk..kinda.
Trying to grapple with Paula being the force behind Doughty’s words has proven impossible. Impressed doesn’t begin to cover it. It’s fairly easy to think up an a$$hole in vast strokes, but what Paula accomplishes here is akin to detailing an iris (I don’t paint, but eyes are small so this can’t be that much of a reach 😂). This dude is the epitome of the entitled white guy w their head so far up their own 🍑 they’ve list any sense of reality. Def not a fan of how it manifested in Doughty, but man would it be nice to think this highly of myself, even for a day 😅
Doughty’s brand of “unhinged” is so naïve. The sheer delusion is hilarious. Not in full, but in glimmers I got Dwight Schrute with roid rage and a family history of intentional misogyny. Even knowing he’s full of it, it was impossible to ignore his…charm? I’m not sure what the word is, but I think the synop is spot on when making a Ted Bundy comparison. I can’t think of a single redeeming quality in this guy—it got to a point while reading I was so annoyed with him I kinda wanted to stop, just to get a break from being inside his head. I am SO glad I didn’t stop. You could have paid me a milli and given me a year to think and I still couldn’t have come up w a better ending.
Taking a step back from the humor you see an outline of cyclical, familial abuse. The slippery slope of taking things much too far becoming the norm, raising children into the next batch of terrible role models. While sobering, it’s a thread that was astonishing to find woven in throughout.
I highly highly recommend this as long as you’re okay w offensive humor. Keep in mind this is set in the early 90’s, so your internal Overton Window will need to shift a good amount. I will say though, the jokes and statements in poor taste are effective & indispensable—not for shock value. You’re laughing at Doughty, not with him.
Thank you times a milli to Paula Bomer & SOHO Press for the stunning gifted finished copy 😮💨😍
"I've never seen her get this excited opening a book." - My Husband
December 31, 2024
I knew from the first page I was going to hate this book. LOATHED IT. The writing style is practically cartoonish, and when it’s not, it’s just completely flat. Thank god it was short. However, it still took me over a week to read because rather than being unable to put it down, I just couldn’t pick it up.
Someone else said if you were okay with American Psycho, you’d be ok with this. False. There’s no comparison, other than depravity. American Psycho, although not for everyone, was still written with some talent.
Skip. Skip. Skip!!!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ADC of this book in exchange for my review.
Someone else said if you were okay with American Psycho, you’d be ok with this. False. There’s no comparison, other than depravity. American Psycho, although not for everyone, was still written with some talent.
Skip. Skip. Skip!!!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ADC of this book in exchange for my review.
June 7, 2025
As far as I am concerned, this may be the dumbest man I have ever encountered in a book.
July 28, 2025
What a wicked nasty book. Masterful storytelling.
December 11, 2025
I'm a big fan of whatever genre this is... insufferable, sociopathic, pompous men swindling women and making their way through life with nothing but good looks, charm and manipulation
I really do see the American psycho comparisons, just without the gore lol
I really do see the American psycho comparisons, just without the gore lol
June 26, 2025
Like a bad accident you cannot look away from, I found this to be a fantastic piece of writing. Bomer, with ease it seems, painted a clear and sharp portrait of what patriarchal masculinity manifests itself as with all its horrific layers pressed into one man. Doughty. This is a dark novel, unrelenting and visceral. It will make you crawl with disgust yet equally will make you smirk at the satirical, wry and ironic journey Bomer takes you on.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again; this is what I wanted (anticipated, really) from the classic satire American Psycho.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again; this is what I wanted (anticipated, really) from the classic satire American Psycho.
November 13, 2025
"What the hell? Did you find God or something?"
A book I should have given up on very early on. Very untalented and extremely dumb.
Okay, we all love a good flatulent joke. Sometimes we need that childish potty humor to make it through our adult lives. This was something completely different. If fart, poop, and boners are your thing then look no further. Take a hit on that pipe and sit down for a story that will make you hate just about everyone.
This book drove me nuts. Every single character was disgusting and I hated them all. The story was just as dull and not a single thing stuck out to me. I felt as if I wasted my time. I was waiting for that darkness to consume me but all I got was a lot of anger inside of me now.
What a waste! If you’re looking for something similar with better writing, try Ellis, Thompson, Burroughs… and the list goes on.
A book I should have given up on very early on. Very untalented and extremely dumb.
Okay, we all love a good flatulent joke. Sometimes we need that childish potty humor to make it through our adult lives. This was something completely different. If fart, poop, and boners are your thing then look no further. Take a hit on that pipe and sit down for a story that will make you hate just about everyone.
This book drove me nuts. Every single character was disgusting and I hated them all. The story was just as dull and not a single thing stuck out to me. I felt as if I wasted my time. I was waiting for that darkness to consume me but all I got was a lot of anger inside of me now.
