Hoffman

by Ernest Gébler

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Ernest Gébler (1915-1998) was an Irish writer of Czech extraction who wrote novels, plays, and film and television screenplays.

He was married for a time to the writer Edna O’Brien and they had a son, the novelist Carlo Gébler.

Reviews

[Ingrid Self · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this as "Shall I eat you now" many, many years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it then. I have just re-read it and while I don't find it as disturbing as I thought I might, it's not as enjoyable either. The sad character who is the lead, endures and emerges as a whole person at the end, but it's not realistic, or if it is, its unpleasant. I saw the film with Peter Sellers in some years ago and was not happy with his interpretation at all. Whereas he was a creepy slimy sort of an individual in the film, in the book he is just a sad lonely middleaged man. I can't recommend it - very peculiar - but I can't say I hated it either. It's an oddity

[Country Maron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not so much a review as pointing out the inadequacies of Goodreads. Thanks to a film with Peter Sellers entitled Hoffman, I searched high and low for the novel it was based upon. I finally read it via a lending library. Enjoying it, I purchased the only 3 other novels of his that I could find. I was about to start reading "Shall I Eat You Now?"; a first edition hardcover no less; only to discover that it is Hoffman under a different title. Of the other two Gebler books I own, Goodreads only lists one.

In a way, Hoffman could be seen as the original "Incel". An unattractive man who sees the only way to woo a woman he's attracted to who ignores him is via manipulation. In spite of his deep wounds via women, Hoffman is a gentleman.

Peter Sellers said that it was the most disturbing role he ever played because it was too close to himself.