Gothic by Philip Fracassi

​There have been many of tales about author (or any creative types, really) finding inspiration in the most peculiar (dark, scary) places. This one got a desk for a muse. Not just any desk, of course. An antique grotesque with terrible bloody history to it. You know, just the sort of gift one might expect from a loved one with more money than sense. Madness ensues…
So, how meta is it when a genre writer writes of a genre writer? Some?
Both are men in their 50s, but Fracassi’s star seems to be ascending while his protagonist’s, Tyson’s, has been on a steady downward spiral for years. When we meet Tyson, he’s in the process of sabotaging his last chance at redemption by risking a deal with Morrow.
But on the flip side, Tyson is a nice guy. Something of an old-fashioned flabby sad sack, but a devoted dad, a loving partner, a good friend, etc.
And then his girlfriend decides to replace the desk he’s had since college and had written all his bestsellers at, with a 25K monstrosity. And Tyson immediately gets possessed by his new possession; his entire personality switch flips, and now he’s a total ass. Obnoxious, rude, volent ass. This is the guy you’re stuck with for the rest of the novel.
But then, there is so plenty going on around Tyson. From a mysterious femme fatale coming after his precious desk to reboarding the rollercoaster of fame and fortune to the way it all affects his relationships. And at the center of it all is one freakishly terrifying desk.
There will be blood. It’s only a matter of time.
So did Fracassi succeed at writing a genuinely terrifying tale about a man desperately trying to write genuinely terrifying tales? Well, he comes close.
The writing itself is somewhat uneven, peculiarly so because when it’s good it’s really good, but then there are weird repetitions, relays, all-over-the-place pacing and tonal switches. Sometimes it varies between near amateurish name-dropping fanboy glee and solid literary frightfest. It’s entirely possible some of it is due to this being an ARC, but it reads perfectly finished otherwise.
But the sustained darkness of the overall plot and the mood are solid. As is the character writing. The book absolutely succeeds at drawing the reader into its nightmare and holding them there. I read the entire thing in one morning/afternoon, which is no small task given the book’s size (400 pages), so that alone speaks volumes of it. There’s definitely something about the way it all unfolds even though you know (you know) where it’s going and then that positively theatrical/cinematic denouncement. Very nice. So I’m rounding up my rating.
Fracassi as a career screenwriter is, of course, no stranger to cinematic writing. What’s funny is that his screenwriting work was featured by Disney and Lifetime. Read this book, then think about that fact. It’s freaking hilarious.
Overall, interesting, compelling, and worth checking out. Recommended for fans of dark fiction. Thanks Netgalley.