The Serial Killer''s Diet Book

By Kevin Postupack

THE definitive version of this literary satire, newly revised for 2015 FRED ORBIS is fat, very fat, and he wants to be thin. 
He wants to be someone else. In his eyes he is Federico Orbisini,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 193075406X
• ISBN13: 9781930754065
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: Durban House Pub Co Inc
• Length: 285 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.8" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Tour de force!

In the spirit of Rabelais, yes! The Serial Killer's Diet Book has scholarship, philosophy, intellectual inquiry, and spiritual yearning, but also boundless entertainment, with the compelling plot of a mystery-thriller, all-too-human characters, and lots of humor! One moment you are ruminating on the existence of God and the soul, the next you are laughing out loud at Devon DeGroot's detectives as they search fo the "Cold-Cut Killer." A social satire, the SKDB is also a profound inquiry into morals and meaning, in a world that at times seems meaningless and absurd. Historical and literary references abound, as we follow Fred Orbis (truly one of the great characters in literature), in his determined yet misguided effort to be thin.The book itself takes the form of a string quartet--four separate voices/groups of characters, like four instruments, each separate, yet joining with each other to create the piece of music as a whole. The beautiful poetry of the Elizabeth sections; the Rabelaisian hyperbole of Fred Orbis; the dark philosophy of Darby/Philep; the high comedy of Devon DeGroot, the four sections alternating in an ABCD pattern throughout the novel. (Michael Cunningham's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Hours only alternated three sections!) The plays on words, allusions, the homage to Joyce and Finnegan's Wake (the marvelous chapter where a pivotal clue is written in "Finnegans Wakean," and can only be solved by the rumpled former scholar who took to drink and lives in an alley off Seventh and Bleecker. And the poignant passage, beautifully Shakespearean, in which Fred Orbis questions the value of a soul).This is a novel that takes chances, and delivers, and in Kevin Postupack we have found our Rabelais. The Serial Killer's Diet Book is a tour de force, and Kevin Postupack is an author to be reckoned with.

This is a must-read!

Kevin Postupack is an inspired author and it truly comes through in his prose. The Serial Killer's Diet Book is so rich, one could use it to study human behavior, history, philosophy, or spirituality. But despite the abundant opportunities to learn, the reader can opt to relax and enjoy the story if that is his or her preferred style. This book is engaging and easy to read. Postupack's character development is beyond compare and you'll find yourself instantly invested in the characters. I would recommend this for avid readers and casual readers alike. Enjoy!

Wow!!

This novel walks a tightrope between Heller and Hemingway. There is a gritty realism - for example, the stoic suffering of Elizabeth, the poet/ maid - on the one hand, and a joyful surrealism - the DeGroot intuitive detective character - on the other. Postupack is effective in both realms. He can identify both the suffering and human condition (in the beautiful prose passages of Elzabeth's character, perhaps the best writing in the novel), and the irony of corporate culture in the context of Good vs. Evil (in Orbis' & DeGroot's characters). There are certainly plenty of references and nods to the great works of the past 2000 years, but the references never get in the way of the storyline. This novel is a one-day read and two-day discussion. In short, enjoy this novel for its quick-paced, ironic thriller feel, but appreciate it for its scholarship, prose, depth, and message.

A Masterpiece

A brilliantly written book. Highly amusing. I immediately became immersed in the lives of the diverse characters. When I finished the book these are the words that came to mind in describing it: gripping, clever, hilarious, rich, beautiful, poetic, vivid and apt. Fred Orbis is fabulous.

The Serial Killer's Diet Book

Well written with a wonderful sprinkling of satire. Kevin's research is evident in the correctness of included items. It is a definite page turner. It is refreshing to see new authors with Kevin's ability being recognized and published. Hopefully more works by this author are on the horizon.