Synopsis
Shortlisted for the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction
'An instant classic' - The Guardian
I’ve never eaten a person but today I might . . .
A queer and dangerously hungry mountain lion lives in the drought-devastated land under the Hollywood sign, overlooking the city that humans call ‘ellay’.
Lonely and fascinated by humanity’s foibles, the lion spends their days grappling with the complexities of their own identity, and ultimately the question: Do they want to eat a person, or become one?
'A bloody masterpiece.' - Melissa Broder, author of The Pisces
'Witty, emotional and gripping, Open Throat is a short but savage thrill ride' - The Independent
'Open Throat is Bret Easton Ellis meets mountain lion in the Hollywood Hills . . . it already has people talking' - The Sunday Times
Details
Reviews
“Open Throat is a blinding spotlight beam of a book that I was completely unable and unwilling to put down. I am not convinced Henry Hoke isn’t a mountain lion.”Catherine Lacey, author of Pew
“A mountain cougar’s glimpses of LA (‘ellay’). Loved this tale of loneliness, longing and gore in the Hills.”James Cahill, author of Tiepolo Blue
“Henry Hoke’s narrator is the most credible animal witness to human behavior since Robert Bresson’s Balthazar. Original, fun and completely awakening, Open Throat is a devastating portrait of LA today.”Chris Kraus, author of I Love Dick
“Open Throat strikes the perfect balance of humor and trauma, creating an encapsulating read that interrogates the complexities of gender identity and a world marked by climate change.”Michael Welch, Chicago Review of Books
