Meike’s review of The Sluts > Likes and Comments

Excellent review.

Linda wrote: "Excellent review."

Thank you very much, Linda! I was really struggling with this one, as there is so much you could potentially say about it.

After reading your review I've googled Cooper as I haven't heard of him. I found an interview of his and now I want to read his novels. I have a feeling I'll like them.

Mirnes, please be warned that Cooper’s stuff is insanely graphic. I have the strongest stomach of anyone I’ve known and even I recoiled at some of the things he described.

Mirnes wrote: "After reading your review I've googled Cooper as I haven't heard of him. I found an interview of his and now I want to read his novels. I have a feeling I'll like them."

He's a very intriguing transgressive writer - not for the faint of heart, but if you're interested in the works of authors like Georges Bataille and Jean Genet, this is an American iteration of it; plus in "The Sluts", the violence is so over-the-top that it comes across as rather artificial and hence not too hard to bear.

Meike wrote: "Mirnes wrote: "After reading your review I've googled Cooper as I haven't heard of him. I found an interview of his and now I want to read his novels. I have a feeling I'll like them."

He's a very..."

Do you suggest to start with this one or something different?

Lizz wrote: "Mirnes, please be warned that Cooper’s stuff is insanely graphic. I have the strongest stomach of anyone I’ve known and even I recoiled at some of the things he described."

I don't mind the graphic content as long the subject and themes are worth it.

Mirnes wrote: "Meike wrote: "Mirnes wrote: "After reading your review I've googled Cooper as I haven't heard of him. I found an interview of his and now I want to read his novels. I have a feeling I'll like them...."

That's difficult to say, because I just started exploring Cooper's work and I've only read "The Sluts" and the first part of the George Miles Cycle, Closer (which I found much more realistic and thus way more disturbing). I guess "The Sluts" would be a decent starting point, as it is seems to be his most widely read work. There is a good chance that you will hate it, and I see why it is extremely divisive, but again: If you are familiar with Bataille and Genet, the themes will be familiar.

Brilliant review! I look forward to reading more!

Thanks, definitely not for me!

Liam wrote: "Brilliant review! I look forward to reading more!"

Thank you so much, Liam! I'm afraid I've become a Cooper fan, his stuff is endlessly fascinating to me.

Warwick wrote: "Thanks, definitely not for me!"

Ah, come on, Warwick, you're usually not faint of heart!

You say that! I can be quite a nervous reader.

I actually wonder if it helps that you're reading in your second language. I can take Bataille and Sade much more easily than – say – American Psycho, because reading in French gives me a slight sense of distance (and hence protection).

Warwick wrote: "You say that! I can be quite a nervous reader.

I actually wonder if it helps that you're reading in your second language. I can take Bataille and Sade much more easily than – say – American Psycho..."

That's a very interesting thought, it might be the case, I don't know - I couldn't name you a German-language author that goes all in like Bataille, Genet, or de Sade, let alone Cooper. So maybe that is a distancing factor!

I dread to think what the German vocabulary could do with some of those scenes!!

Warwick wrote: "I dread to think what the German vocabulary could do with some of those scenes!!"

Hahahahahahahaha, SO TRUE!!!!

Adding this! Also, now curious if there is really no German author in the Bataille / Genet school of things, seems kind of odd given Germany's reputation... though I guess the 20th century was rather complicatedly disrupted for German writers...

BJ wrote: "Adding this! Also, now curious if there is really no German author in the Bataille / Genet school of things, seems kind of odd given Germany's reputation... though I guess the 20th century was rath..."

Well, while I don't claim to know the works of all German-language writers who ever lived, this type of psychosexual transgressive writing originates in France, pioneered by de Sade in the 18th/19th century, brought into European literary modernity by Genet and Bataille. Not sure what "reputation" you're referring to, but Germany - which exists since 1871 - has no strong literary tradition of that kind, although it produced many works that belong to the core canon of 20th century modernity, from "Malte Laurids Brigge" over "Berlin Alexanderplatz" to "The Magic Mountain" etc. pp. The underground is much closer to American Beat than to French trangressivism though.

Looking at German-language lit in general, there is also no strong tradition comparable to the French transgressive movement. But if anyone has some ideas what author to name here, please add them in this comment section!!

I was trying to think of this too. The only vaguely comparable example that came to my mind was the recent(-ish) furore over Charlotte Roche's Feuchtgebiete, but it's pretty mild compared to these other examples.

Warwick wrote: "I was trying to think of this too. The only vaguely comparable example that came to my mind was the recent(-ish) furore over Charlotte Roche's Feuchtgebiete, but it's pretty mild compared to these ..."

