"A memorable feast... powerful, chilling, moving... extraordinary" from the bestselling author of
City of Night and
The Sexual Outlaw (
Los Angeles Times).
An exceptional novel from the bestselling author of the modern classic
City of Night,
Bodies and Souls is a portrait of modern Los Angeles on an epic scale, "the most spiritual and physical of cities." Gorgeous, seedy, and striving, the Los Angeles of Rechy's imagination is a magnetic city that draws to it the nation's brightest and darkest energies-characters that include a female porn superstar; a young Chicano punk-rock fan; a Bel Air matron and her tyrannical husband, a Supreme Court judge; an aging male stripper; a black maid with apocalyptic visions; and a cynical TV anchorwoman. Through this rich tapestry of human struggle, Rechy paints a lush portrait of a paradise lost but also a heroic odyssey in search of redemption.
"Masterful... one of the most important novels of the year." -
Dallas Times Herald
"There's so much energy, ambition, and humor in
Bodies and Souls that the phrase 'scarred beauty' might well describe the novel." -
The New York Times Book Review
"Brilliant portraits of modern lives... superb." -
San Francisco Chronicle
"Rechy is very good at evoking the seamier side of the streets, and he is masterful in funny, graphic sex scenes." -
Publishers Weekly