Frisk is a 1991 novel by

Dennis Cooper Dennis Cooper (born January 10, 1953) is an American novelist, poet, critic, editor and performance artist. He is best known for the ''George Miles Cycle'', a series of five semi-autobiographical novels published between 1989 and 2000 and describ ...

. In 1995, the book was made into a film of the same name directed by

Todd Verow Todd Verow (born November 11, 1966) is an American film director who resides in New York City. He attended the Rhode Island School of Design and the AFI Conservatory. With his creative partner James Derek Dwyer, he formed Bangor Films in 1995. ...

Plot summary

Frisk is narrated by Dennis, who had a troubled childhood. In 1969, aged 13, he was regularly allowed to read pornographic magazines and was particularly affected by snuff pornography, but he later learns that the pictures were faked. He recognises that Henry, now aged 17, was the 13/14-year-old boy portrayed in the pictures. Dennis is gay and a drug-taker and is devastated when his boyfriend Julian leaves him to go to France. Dennis takes up with Julian's younger brother Kevin. The boy is psychologically troubled, yet 18-year-old Dennis involves him in drugs and starts a sexual relationship. In 1989, Julian receives a letter from Dennis describing how he embarked on a sadistic killing spree in Amsterdam. The descriptions in the letter are explicit and the torture and

sadism Sadism may refer to: * Sadomasochism, the giving or receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation * Sadistic personality disorder, an obsolete term proposed for individuals who derive pleasure from the s ...

are described in graphic terms. Dennis initially moved to Europe in search of Julian but ended up staying in Holland where he met two Germans, and, after telling them of his first two murders, joined forces with them to commit a series of random, motiveless murders. One of the most recent victims was an 11-year-old boy, whom they tortured before mutilating and murdering in Dennis’ home, a converted windmill, two weeks before the letter was written. Julian travels to Amsterdam with Kevin to find out if the murders in the letters are true or just a cruel fantasy. 1991 American novels Novels with gay themes American novels adapted into films 1990s LGBT novels American LGBT novels Novels set in Amsterdam Novels about serial killers {{1990s-LGBT-novel-stub