Rating: 
Summary: Great Read!
Review: Loved all of Stahl's previous books (ok...I just liked "Perv") but this is the BEST! Funny as heck with lots of twists...Hope we'll see Manny and crew again!
Rating: 
Summary: A little cliche and over-ambitious
Review: Other reviews and product descriptions trumpet Stahl's work as contemporary, experimental, and dark. However, the truth is far from that. Stahl tries to compete with masters like Selby and Burroughs, but he just can't cut it. This book is good in some areas but too often drags off into meaningless tangets. I expect something good after a three chapter exposition on irrelevant information, but none is to be found. I never say discard the idea of reading a book just because I don't like it. Try it out, see if you like it--you be the judge.
Rating:
Summary: If you're a Jerry Stahl fan, you will love this book.
Review: Plainclothes Naked brings to life fictional characters who in many aspects resemble real-life characters from Permanent Midnight. Tina seems to be a fictional manifestation of Kitty; Mayor Marge loosely resembles Sandra, and Tony Zank seems to be at least loosely based on Big G. Manny comes across as the autobiographical voice of Stahl, though heavily immersed in fiction. While I don't think this worked well in Perv, these similarities make Plainclothes Naked an especially familiar and enjoyable read for fans of Permanent Midnight. Aside from character similarities, small details throughout the book add to this familiar effect. One example that comes to mind is when, in Permanent Midnight, Stahl writes that the pieces of crack Dita held in her hand resemble chunks of bone left over from a cremation. This insight appears as part of the plot of Plainclothes Naked. Not a crucial part of the story, just an interesting touch.
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious in Places, but Lacking in Discipline
Review: Stahl has a wickedly imaginitive sense of humor. This novel was laugh-out-loud hilarious in spots, but could have been pruned somewhat to make it a better read. With time, and a firmer-handed editor, Stahl could develop into a very good writer.
Rating:
Summary: Hard-Boiled and Well Done !
Review: Stahl's latest is already an underground cult classic ; highly recommended. (no pun intended)!
Rating:
Summary: A fast-paced story packed with especially zany characters
Review: Take a heathy dose of sex, add a world of detectives and killers, and throw in an ounce of politics and you have a fast-paced story packed with especially zany characters and circumstances involving crackheads and an unlikely romance. Stahl's novel is fast-paced.
Rating:
Summary: I've read better.
Review: This wasn't bad, or anything. It was just... very unbelievable. I like unbelievable, but not extremely unbelievable. I didn't have to strain to read it. I just kind of said "huh..." when I was done. After I finished reading Permanent Midnight I said "Wow!" I want more of the wow response, Jerry. No more of this huh stuff. Perv was right in between the two with a "Nice" I don't really know. It just felt like everything had the expectable twists and turns. I mean, I never saw anything coming, but after I read it, I wasn't surprised. There was ONE surprise that caught me off gaurd though. And it was pretty good. When Stahl is good, he absolutely amazes me. When he's not being absolutely smashing, his writing just comes off as blah. Still interesting, but blah at the same time. In retrospect, this book wasn't that bad. I have read FAR worse (the STRAW MEN by Micheal Marshall; it was a "I can't believe I wasted all that time reading that piece of crap" book). Plainclothes Naked was interesting and fun to read. And while I'll still read anything Jerry Stahl puts out, I wouldn't read this for a second time. Permanent Midnight, maybe. But not this. Maybe this should be 3.5. Ehh.
Rating:
Summary: I've read better.
Review: This wasn't bad, or anything. It was just... very unbelievable. I like unbelievable, but not extremely unbelievable. I didn't have to strain to read it. I just kind of said "huh..." when I was done. After I finished reading Permanent Midnight I said "Wow!" I want more of the wow response, Jerry. No more of this huh stuff. Perv was right in between the two with a "Nice" I don't really know. It just felt like everything had the expectable twists and turns. I mean, I never saw anything coming, but after I read it, I wasn't surprised. There was ONE surprise that caught me off gaurd though. And it was pretty good. When Stahl is good, he absolutely amazes me. When he's not being absolutely smashing, his writing just comes off as blah. Still interesting, but blah at the same time. In retrospect, this book wasn't that bad. I have read FAR worse (the STRAW MEN by Micheal Marshall; it was a "I can't believe I wasted all that time reading that piece of crap" book). Plainclothes Naked was interesting and fun to read. And while I'll still read anything Jerry Stahl puts out, I wouldn't read this for a second time. Permanent Midnight, maybe. But not this. Maybe this should be 3.5. Ehh.
Rating: 
Summary: Stahl is still on his way...
Review: to writing a truly great novel. Perv began so wonderfully and lost a little bit toward the end (in my opinion). Stahl has managed to correct that area with Plainclothes Naked, making it a more consistent novel throughout (not that it doesn't have flaws, but in comparison it is much more consistent), and he has also managed to include more of his trademark use of language that makes reading his Details articles so wonderful. Stahl manages to provide an intelligent sense of humor without trying to curry the favor of the literati by talking down to the average reader. He is willing to have fun, and it seems like he is having fun as he writes. That's great to see when you pick up a book for enjoyment. I devoured the book because of his sense of humor and was ready to read more. Whether or not it matches Permanent Midnight I can say, but it certainly looks like Stahl is progressing in his fiction and I can't wait for the next novel to surpass the two before.
Rating:
Summary: Stahl is still on his way...
Review: to writing a truly great novel. Perv began so wonderfully and lost a little bit toward the end (in my opinion). Stahl has managed to correct that area with Plainclothes Naked, making it a more consistent novel throughout (not that it doesn't have flaws, but in comparison it is much more consistent), and he has also managed to include more of his trademark use of language that makes reading his Details articles so wonderful. Stahl manages to provide an intelligent sense of humor without trying to curry the favor of the literati by talking down to the average reader. He is willing to have fun, and it seems like he is having fun as he writes. That's great to see when you pick up a book for enjoyment. I devoured the book because of his sense of humor and was ready to read more. Whether or not it matches Permanent Midnight I can say, but it certainly looks like Stahl is progressing in his fiction and I can't wait for the next novel to surpass the two before.
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