Permanent Obscurity is an interesting tale of two drug-addicted artists in New York City, searching for a way to make a living, and escape their mounting creditors, through their art. What do they decide to try? Making pornography, of course! After Serena has a rough experience of her own in the business, she and her best friend (and the book's narrator) Dolores set out to make their own fem-dom fetish video.

Of course, things go progressively wrong for the girls. With a slew of characters after them and very little right going for them, the two girls try to make things work any way they can, up to scamming, stealing, and even gun play. Finally, though, they have their equipment, their script, their actors all lined up. It's time to shoot. Now everything will be okay, right? Right?

This is a gritty look at some of New York City's less glamorous aspects, written with humor and style. With a heavy drug and sex content, it may not be to everyone's liking, but the book stops short of being pornographic in its own right. The writing and format of the book make it an interesting read.

Share/Like this Review?

This book was a wild inner city adventure! I normally don't read these type of books, but then I thought why not I might actually enjoy it. Enjoy it I did! It reminded me of the movie Freeway due to the weirdness of it. When I say weird I mean a fun kind of weird that you don't easily find in books.
Dolores Santana and her best friend Serena Moon are as close as close can be. So when Serena ends up owing money to a lot of different people for her favorite street product Dolores is right by her side ready to help her out no matter what the consequences might be.
Together they come up with the perfect idea to bring in the money and pay off all of Serena's debt. A lot of problems arise and I did actually giggle a couple of times. Steak and slapping need I say more! But the story wasn't all fun and silliness it also had a dark side to it. How could it be weird otherwise! If your looking for something different and not sure what to read, I would recommend this book!

Share/Like this Review?

Facesitting. That's what his book is about. No lie. Well, it's about more than that. Maybe friendship. And betrayal. And BDSM. And Drugs. The story of Permanent Obscurity is the recounting of a "relationship." That being between Dolores and Serena, two drug abusing women (who often behave like teenagers) and get into trouble over drug money. Perez, the author, writes well: something like a cross between Quentin Tarantino and Hunter S. Thompson. Like Tarantino, his narrative is dialogue heavy, much of it sarcastic and loaded with expletives, which might turn off many. It struck me in reading it -- how cinematic it is and how it would make a great film, with one scene wheeling madly into the next, underscoring the characters insane plummet toward disaster. Though the BDSM or "female domination" content may turn a lot of people off, I found it incredibly funny and in many ways original.

Share/Like this Review?

Wow, this book was really entertaining! I'm glad I purchased it -- after Amazon recommended it to me based on my shopping history. Essentially its a tabloid story of two mixed up East Village artists -- or wannabe artists -- who fall in way over their heads. Whats to blame? Drugs. It seems theyve pissed off one to many people with unpaid tabs and now they find themselves in deeper and deeper hot water. They set out to make a female domination movie that will pay back their debt, but these two characters cant seem to do a single thing right -- so just guess how that turns out! And just when you think things cant get any worse -- guess what? They do!

The way the author builds the tension and layers the story is impressive. What makes the book so much fun to read is the vulgar protagonist, Dolores. Shes a mixed up, impulsive, foul-mouthed loose cannon; but her friend Serena may even be worse. Going to the authors website mentioned in the back of the book -- I can see the references to Thelma & Louise and other bad girl movies, like Heavenly Creatures.

Its a big novel -- around 450 pages -- but it reads super fast, and this is largely to do with the writing, which is very simple and reminiscent of the gritty writings of Charles Bukowski. The characters are really well drawn too. And the behavior of these characters is unexpected and pretty wild.

So this book is highly recommended. I just finished it and I already feel like reading parts of it again. A+

Other recent books I recommend? Post Office by Charles Bukowski and The Fuck-Up by Arthur Nersessian.

Share/Like this Review?

I found this book to be a fun and fast read. I found that it sucked me in and I hated to put it down.

