Rating: 
Summary: Brite's decline
Review: This book is missing all the things that I loved about her other novels. It lacks the wit of Lost Souls, the passion of Drawing Blood, the shock value (and beautiful writing) of Exquisite Corpse, it even lacks the fresh quality of The Value of X. In fact I have to say that Liquor is rather bland, and doesn't really support Poppy Z. Brite's unflinching writing style. This is the efforts of a rather subdued, mainstream Poppy Z. Brite, though it still is much better then most of the crap on the local B&N's shelves.
Check it out if you're bored and can spare $15.00. If not, I suggest As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann which is passionate, shocking, witty and everthing else I expected this book to be.
I hope that this is only a transgression period and that Brite'll be moving on to better things.
For the boy-love fans out there- you will be let down. Rickey and G-man are barely established as a couple, and they maybe kiss like two times in the book. And it's more like: they kissed. and then some dialogue. Nothing to get excited over.
This is one of those books that New Orleans natives will appreciate. I however am not one, so I feel a little left out. Perhaps if you really like to read about food you'll never get to eat, you'll somehow manage to be impressed.
Don't get me wrong, I'll still read the sequel. But now I know better then to get excited over it.
Rating: 
Summary: Love and liquor
Review: This is a great, fun summer read! If you're heading to a city (such as New Orleans, London, Paris, Shanghai etc) known for its great dining, this'll surely inspire you to find the best your destination has to offer--if you can tear yourself away from reading the book long enough to leave your motel room or poolside chair, that is.All of Poppy's novels (although I didn't read the Crow one, I admit) seem to me to be about loyalty and trust, no matter what their nominal trappings. Generally, they're about soul-mates, such as Rickey and G-man in this book, who are beset by outside forces that are attempting to rip them apart. In her previous work the outside forces were occasionally supernatural, but in Liquor any gothic (with a small g) tropes are dropped, leaving only the good hearted, easy-going naturalism that's always been an intrinsic part of Poppy's style. If I had to compare the style of this book to someone I'd say it reminds me of Philip Roth's first few Zuckerman books, which surprises some people--but I think it's apt. Both Poppy and Roth are concerned with the vagaries of the human heart, both have a strong sense of place (New Orleans and Newark respectively). Both create scenes that are peopled with quirky, but believable, characters. Both Brite and Roth are supreme moralists who have occasionally used extremes to get their points across. Anyway, Poppy's always had a flair for heroes you could actually imagine yourself hanging out with, and having worked in the restaurant world (as a dishdog, prep cook, and waiter) for almost twenty years, I can tell you Rickey and G-Man are two guys I can easily imagine hanging out with after work. Poppy's got the restaurant world, the cadence, rhythms, joys and pains down completely. My one (minor) quibble with the book is that I feel like it could do with less of that sort of protagonist/antagonist conflict that I mentioned earlier. Rickey and G-man are such amiable, entertaining chaps that I'd enjoy watching them live their day to day lives as they try to open their restaurant rather than doing battle with the standard immoral outside force (in this case personified mainly by Mike, the former boss.) I admit I'd like to see Poppy really take the safety net down and write a novel without a traditional plot structure. In fact, one of my favorite stories of hers, "Are You Loathsome Tonight" is a sort of masterpiece of avant pop. It appears from reading her blog, though, that Liquor is just one piece of a Faulknerian multigenerational meganovel--so I should probably hold off any more thoughts on structure until the Stubbs family chronicles are all completed. But all this lit crit b.s. of mine aside, Liquor is an affable, funny, warm, and touching work. But be warned--it will make you hungry!
Rating: 
Summary: a genuine new orleans experience
Review: this is the first poppy z brite novel that i have read and i really have to say that this was a great read. i love novels that are not complicated and that tell a story rather than read a book that requires a lot of reading between the lines. she introduces her two main characters, rickey and g-man, as two line cooks from the other side of the tracks in new orleans. the two are a couple and seem to love each other very deeply, plus i like the fact that she did not make their sexual orientation a major issue in the novel. with regards for the story their orientation is just part of their characters and does not play any major role in the story. while reading, i never saw them act any different than any other person in the novel. to me they did not stand out b/c of their sexual orientation, rather they stood out b/c of their personality. having been to new orleans once, i was able to tell that both of them were regular folks with the famous new orleans charm. the language in the book fits the locale, but then why should it not, the author lives in new orleans. the story is about these two guys who work dead end cooking jobs all over new orleans. they have no money, or a car and struggle to make rent every month. one day rickey has an epiphany that they should open up their own restaurant and the gimmick for the restaurant will involve every dish containing some sort of alchol. a wealthy restaurant owner catches wind of the idea and comes forth with the money needed to finance their dream. lenny is his name, i really like this character b/c the author has not made him a schemer back stabber trying to take advantage of the two's dream. he is like a restaurant fairy god father for the two and in the end turns out to be a relly great guy. another character in the book is mike mouton. he is atrocious. a former boss of rickey with a bad cocaine addiction who really hates rickey, while also harboring sever psychological problems. there is a tie between his family and the building liquor is being housed in. all in all this is a very well written book and has a very good and flowing story to it. the characters are well developed and the reader really gets a sense of the life of a cook and the type of people found in new orleans. this is a very fast read and keeps your attention the whole time. thank you to entertainment weekly for doing a profile on poppy z brite or else i never would have picked up the book.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful read!
Review: Unlike most of the reviewers here, I'd never read Poppy Brite's earlier work -- not really my kind of thing. But LIQUOR certainly is. I loved reading about the details of cooks' lives, what it's like to be a NOLA native, all of it. I especially liked Rickey and G-Man's relationship: matter-of-fact, understated, but crucial. I can't wait to read more about these characters and their world. I want recipes, too!!!
Rating:
Summary: I just can't get enough.....
Review: What can I say that has not been said before? Probably nothing. I love this book. I devoured the whole thing in one night. I love how she just gets this city. Not many people can capture it this way. Many have tried and failed. These characters are my favorites. This was my first time meeting them. I like that they are not overly sexual. That's not what the book is about. They are beautifully human. After reading Liquor, I felt like I spent a few hours catching up with two very good friends. I will enjoy reading more about them. If you have not read this yet, what are you waiting for? How was this for a stellar review?
Rating:
Summary: Why do you read?
Review: Why do you read a particular author? Is it because of the subject matter they write about? If so that begs the question would you read any old rubbish they wrote as long as it was about Vampires? I read Poppys books because I love her writing, the words flow and the story draws you in...no matter what the story is about. Just read it and make your own mind up.
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