Before Elvis There Was Nothing

by Laurie Foos

“A wonderful mixture of insecurity and insanity. Every line of Laurie Foos’ new novel is suffused with intelligence, wit and daring. Exhilarating!”—Fay Weldon A fabulist for the twenty-first century, Laurie Foos is back with a whip-smart, refreshingly contemporary take on the nature of beauty, the importance of appearance and the all-too-human cravings for friendship, spiritual fulfillment and love. A modern-day superwoman, Cass embodies the Elvis adage “ Taking Care of Business ”—from coping with the disappearance of her Elvis-obsessed parents and caring for her agoraphobic sister to treating the folically-challenged and avoiding the attentions of a perverse podiatrist—until the day a horn sprouts from her forehead. As Cass seeks treatment for her unwelcome appendage, she finds herself in a facility only Dr. Moreau could love. Join the beautiful Cass as she plans her escape and, in the process, resolves her physical and spiritual ailments, discovering more about herself than she ever thought possible. In a world gone mad, where we’re all on display and our obligations and obsessions are magnified by a voyeuristic culture, this feverishly hip, comic caper is the perfect tonic—one that may even answer the burning question that lurks deep in all of our “Has Elvis really left the building?” Laurie Foos , lauded as “the unholy love-child of Kafka and Erica Jong,” is the author of four previous Ex Utero , Portrait of the Walrus by a Young Artist , Twinship and Bingo Under The Crucifix . She teaches in the Lesley Seminars in Cambridge and lives just outside of Boston with her husband and her dog, Jesse. Visit her website at www.lauriefoos.com .

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Betsy Huston · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book 1/2 a star because it was just awful. Totally insane is right but not funny. I wish I had the time back I wasted by reading it.

[Shaniqua Lizardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mighty strange little thing. I am tempted to inquire about the actual fuck, but I think there was a lesson to be learned somewhere in all of this. I guess I was too caught up in the holiday spirit to pay attention to it. Also, my knowledge of Elvis starts and ends with the references made in Lilo and Stitch, so there's that.

[Annelise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two sisters named after famous dead sisters. Their Elvis-obsessed parents abandoned them 18 years ago. Lena's agoraphobic and house-bound. Cass is a afraid of ham sandwiches and wishes she were Jewish. She's also a real looker--until one day she grows a horn in the middle of her forehead.

[Jonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such an odd story that I found it hard to give up, although I wasn't quite satisfied at any point. Tell me, what did Elvis, parental desertion, alopecia, and the growth of a rhino horn have in common?

[Peace · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very quick read & a good example of magic realism. I liked it.

[Bob Lopez · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a pretty ho-hum book. I like the idea of it, but the execution I found quite lacking, and the Elvis angle...well, blah.