Throat Sprockets

Consider the plight of the nameless narrator in this intriguing novel of dark obsession. A chance viewing of an ``adult'' film called Throat Sprockets transforms his notion of sexuality and, thereby, his identity. From then on his life revolves around this elusive film, his desire to see it again and his lust to share in the passions it records. The narrator's obsession (which may be guessed at from the book's title) is not one that the average reader is likely to share, but first novelist Lucas has more in mind here. The larger issue is the power of film, and it is explored amidst frequently striking images and turns of phrase. Though he is limited to words in describing what is primarily a visual experience, Lucas's implicit proposition-that a director could willfully manipulate his audience to a dire degree-is successfully and somewhat frighteningly supported by the unfolding drama of this novel. The narrator accuses: ``What had been done to me [by the film] had been no accident. It had been nothing less than a conscious and deliberate act of terrorism''; and he is not the lone victim. Lucas allows parody to intrude when he depicts the spreading ``sprocketing'' subculture as the subject of an inflammatory talk show. Rare slips aside, Lucas has created a grippingly twisted tale of a mind and soul ensnared. (Nov.)