From Powells.com
"Compo glides back into the main story with skill, and from there it becomes a swirl of action. The country singer hits it big and runs off with a girl from the band Glee Club, the Tupperware guy hits on Giselle, and a pair of kidnappers ironically find themselves in possession of a willing hostage. Compo's story gets away from her at times, and characters sometimes disappear in the thread of subplots, but Compo's talent is conveying the smart, sassy side of her leading ladies." Kevin Sampsell, Powells.com (Click here to read the entire Powells.com review)
Synopses & Reviews
Booklist called Susan Compo smart, sassy, and tough, while
Publishers Weekly praised her witty, unflinching prose. Compos narrative voice satirical and allusive has been compared to Dorothy Parkers; her characters display the same irresistible combination of smartass wit, despair, and whistling-in-the-dark bravado. Following two highly regarded story collections, Susan Compos first novel takes a sharp-eyed look at LA's culture industry.
Giselle Entwistle has her hands full with her roster of demanding show-business clients. Theres Adon, struggling to make the transition from teen idol to mature star with the aid of a goatee. Theres would-be rock impresario Hedda Hophead, aggressive as junk mail and just as relentless. Theres country singer Len Tingle, whose career has as many ups and downs as his love affair with Giselle; and Tupperware demonstrator extraordinaire Troy Harder, a living legend in food storage, who Giselle fears might want to plastic-wrap her. Not to mention child prodigy belter Frances Culligan, who seems to have disappeared.
And then theres Pandra, whose haunting memoir of growing up in suburban Orange County and coming of age in '70s glitter-era Los Angeles (platform boots, Rodneys English Disco, The Real Don Steele Show, David Bowie clones) forms a book within this book. Giselle hopes to get Pandras story published, but it does bring up this little matter of a possible murder in Pandras past.
Review
"Determined to introduce a syncopated new lingo, short story writer Susan Compo trips over her tongue in Pretty Things, her klutzy, madcap first novel. Giselle Entwhistle, agent to the stars, appears 'streaked in chenille' and sets out to make money for her clients a motley group including former rock-and-roll hotshot Pandra, who may or may not be involved in a murder. Compo's contrived phrasings sometimes hit the mark, but more often they ricochet out of control."
Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
Booklist called Susan Compo "smart, sassy, and tough," while Publishers Weekly praised her "witty, unflinching prose." Following two highly regarded story collections, Susan Compo's first novel takes a sharp-eyed look at LA's culture industry. Giselle Entwistle has her hands full with her roster of demanding show-business clients. There's Adon, struggling to make the transition from teen idol to mature star with the aid of a goatee. There's would-be rock impresario Hedda Hophead, "aggressive as junk mail and just as relentless." There's country singer Len Tingle, whose career has as many ups and downs as his love affair with Giselle; and Tupperware demonstrator extraordinaire Troy Harder, "a living legend in food storage," who Giselle fears might want to plastic-wrap her. Not to mention child prodigy belter Frances Culligan, who seems to have disappeared. And then there's Pandra, whose haunting memoir of growing up in suburban Orange County and coming of age in '70s glitter-era Los Angeles (platform boots, Rodney's English Disco, The Real Don Steele Show, David Bowie clones) forms a book within this book. Giselle hopes to get Pandra's story published, but it does bring up this little matter of a possible murder in Pandra's past . . .
Synopsis
Booklist called Susan Compo smart, sassy, and tough,” while Publishers Weekly praised her witty, unflinching prose.” Compos narrative voicesatirical and allusivehas been compared to Dorothy Parkers, and her characters display the same irresistible blend of smart-ass wit, despair, and whistling-in-the-dark bravado. Pretty Things offers both a sparkling portrait of a talent agent juggling the interests of her oddball clients, and a haunting memoir of growing up in suburban Orange County and coming of age in 1970s glitter-era Los Angeles. No one writes prose like Susan Compo. Shes a complete Los -Angeles originalelegant, wistful, funny?.?.?. and not to be missed.”Sandra Tsing Loh
About the Author
Susan Compo is the author of two collections of stories, Life After Death and Malingering. She lives in Los Angeles, and teaches in the Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California.