What a waste! If you’re looking for something similar with better writing, try Ellis, Thompson, Burroughs… and the list goes on.
December 13, 2025
3.5 stars.
We follow a massively self absored narcissist as he navigates his relationships with family, woman and friends. He is a deplorable character whos own self worth is the most important thing to him along with scoring drugs and alcohol. Its decent and short however its just the same thing over and over again and does get a little dull after a while. I also thought the ending was stupid. Its not bad but not groundbreaking in any way as I was lead to believe.
We follow a massively self absored narcissist as he navigates his relationships with family, woman and friends. He is a deplorable character whos own self worth is the most important thing to him along with scoring drugs and alcohol. Its decent and short however its just the same thing over and over again and does get a little dull after a while. I also thought the ending was stupid. Its not bad but not groundbreaking in any way as I was lead to believe.
December 27, 2025
Someone checked this book out in the 15 minutes it took me to walk to my local library. I proceeded to walk another 30 minutes to a different library to check it out. I like walking, it makes me feel powerful, it’s good for my stamina. This book was worth all the walking.
June 23, 2025
#ad much love for my finished copy @sohopress
You know those books you start reading and you think to yourself what exactly is happening here?? But you continue to read, eventually finding yourself unable to put the book down, and then finish the book and think WTF DID I JUST READ?!?!
Well this is the exact type of book that will illicit those thoughts. SERIOUSLY, WTF DID I JUST READ. And why couldn’t I stop reading it?? Haha. Loved this twisted little fked up book! Oof what a ride.
Doughty doesn’t like working and lives his life the way he sees fit - mostly bumming around one city at a time, finding women he can stalk and find a place to stay a while.
He’s a very unlikeable character but this story also has so many lol moments. Just a fab read. Totally fked up, but quite enjoyable at the same time.
These women tho..
You know those books you start reading and you think to yourself what exactly is happening here?? But you continue to read, eventually finding yourself unable to put the book down, and then finish the book and think WTF DID I JUST READ?!?!
Well this is the exact type of book that will illicit those thoughts. SERIOUSLY, WTF DID I JUST READ. And why couldn’t I stop reading it?? Haha. Loved this twisted little fked up book! Oof what a ride.
Doughty doesn’t like working and lives his life the way he sees fit - mostly bumming around one city at a time, finding women he can stalk and find a place to stay a while.
He’s a very unlikeable character but this story also has so many lol moments. Just a fab read. Totally fked up, but quite enjoyable at the same time.
These women tho..
January 13, 2026
Listen, it's been a cute run, but we don't have to keep trying to write stories that are in conversation with American Psycho at this point.
Edit: Also, worth mentioning, this keeps getting pitched as queer lit--I don't think there's a single queer character, or queer experience in this story. Maybe I'm just obtuse and didn't get it? Maybe the author is queer? I'm not sure. But I definitely wouldn't recommend this to someone who is looking for a story where queerness is involved in any way.
Edit: Also, worth mentioning, this keeps getting pitched as queer lit--I don't think there's a single queer character, or queer experience in this story. Maybe I'm just obtuse and didn't get it? Maybe the author is queer? I'm not sure. But I definitely wouldn't recommend this to someone who is looking for a story where queerness is involved in any way.
May 27, 2025
A delusional, self-centered, and all-around foul narrator can make this hard to read, but this novel is so worth it. While set in the 1990s, Doughty is a blueprint for so many men in American politics now.
September 2, 2025
2.5
A quick read about a narcissistic, self absorbed, smarter-than-everyone, entitled, lying, hyper-sexual, abusive crack head. Interesting to see inside the mind of a horrible person. But also not that good, I didn’t really care, and nothing was super groundbreaking.
A quick read about a narcissistic, self absorbed, smarter-than-everyone, entitled, lying, hyper-sexual, abusive crack head. Interesting to see inside the mind of a horrible person. But also not that good, I didn’t really care, and nothing was super groundbreaking.
June 24, 2025
Not for me. It's gross and sad. I also found the ending to be over the top.
Proceed with caution.
Proceed with caution.
August 11, 2025
Really just awful. The see spot run writing style is so lame. I know what the author was going for (see: Of Tender Sin) and it was a laughable miss. Colossal waste of my time
September 29, 2025
skimmed after 65%… i’ve reached my quota of reading from men’s pov this year…
Read
June 2, 2025Publishers stop marketing books about simply a man in New York as “American Psycho but he’s_______” challenge!!
The premise was intriguing, the reviews were there, but this was not anything like I had imagined. Nothing about this ever once gave American Psycho. I lament about books being compared to American Psycho frequently and it seems like it’s become my personal quest to end this. Are publishers that narrow minded that they read a book about an idiot in New York who uses women and honestly sit there and go “Yeah…..this is like if Patrick Bateman was DUMB!”
