A book a day: Edward Lee: Bighead

Original title: The Bighead

Translation: Rosemary Thorne

Year of publication: 1997

Valuation: Disappointing (although enjoyable in its own way)

And although I found it to be an enjoyable novel, which despite its not inconsiderable length can be read in one breath, has a very attractive, uncomplexed feel (in terms of style, structure and plot), overflows with a healthy bad temper and is extremely bloody, it leaves me a bitter aftertaste because there are many pages left over.

Furthermore, in my opinion it could have been edited in such a way that the whole would improve without losing its aura of spontaneity and self-confidence. And it is clear that Edward Lee did not plan almost anything when writing, nor did he bother to correct the final result too much. He resolves several of the mysteries he initially establishes in an abrupt and anticlimactic manner, as if upon reaching the climax he suddenly remembered them and was in a hurry to close them in any way. To this we must add that the protagonists lack depth, despite the excessive focus given to them, and that the development of their interactions is not always convincing. Likewise, I would reproach Bighead that the violent or sexual scenes do not go “in crescendo”, so, despite always being harsh and explicit, they quickly overwhelm the reader, who soon acclimatizes to them; To make matters worse, they are often wasted on irrelevant characters, when the logical thing would be to reserve the most impressive ones for the leading cast. And I cannot fail to mention the reiterations of ideas, which aim to introduce seeds to the reader but which, given their assiduousness, end up bothering them and even insulting their intelligence.

But what is it about? Bighead? Well, from an abomination that bears that name, which loves to pierce its victims with its gigantic member and eat their brains. This monster (urban legend, human fruit of inbreeding, deformed mutant or supernatural entity?) wreaks havoc in the woods of Virginia and slowly but inexorably approaches our heroes (a young woman who feels nothing during penetration, a reporter nymphomaniac and a mature, cunning and foul-mouthed priest). There is also another threat on the loose: a couple of “redneck hillbilies” who go around raping, torturing and murdering the gang, led by the brutal Balls.

Little more to add. Bihead It is a festival of bad taste with swearing, gore, sex, rape, American rednecks and sadistic, depraved and very, very bastard villains. While it is enjoyable (well, only if this is your thing), it leaves an overwhelming feeling of wasted potential. I wish there was a version that was just as transgressive, filthy, caustic and uncomplexed, but a little more refined, which did not have too many pages, which handled its characters better and knew how to properly escalate its abundant violence; Oh, and let it go crazy but in a good way, not with that artificial and insipid chaos that the climax of the original gives us.