Such an interesting connection! I see where you are coming from, Warwick, and I grew up watching Charlotte on TV, I even met her once and she was super nice, but her literature is kind of trashy (sorry, Charlotte), don't you think? Agreed with the furore over the topic of sexuality and disgust though, and that it's pretty mild, which is funny because so many people freaked out about its contents! :-)

Meike wrote: "Warwick wrote: "I was trying to think of this too. The only vaguely comparable example that came to my mind was the recent(-ish) furore over Charlotte Roche's Feuchtgebiete, but it's pretty mild co..."

Oh, just had another idea: Elfriede Jelinek (Austria)! Also only vaguely comparable, but, like Roche, gives the aesthetic of sex and disgust a feminist twist. Both Roche and Jelinek have a moral impetus though, which is what de Sade denies. And while Jelinek is a second-wave feminist, Roche is a third-wave feminist who would probably not subscribe to the implications regarding male desire as shown in something like Jelinek's Lust. Love that discussion!

Got my copy in the mail 2 weeks ago based on your previous Cooper recommendations, Meike. Looking forward to reading his 5-novel sequence and this.

Jeff wrote: "Got my copy in the mail 2 weeks ago based on your previous Cooper recommendations, Meike. Looking forward to reading his 5-novel sequence and this."

Oh wow, I hope you'll be just as fascinated as I am, Jeff!

Yeeesh. Although I am an interested student of human nature, there's some topics that I'd just as soon remain ignorant about. I always appreciate your willingness to explore the more extreme corners of the literary landscape, Meike.

Left Coast Justin wrote: "Yeeesh. Although I am an interested student of human nature, there's some topics that I'd just as soon remain ignorant about. I always appreciate your willingness to explore the more extreme corner..."

Thanks, Justin! Transgressive literature is just soooo interesting to me.

Brilliant review as always Meike. I was wondering, how would you interpret the ending of the book?

C wrote: "Brilliant review as always Meike. I was wondering, how would you interpret the ending of the book?"

Thank you, C! I will not spoil the ending here, but I feel like its in accordance with the overall message about platform communication.

Absolutely unbelievable, the news coming from your country. So sorry to hear. Does it have anything to do with that one political party?

JakeB wrote: "Absolutely unbelievable, the news coming from your country. So sorry to hear. Does it have anything to do with that one political party?"

Absolutely not, Jake! We've read the official 66-page document crafted by the Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media, and the decision is based on the inability to correctly interpret and categorize the novel. It's pretty outrageous, actually. Let's see how the courts will decide!

I am so sorry to see Germany being dragged down into an underworld that mirrors the 2026 version of the US. If only there was a vaccine to halt the spread. But if there were, the US would ban it.

Bonnie G. wrote: "I am so sorry to see Germany being dragged down into an underworld that mirrors the 2026 version of the US. If only there was a vaccine to halt the spread. But if there were, the US would ban it."

Thank you, Bonnie!! But this ban really isn't related to the AfD, it's a consequence of incompetence - it's really crazy how "experts" can qualify a novel by a world-famous transgressive writer which has been researched by a plethora of international literary scholars as "violent pornography" with "no heightened artistic merit". I mean: What the fuck?!

Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "I am so sorry to see Germany being dragged down into an underworld that mirrors the 2026 version of the US. If only there was a vaccine to halt the spread. But if there were, the ..."

That is basically the definition of pornography, and Ulysses was banned in NY as pornographic (we don't have national bans here). Granted, it was a long time ago, but we have regressed a lot in this past decade, so it could happen again, I am sure.

Bonnie G. wrote: "Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "I am so sorry to see Germany being dragged down into an underworld that mirrors the 2026 version of the US. If only there was a vaccine to halt the spread. But if th..."

The crazy thing is: Pornography intends to sexually arouse audiences - and if someone declares that "The Sluts" is sexually arousing to them, I'd advise this person to see a psychiatrist! And yes, we are really regressing, it's exhausting and sad...

I have only just heard the news about the 'banning' of the Sluts in Germany and have been trying to find more information about what exactly has happened. Some reports - in English seem to deny that it is a 'ban' and admittedly I tend to think of banning books in terms of the way Ireland did back in the early to mid 20th century - but then I am Irish - but anything that labels an author like Cooper in terms of pornography is not simply offensive but absurd - particularly if the haven't labelled other authors of what I call poverty/homeless porn like J.T. Leroy also as dangerous to young people.

I would love to know more - I know you have posted links above but I would like to understand the legal situation in more detail.

