Gerald's Party

The latest work by the author of The Public Burning is a less-than-inspired story. It is set during the course of a single evening, at a party given by a fellow named Gerald. The guests, a curious lot, include a frustrated artist, a young lady determined to discover the joys of sex, a retired couple who are devoted tourists, and a kittenish actress who is found stabbed to death on the living room floor. Before the end of this seemingly interminable evening, three more guests lose their lives and several others are wounded in various ways. As his wife (apparently oblivious to the violence that is soaking her home and guests with blood) serves a steady stream of hors d'oeuvres, Gerald flirts with an attractive woman and recalls his past sexual exploits, especially with the dead actress. Fragments of conversation reveal the guests' views on love, life and theater. Despite occasional flashes of wit, Coover's nightmarish tale amounts to very little. January 102