Chog, a Gothic fable

by Quentin Crisp, Quentin Crisp

First edition hardcover with unclipped dust jacket, in very good condition. Jacket edges are creased and nicked. Boards are clean, binding is sound and pages are clear. LW

Genres: Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Quentin Crisp, born Denis Charles Pratt, was an English writer, artist's model, actor and raconteur known for his memorable and insightful witticisms. He became a gay icon in the 1970s after publication of his memoir, The Naked Civil Servant, brought to the attention of the general public his defiant exhibitionism and longstanding refusal to remain in the closet.

Reviews

[Algernon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quentin Crisp, famous for being famous, known for a memoir and delicious one-liners, made this one contribution to the literature of fantasy and horror. Crisp's prose is well-suited to this sort of humorous gothic horror and his prose is quite enjoyable here.

The story is odd: a miserly millionare passes his fortune on to his beloved dog, Fido, and two aging servants are dependent for their living on the care and upkeep of the household and its doggy patron. Fido and the conniving servants come into conflict and a sequence of unnatural events brings about violent consequences. It is a brief, darkly humorous tragedy of such style one has to wonder what collaborations might have taken place between Quentin Crisp and the director Tim Burton.

[eLwYcKe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mr Crisp is one of my touchstones. His wit never fails to make me laugh, no matter how mordant he can be. I love his writings and I love to read other writers books about him.
However, his two novels 'Chog' and 'Love Made Easy' are not particularly satisfying.
The humour is lost in the rather dull narratives and I think, even he would agree, his best, most illuminated writing was about himself and his life.

[Warren Sampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing horror tale.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very black comedy with wonderful illustrations by Gahan Wilson. Not for the faint of heart.

[Kurt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was drawn to this (used) book initially because the cover was drawn by one of my favorite cartoonists, Gahan Wilson, whose macabre artwork had captivated me at a very early age, and has been influential to me ever since.I saw that the book was written by Quentin Crisp, who I was familiar with only by name. It turned out that the book included illustrations by Wilson and the description on the back cover described the book as "deliciously sardonic and murderously funny". I have to say, I agree with this assessment. This book is really funny. I have laughed out loud a few times (not a usual occurrence for me), at Crisp's turns of phrase. He has a great facility for describing his characters actions while fitting in their personalities. For example, when Mr. and Mrs. Davies are attempting to eavesdrop:
"Mrs. Davies hurried to the scullery. There she put on her galoshes and, going out of the side door, ran around the house. Outside the library she was nearly involved in a head-on collision with her husband, who had circumnavigated the building from the opposite direction. Beneath the partially open window they flattened the crocuses with the formidable weight of their curiosity."

This book is nowhere near deep or profound, it's just an enjoyable read, and I'd recommend it to folks that like, say, Edward Gorey and Roald Dahl. If you can find an inexpensive copy, snatch it up. The Gahan Wilson illustrations are icing on the cake with a cherry on top.

*Amend*
Okay, now that I've finished this book I have a few other comments. No-one in the book emerges unscathed. Really, I have to think that, even though the book is intentionally twisted, Quentin Crisp is cruel to the characters in the book to the degree that I think he might despise his readers. There's no denying his way with words and his sense of humor, but, at the end of it all I couldn't help but feel that he was a bit of a mean-spirited, vindictive bitch.

I still enjoyed the book. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment. Make of it what you will

[Jim Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark humor. Deliciously naughty. I love this book. Diamond in the rough and out of print for years ... if you find a copy, snatch it up and read it.