This is the first book I've read from this author, so I can't be sure if this is their true writing style, or something that they were doing for the sake of the character. Doughty is a big dummy, and the text reads like you're in the mind of an idiot, at all times. The language is basic and repetitive. He's rich, pretentious, and fucking STUPID. The author never fails to mention his constant erections, "huge shits", and fixation on every character's mouth and teeth. I don't mind an unlikeable, manipulative narrator, but unintelligent is I think where I have to draw the line.
The premise was intriguing, the reviews were there, but this was not anything like I had imagined. Nothing about this ever once gave American Psycho. I lament about books being compared to American Psycho frequently and it seems like it’s become my personal quest to end this. Are publishers that narrow minded that they read a book about an idiot in New York who uses women and honestly sit there and go “Yeah…..this is like if Patrick Bateman was DUMB!”
This is the first book I've read from this author, so I can't be sure if this is their true writing style, or something that they were doing for the sake of the character. Doughty is a big dummy, and the text reads like you're in the mind of an idiot, at all times. The language is basic and repetitive. He's rich, pretentious, and fucking STUPID. The author never fails to mention his constant erections, "huge shits", and fixation on every character's mouth and teeth. I don't mind an unlikeable, manipulative narrator, but unintelligent is I think where I have to draw the line.
August 14, 2025
buns ending
December 30, 2025
Don’t know what to say outside of this protagonist being entirely unlikable. Creepy and dark, but well told? I had to round it down because what was this story, anyway. Eeek.
January 15, 2026
What a book. This was rough, despising the main character from the very beginning. He used & abused everyone in his orbit. The writing was incredible.
It’s dark. It’s painful. You want to reach through the page and punch the guy in the face.
What an ending.
It’s dark. It’s painful. You want to reach through the page and punch the guy in the face.
What an ending.
January 18, 2026
A deep, dark dive into the disturbing mind of a douchebag driven by delusion and his dick.
August 29, 2025
I love that the synopsis describes this as “an Untalented Mr. Ripley, a Dumb American Psycho”
Doughty is the worst kind of person. I don’t know why Paula Bomer felt she needed to tell this story, but I found detesting this cringey main character from start to finish cathartic.
The story is uncomfortable, though. It’s satire, exposing readers to the most extreme form of abuse from the most entitled and idiotic man. I did not enjoy reading about what he did to the women in his life, but I did feel The Stalker ended with a satisfying thump.
That said, there was a stretch of tediousness in the middle. For a while, it was a lather, rinse, and repeat formula. Nothing seemed to advance beyond Doughty being a creep, manipulating women, and women trying to put their foot down only to quickly pull it back. The cycle wasn’t always interesting, but the story eventually got quite dark until it was a pitch black intensity that proved a fool will always be his own undoing.
Doughty is the worst kind of person. I don’t know why Paula Bomer felt she needed to tell this story, but I found detesting this cringey main character from start to finish cathartic.
The story is uncomfortable, though. It’s satire, exposing readers to the most extreme form of abuse from the most entitled and idiotic man. I did not enjoy reading about what he did to the women in his life, but I did feel The Stalker ended with a satisfying thump.
That said, there was a stretch of tediousness in the middle. For a while, it was a lather, rinse, and repeat formula. Nothing seemed to advance beyond Doughty being a creep, manipulating women, and women trying to put their foot down only to quickly pull it back. The cycle wasn’t always interesting, but the story eventually got quite dark until it was a pitch black intensity that proved a fool will always be his own undoing.
December 31, 2025
Jesus Fucking H Christ
tw - drug use/abuse, rape, DV, verbal abuse, racism with heavy anti-semitism
This book is POV the worst guy ever. Came from money, thanks the world owes him, and learned from his dad how to manipulate the people (mostly women) around him to get what he wants. He is so incredibly delusional, astonishingly overconfident, and somehow fascinating to be narrated by - but in, like, a serial killer profile kind of way.
I probably wouldn't have read this if I had recognized I had read Bomer before; her other book just wasn't for me (Inside Madeline). I don't know if this one is either. It was certainly something; the cover is gorgeous. The ending was satisfying so if you must, do make sure you read it, skip to it if you need to.
Happy Sunday
tw - drug use/abuse, rape, DV, verbal abuse, racism with heavy anti-semitism
This book is POV the worst guy ever. Came from money, thanks the world owes him, and learned from his dad how to manipulate the people (mostly women) around him to get what he wants. He is so incredibly delusional, astonishingly overconfident, and somehow fascinating to be narrated by - but in, like, a serial killer profile kind of way.
I probably wouldn't have read this if I had recognized I had read Bomer before; her other book just wasn't for me (Inside Madeline). I don't know if this one is either. It was certainly something; the cover is gorgeous. The ending was satisfying so if you must, do make sure you read it, skip to it if you need to.
Happy Sunday
Displaying 1 - 30 of 300 reviews