Zudd: No Bargain in Debasement
Alan Grossberg
Piera Press (2007)
ISBN 9780977956142
Reviewed by Tyler R. Tichelaar for Reader Views (8/08)
Catherine Harlow has a sexual appetite, and she also is ambitious in other ways, but sometimes sex gets in her way from making rational decisions. Catherine is intelligent and she has a great job, but what has come to control her life is her frustration that she has never been able to have an orgasm. In her quest for this pleasure, she loses control over her sexual appetites and her reason, making her unable to have a normal relationship with a man.
Catherine soon becomes involved with several different men, including her much older, multi-millionaire boss, Harrison Foote III, Tom, a Welshman who is the most decent of her lovers but unable to give her an orgasm, and Homer Zudd, who lives in the basement and has strange sado-masochistic passions. All of these men want Catherine and she is apparently willing to give herself to all of them in her quest for sexual gratification.
While the novel is named for Homer Zudd, Catherine is really the main character. What I found compelling and fascinating was that Catherine could rationally find reasons to be with all men. Her indecisiveness and her sexual hunger provided an interesting portrayal into someone who seemed sexually addicted and unable always to control herself. While the men in the novel were all smitten with Catherine, only Zudd ever seemed really out of control—and even he did not lose control in his passion since he had his own reasons to want Catherine that went beyond sex.
In some ways, Zudd seemed a bit stereotypical—the crazy person who lived in the basement—but Zudd’s craziness I found to be fascinating. He believes he can use Catherine to help him breed a superhuman race. It was almost like a madman scheme from a comic book, yet I found him convincing as a character.
Without giving away the plot, I will say the novel culminates in some violence, which when the book was first written in 1976 was perhaps more shocking than it is today. The novel is set in New York, and destruction of the city is threatened in the novel, and the city is also violent and immoral. What may have been unthinkable back in 1976 is today too likely after the events of 9/11. I think Alan Grossberg will probably hit a real chord with this novel.
While some women may find Catherine’s character belittling to women, the truth of the matter is that there are sexual addicts out there who make bad decisions because they cannot handle their cravings. I read the book and Catherine’s relationship with Zudd especially as an example of what can happen when a person does not control her or his desires. The borderline into insanity or an inability from stopping oneself from what is wrong or just not healthy is not that hard to cross.
I think anyone who enjoys a lot of action and erotic love scenes, with a little sado-masochism on the side—in other words, a mature and not easily offended reader—will enjoy “Zudd” by Alan Grossberg. I personally found the character portrayals well-developed, which for me was the strong point of the novel. Female readers may find Catherine offensive, but I think male readers will simply find the novel entertaining.
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (7/07)
This novel, “Zudd: No Bargain in Debasement,” was actually written by Alan Grossberg in 1976, accepted for publication and never published until now. It is the third novel that he has written while living the life of a nomad as an expatriate in Europe and now in a motor-home in California. I had mixed feelings while reading this book because of the debasement aspect. Before I get into the description of the book I will define the word debasement by using the on-line dictionary’s definition. The word debasement means to lower in character, quality, or value; degrade. Changing to a lower state, a less-respected state. Therein lays the basis of this story.
The story is about Catherine Harlow, who works for a huge conglomerate in New York City. Several months prior, she was mysteriously promoted and relocated to this position where her work requires minimal effort and a great compensation package. She appears to have it all -- beauty, brains and a great job, but she is frustrated because she has never been able to achieve an orgasm. To accomplish this she will go to great lengths and end up completely debasing herself in the process.
As the story unfolds, New York City is gripped in an environmental disaster as an oil tanker gets stuck in the Bay and is leaking oil into the water. This was a sideline in the story and I was little disappointed that more was not written about this. This was probably due to the self-absorption of the players in the story. In Catherine’s quest to achieve an orgasm, she gets involved with three men. The first one is the most likable, an Englishman, Tom Hutchins. He works for Catherine’s company and has been dating her for awhile. He is unable to help her achieve her goal and both become quickly frustrated. Even though he is frustrated, he is convinced that Catherine is the one for him and pursues her to marry him.
The second man vying for Catherine’s love is married, seventy-three year old billionaire Harrison Foote, III, owner of the company that Catherine works for. He is also an accomplished artist who convinces Catherine to pose for him where he seduces her in his penthouse.
The third person that Catherine falls for is the illegitimate son and janitor of Foote Industries, Homer Zudd. He lives in the basement of the building and has a strange collection of toys and rituals.
Both Harrison and Homer have decided to cheat death in different ways. Harrison has bought into a Cryogenics company and plans to be frozen and Homer has built up his resistance by feeding every chemical and poison into it.
“Zudd: No Bargain in Debasement,” takes on many bizarre twists, and just when you think that Catherine will not sink any lower, she does. I had a hard time warming up to the characters, especially Catherine, and was frustrated by her behavior on more than one occasion.