Thank you - Liam

@Liam Ostermann The book wasn't banned. It was placed on Germany's index of media considered harmful to minors. This means that it may not be sold or made accessible to minors, and its advertising and public display are subject to restrictions. It is not prohibited, however, and remains legally available to adults.

Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "I am so sorry to see Germany being dragged down into an underworld that mirrors the 2026 version of the US. If only there was a vaccine to halt the..."

LOL, that is an important point, Meike. I have said the same thing about American Psycho, which was labeled pornography in a lot of places, including Australia, I think. I would also be concerned if I learned someone was aroused by Ulysses, but really just because that would be weird, not disturbing.

Liam wrote: "I have only just heard the news about the 'banning' of the Sluts in Germany and have been trying to find more information about what exactly has happened. Some reports - in English seem to deny tha..."

No problem, Liam - conveniently, I do hold a degree in law and wrote my thesis about free speech on social media platforms! :-) Someone complained to the Federal Agency for Child and Youth Protection in the Media stating that "The Sluts" is harmful to children and young people. The agency wrote a 66-page document evaluating the complaint and discussing whether the freedom of the arts and/or the protection of youth are threatened and if so, which one takes precedence. The final argument is that "The Sluts" has no "heightened artistic merit" and that it constitutes "violent pronography" - so it was put on the index. The document is such a mess, it took us almost 20 minutes on the podcast to break down the main misguided points, because the interpretation it puts forward is downright absurd.

All in all, this means that the publisher is not allowed to market the book, that it cannot be openly displayed in bookstores or elsewhere where you could possibly purchase it, and that everyone trying to sell it has to make sure that the person purchasing it is older than 18 - so it's banned for people under 18, but effectively unavailable to everyone, because good luck having people send in their ID before buying the book. Luftschacht, the German-language publisher located in Vienna, is a small publisher specializing on experimental works, they had to take the novel off their website. They are now suing, which is also expensive.

Dennis Cooper is of course shocked, he has never been banned anywhere before, the whole interview with him (in English) will be up on Sunday!

Bonnie G. wrote: "Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "I am so sorry to see Germany being dragged down into an underworld that mirrors the 2026 version of the US. If only there was a vacci..."

Haha, yes, it's essentially a self-own to declare that the genital multilation in "The Sluts" is just too arousing for minors! :-) The same with "American Psycho" - Cooper even mentioned Ellis when we talked about book bans!

Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "I am so sorry to see Germany being dragged down into an underworld that mirrors the 2026 version of the US. If only..."

How did I not know that you are also a lawyer? Did I know and forget? Anyway, I would have said you think like a lawyer (a compliment coming from me). One of my good friends just defended her dissertation last spring on aspects of the tension between content moderation and free speech protection. She is also in the EU. The line between trust & safety and repression of speech is so faint.

Bonnie G. wrote: "Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "I am so sorry to see Germany being dragged down into an underworld that mirrors the 2026 version of t..."

Oh, we've talked about this at some point, Bonnie, you forgot! ;-) Your friend probably wrote about the DSA, which was the main subject of my paper- it's such a fascinating topic!

Meike wrote: "Liam wrote: "I have only just heard the news about the 'banning' of the Sluts in Germany and have been trying to find more information about what exactly has happened. Some reports - in English see..."

Thank you for responding so promptly - it both explains and puts things in perspective - that the term pornography should be used in connection with any work by Cooper is as absurd as when the term was applied to Joyce. I think he is one of the few writers of that era who will be read in the future. I don't think of him as a transgressive writer because I hate these pigeon hole descriptions of definitions because they limit how literature is understood and appreciated (I hate equally the 'magic realism' tag applied like salt on all literature coming out of Mexico, central and south america).

Obviously I don't know the situation in Germany but in the UK the number of books sold through purchases in shops is tiny compared to those bought online from shops or direct from publishers or via ebay. Am I to understand that an ebay seller in Germany would have to make sure the purchaser was over 18? There is nothing like that in the UK - certain types material are not sold on ebay in the UK (usually older gay porn and magazines which are considered to be child porn).

I will be following this sad story closely.

Liam wrote: "Meike wrote: "Liam wrote: "I have only just heard the news about the 'banning' of the Sluts in Germany and have been trying to find more information about what exactly has happened. Some reports - ..."

It's a crazy situation! On Amazon, for instance, you can't buy the hardcover of "Die Schlampen" anymore, but the Kindle edition, probably because the Amazon account knows your date of birth (at least the one you stated there, LOL) - but this only goes for German editions, because you can absolutely buy "The Sluts" in every format as long as it is in English. Ebay would be an interesting question, because the question arises whether the platform or the seller has to make sure that the purchaser of a German version is over 18 - someone has to though (it's currently unavailable there).

