Zeroville

Get in the xigxag app
Already purchased

Click to open directly in the xigxag app.

This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book. Pre-order Buy Now €{{ price }} Send as a gift

Listen to a sample

What to expect

On the same August day in 1969 that a crazed hippie "family" led by Charles Manson commits five savage murders in the canyons above Los Angeles, a young ex-communicated seminarian arrives with images of Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift—"the two most beautiful people in the history of the movies"—tattooed on his head. At once childlike and violent, Vikar is not a cineaste but "cineautistic," sleeping at night in the Roosevelt Hotel where he's haunted by the ghost of D. W. Griffith. Vikar has stepped into the vortex of a culture in upheaval: strange drugs that frighten him, a strange sexuality that consumes him, a strange music he doesn't understand. Over the course of the seventies and into the eighties, he pursues his obsession with film from one screening to the next and through a series of cinema-besotted conversations and encounters with starlets, burglars, guerrillas, escorts, teenage punks, and veteran film editors, only to discover a secret whose clues lie in every film ever made.

Critics Review

“Erickson pours his encyclopedic knowledge of
1970s Hollywood into this funny, unnervingly surreal page-turner…Every page
will set off fireworks in any movie lover’s head.”

Newsweek

“Erickson’s best…Terse, fanciful, dreamlike, and sometimes nightmarish, [a] remarkable novel.”

New York Times Book Review

Zeroville
is about the nitty-gritty mysteries of the artistic process and…the evolution
of an enthusiast into an artist.”

Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Erickson has challenged readers with a fiercely
intelligent and surprisingly sensual brand of American surrealism…Zeroville is funny, sad, and darkly
beautiful.”

Washington Post Book World

“Erickson’s literary technique impresses…Zeroville
also has enough compelling intrigue to keep a reader pleased and puzzled.”

Times Literary Supplement

“God I love this book…a feral and entertaining ride with
cultural references, quirky koans, and a few surreal pit stops.”

Philadelphia Inquirer

“Darkly funny, wise…[a]
brilliant, often hilarious love song to film.”

Publishers Weekly

“Although cineasts are the obvious audience for this atmospheric novel
(it contains literally hundreds of references to obscure and classic
films), others may find themselves falling under its spell, for its
effect is much like that of a strange but very beautiful art film.”

Booklist

About xigxag

Experience the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed for seamless discovery, purchase, and enjoyment of your favorite titles. Our flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less, providing affordable prices and the best audiobook deals without requiring a subscription. Perfect for gifting, xigxag also features convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.

 

Beyond the listening experience, xigxag stands as an exciting alternative to big tech, embodying a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we ensure a guilt-free listening experience from a leader in audiobook innovation.

 

Effortlessly search audiobooks, access honest audiobook reviews that evaluate both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. Whether you prefer to download or stream top audiobook titles, xigxag provides the best possible listening experience anytime, anywhere, on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Discover the future of audiobooks today.