Well, I Asked for It: The Lunchtime Gross-Out

A few weeks ago, I purchased the book "Slither" by Edward Lee. (It has nothing to do w/ the movie by the same title). The basic premise is giant trichinosis worms (you know, the ones that make you sick when you eat undercooked pork?). They didn't elaborate on the back cover, and I guess I needn't either; it kinda writes itself.

Anyway, there's blurbs all OVER this book about what a graphically violent outlaw writer Edward Lee is. *Pfah!*, think I. I can handle this. Decapatations? Chowing zombies? Brain splattering head shots? Disembowelments? BRING 'EM ON! There's very little that gets to me in most horror fiction, written or visual. Castration & anything involving arachnids seem to be the ones that usually creep me out. So I figuired the authors of these blurbs are a bunch of pussies. And I proceed to start the book this afternoon, where I do most of my reading these days:

Over lunch.

I am pretty proud of the fact that I made a game effort and finished more than 3/4 of my sandwich, and nearly all the fries, but I could not bring myself to finish it. There was a scene in the book involving larval worms and a woman's reproductive organs, and a sex act (& no, it's NOT the obvious one that you're thinking) that grossed even jaded, gore-hound ol' me right the fuck out. The thought of actually chewing the meat in that last mouthful of corned beef/pastrami combo absolutely revolted me, and I had to put it down.

Can't say I wasn't warned, I guess. Anyone else have a similar experience?

Our genitalia are something we value highly. Fucking them up fucks us up; we feel like less of a man w/o intact reproductive organs. I assume the same is true of women. Violation of a sexual nature is also very terrifying, for both sexes. It's an easy, albeit effective way to get our attention.

I'm not sure at this point where Lee falls on this score. This is the 1st of his book s I've attempted reading. I'll reserve final judgment until I'm finished. But, as with films, the gore potential certainly got my attention. Let's see if he holds it.

Drifting off topic just a hair, I had to share this: last night, my wife & I are sitting on the couch. She's watching TV & I'm reading Slither. The paperback edition I have has a hot young woman, monochromed in shades of purple, w/ what can be interpreted as a look of sexual arousal on the visible bottom half of her face, entwined w/ one of the giant worms wrapped around her torso (concealing, unfortunatly, all the naughty bits). My wife looks at the cover & says: "YOU'RE reading a romance novel?!"

I hold the book out & say "Look closer." She does, & despite the presence of the worm, says "It still looks like a romance novel to me." "So far", I reply, "it's been the furthest thing from." I then told her something in the book had grossed me out to the point I couldn't finish my lunch. I spared her the details, but she did say this was a good sign, that there was SOMETHING in the world that could gross me out. Not being a horror fan, I think she finds it vaguely disquieting that I not only am not affected much by gore & violence, but actually kinda enjoy it. . .

I didn't read the whole book, but a friend of mine who did had me read that scene. I was like 17 or 18 at the time, and as avowed a gorehound back then as I am now. Even then, I thought that scene was MONDO fucked up. He was reading it just because NOW was trying to ban it, and he didn't like the idea of ANYONE telling anyone else what they can & cannot read. When he finished it, he told me it was actually an artistically worthy book, w/ some trenchant social commentary. Only having read select scenes - like the rat scene - I couldn't see how that could be true. It looked like BEE was just going for the over the top violent gross out. I declined to read the book.

Years later I saw the film, and finally, in 15 or so years of historical prespective, understood the social commentary a little better. I now regret not reading this. Maybe I'll look for it.

Besides, the other select scene I read was the one where he kills the little kid in the zoo. That had to be one of the creepiest things I'd ever read, due mainly to his total lack of emotion or remorse about the whole thing. THAT'S worthy horror, social commentary aside.