The publisher, Luftschacht, yesterday underlined that the whole situation mainly affects adults, who are usually the ones reading Cooper and now have troubling getting their hands on the book, or even becoming aware of its existence.

Where does this rumour come from? The neo- Nazis of the twenty-first century have not yet seized power in Germany, a country where "The Sluts" is still perfectly available! This book is not even listed on the youth-protection register. So long as a book doesn't contain politocal insults, defamation or Nazi symbols, there's no reason at all why it should be banned in the Federal Republic of Germany, nor in any German Land (State). The rumour is mere online BS, probably fueled by Cooper's reputation, and by a sense of confusion about by Germany's strict youth protection laws against explicit sexual content, but Cooper's novel doesn't fall into such category.

P.S. I've just checked by logging in to Amazon.de: the book is for sale. There's no indication at all of any German distributor's withdrawal whatsoever. Tschüss! :)

ERIC wrote: "Where does this rumour come from?"

I got the official documents, the publisher has put out an official statement about it, Cooper has put out an official statement, I personally talked to Cooper and e-mailed with the publisher. You are completely ignorant about the case, apparently. And the German hardcover is NOT for sale on Amazon Germany, Frenchman - you can try to get it via third parties, with the restrictions discussed above. And the book cannot be searched on the publisher's site anymore. WTF are you talking about, guy from France? This is blowing up on German Insta, my arguments are easily verifiable.

But thank you for falsely mansplaining the factual and legal situation to me, a journalist who reported on this and holds a law degree. Anyone interested in Cooper's and the publisher's position can listen to our podcast or my interview with Cooper which will be available tomorrow.

Well, all I can say is this.
1. I'm really sorry if I have upset you. I did not mean to.
2. Am I to understand that Frenchman is now an insult? If so, there's another brick in the wall of my education.
3. I stand my ground: I can buy the book off Amazon.de (Amazon in Deutschland), for €15,99, and I can expect it as soon as next Tuesday ( Sept, 29th).
4. I won't say anything further, I know only too well how online exchanges can fast snowball into a slanging match. I don't want any of it. I'm just a peaceful guy who likes books. Have a nice day.

ERIC wrote: "Well, all I can say is this.
1. I'm really sorry if I have upset you. I did not mean to.
2. Am I to understand that Frenchman is now an insult? If so, there's another brick in the wall of my educat..."

Just admit that you are factually wrong about Cooper and his publisher fighting the German authorities, dude! Also: The novel for 15.99 Euro is the English original, but the German translation was banned, as I've explained above - so you're wrong about this also. Yours is such a sad, silly post - you are not sorry, because then you would have been more respectful in the first place ("BS", "rumours", "Tschüss" etc.pp.). Stating that you're a "peaceful guy" and adding some self-righteous "I know how this can escalate" after starting out aggressively and condescendingly in your first two posts and then realizing you're wrong and pretending I'm offended for mysterious reasons is the silliest attempt at gaslighting - and under a review of "The Sluts"! Come on!

Also: Amazon knows where you are, and thus you are able to order something or not - and as I stated above, you can order the original English (which you referred to, although it's not even the book in question) to Germany, but not the translation in hardcover. So regarding the German translation, it matters whether you're in France or Germany, because Amazon can detect that (which I thought was obvious).

But sure, "stand your ground"! *facepalm*

Funny how your Sluts review turned into an interesting thread to read by itself, a meta way to homage the book hahah, hope you get to read the other novels of the Miles cycle, there's only one left for me to read and I'm stalling because he already made me cry with the 4th one, it's a rollercoaster with Cooper, (in other books the HIV/AIDS subject / metaphor gets even more poignant). He's one of my favorite authors, I'm sure he will be remembered as one of the greats of american literature in the future. It's intriguing for me to think he's banned in Germany while he's never been published in Brasil, my country, the most effective way to ban a writer is to never publish them I guess. Lovely review and very useful links, thanks!

M. J. wrote: "Funny how your Sluts review turned into an interesting thread to read by itself, a meta way to homage the book hahah, hope you get to read the other novels of the Miles cycle, there's only one left..."

Oh yes to the (apparently unintentional) meta homage quality of some comments, MJ! :-) "The Sluts" is not part of the George Miles Cycle (although Cooper first intended it to be, then changed his mind), the Cycle is a five-part-project plus a coda, and I read and loved the whole thing, especially "Try". There are also many other, lesser known works by Cooper (like "My Mark") that are stunning - you're so right: It's a shame to keep Cooper's genius a secret by not publishing him, he's really one of the greats!

Greetings to Brasil!!