Paula Bomer
Soho Press
27 May 2025
256
eBook - PDF
Fiction
ARC via Edelweiss
Robert Doughten Savile, aka “Doughty,” is the son of a once-wealthy, now hard-up family from Darien, Connecticut. Doughty lives in a perpetual cloud of delusion, convinced of his own genius and certain that the wealth and high status that he believes to be his birthright are just around the corner. While he has little capacity to accurately assess his own abilities or prospects, he cruises through life on the sheer force of his own sense of entitlement, dropping out of college and landing in the early ’90s in New York City, a place brimming with both prosperity and desperation.
He cons his way from a bed at the YMCA into the posh Soho loft of a middle-aged book editor, while pursuing a young bartender, whom he also abuses and gaslights. He spins elaborate tales about his imaginary high-power job in real estate while, in reality, he passes his days watching George Carlin specials on VHS, smoking crack in Tompkins Square Park, and engaging in occasional sex work in the restrooms of Grand Central Station. His many failures, however, only serve to sharpen his one true gift: Doughty is a skilled predator, and the damage he inflicts on the women around him is real and remorseless.
If you have read American Psycho you will have an idea of what to expect from The Stalker; although, Doughty is far more inept than Bateman in many ways. We follow him as he spirals into every deeper depravity and delusion, leaving devastation in his wake. Yes, this is essentially a very black comedy, but at the same time it highlights a lot of issues and difficult themes that are no less real for being exaggerated in this tale. It will not be a work that appeals to everyone, as you do need to be able to step back emotionally from what is going on, but as a general rule of thumb, if you were okay with American Psycho you will find this book interesting too, but if you couldn't stomach the former, this one might not be the right read for you. Overall, I thought it was a well-paced tale that held my interest and sparked thought despite being a fairly easy, quick read. I am giving it 4 stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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