I was particularly drawn to the relationship between the 2 main characters, Serena and Dolores...how they had a bond that was so strong and how they loved each other no matter what wrongs, real or perceived, the other had done. Thus, the "Aftermath" (this novel's equivalent of an epilogue) surprised me in some ways but not in others. After reading the Aftermath, it really made me reevaluate how I had viewed Serena during the course of the novel.

Share/Like this Review?

Maybe the best "outsider" book I've read in the last year. The two girls remind of friends of mine in the arts -- who couldn't hold down regular jobs, so did some stripping to make ends meet. Sounds like a desperate thing to do? Have you ever been in the arts? So, instead of dirty dancing, these characters try another scam: the femdom or "female domination" stuff, taking out ads on Craigslist, etc. Why does this book ring so true to life? It's really good. I mean, the characters are realistic so that means that at times, they're repugnant. And the story of the novel is something I enjoyed. In the end, it's less about kink, and more about trying to maintain your integrity in a world that doesn't allow it. I highly recommend it.

Share/Like this Review?

Funny, nasty, and fun. A page turner. I enjoyed the style, and the short chapters. Dolores, the main character, is hilarious but foul-mouthed. I mean, if the "c" word offends you, the "b," the "f" word -- you'll hate it, but actually it's very realistic; I know girls who talk just like this. This is very much a black comedy. Dolores and Serena are losing control of their lives so they promise to make a fetish-type movie ("female domination" movie) to get money, but what this does to their friendship and their lives is what this book is about -- that and the futility of "art." Vulgar book, but if you're unafraid of John Water's style filthiness (harking back to Pink Flamingos) -- then by all means read this novel! A+

Share/Like this Review?

An expletive-heavy black comedy of two down-and-out women, Dolores and Serena, who can't help but get into trouble. The narrator, Dolores (also known as "Crazy D"), rules. The most fun I had reading a book in a long, long while. Others have used the word "entertaining" and I agree. Keep in mind, you need to be okay with dirty language, heavy drug use, and elements of BDSM. But it's meant as satire, not to be taken seriously. I highly recommend this book.

Share/Like this Review?

Easy to read book and fast moving. I enjoyed this story about two girls who decide to make a dirty movie. At first I thought I'd be uncomfortable with the "femdom" stuff, but actually it's not that bad. Rather funny. The whole book is funny, actually -- from Dolores' voice to her relationship with her older boyfriend, Raymond. And what happens when Dolores and Serena finally make the movie has to be read to be believed. Be forewarned: LOTS of cursing, dark humor and drug-taking. I would recommend this to fans of Chuck Palahniuk. "Permanent Obscurity" reads like one of his early novels, especially "Survivor."

Share/Like this Review?

Took me a while to get into, but once I did I couldn't stop reading this wild book. The story is a real blast, about two outcasts, Dolores and Serena, who want no real part of the American dream. Drug abuse seems to cloud their brains, and they enter fetish photography, the find themselves as "filmmakers" trying to make a movie, which leads from one disaster to another. The climax and "aftermath" is wonderful, and I ended up liking the main character, Dolores, even though I hated her in the beginning. Great story.

Share/Like this Review?

It's easy to say that this is a story about two "losers" but I hesitate to say this knowing friends who are very much like the characters in this book, Dolores and Serena. Both have a sense of entitlement (Serena especially). Both over-indulge in drug use and anti-social behavior, and finally go too far in alienating everyone around them. This is a satire, yet the situations and dialogue are very real. But I enjoyed this book a lot. This a great book to bring along on a long trip; it's easy to read. Richard Perez can really write. Not exactly like Bukowski, but Bukowski-influenced, you can tell. The dirty parts are fun.

Share/Like this Review?

Pretty good, actually. I was surprised by how funny this was. I didn't care that it was full of lesbian stuff and kinky and dirty language. Dolores, in particular, cracked me up. I would definitely recommend it.

Share/Like this Review?