Darryl Shelly's Blog

I have a new book coming out shortly that is a fine art coffee table book on cemetery sculptures. I know that might seem a little odd, but cemetery sculpture is one of the little-known secrets of the art world.

If you get a chance, check out my 1-minute video primer on the subject.

https://vimeo.com/103734238

Thanks for reading my blog!

Darryl

"I'm impressed by a number of things about this book: the quality of its prose, the penetrating psychological insights into its protagonist, and the unflinching way it manages to depict its subject. Anna David's blurb on the cover is quite apt: Like Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho, The Hobbyist has a grim, cold, bleak worldview. It's not a place that is particularly fun to visit, but you're glad you went through it, by the end.

I very much admire Shelly's boldness in writing this book, as it couldn't have been easy to be so revealing on the page. This is an extremely impressive, if grim, read."

"I didn't read the book, I absorbed it. It was so good, I loved every single bit of it... Visually stunning and so incredibly appealing - it's hot! I wish I would have just been there to see it as a fly on the wall to witness the human behavior... Find this book because it's amazing!"

"I almost wish it would be like a Mad Men-esque TV show because I don't want it to end. I want it to keep going!"
~ Dr. Drew Pinsky: addiction expert and host of Lovelines and Dr. Drew on HLN

If you get a moment, check out my interview with Dr Drew on his podcast: http://drdrew.com/049-darryl-shelly/

The Hobbyist is a cautionary tale and not for the faint of heart. Though there is much ado about sex in this story, it is not, as one reviewer noted, "a sexy book." Many readers who fancy erotica or romance novels are not likely to embrace the material. Whereas the previously mentioned genres deal primarily with transgressive fantasies, The Hobbyist – though a novel – is based on a true story. I also want to caution those expecting a book on recovery. The frank, sexual content could well serve as stimulus to acting out.

It is not my intention to dissuade anyone from buying the book, but since this book deals with frequent acts of wanton sex, it could mislead potential readers about the true nature of the book's content, and possibly lead to disappointment. I would be remiss if I didn’t note this distinction.

I will be on the Dereck & Kay radio show this Sunday (April 14th) at 4:25pm PST discussing my novel. Check it out if you can. http://bit.ly/120HQ2m

I received this novel for an honest review. Although the content is out of my usual scope I did enjoy it. It is not very often I read novels from the man's perspective, especially when that man is a confessed sex addict.

The characters were well done and believable. The writing flowed nicely, making you feel as if you were hearing and witnessing someones confessions as opposed to reading a work of fiction. This is an intense personal story but not for the faint of heart, he is after all an addict. Sex or drugs, addiction is never something to be joked with. The novel helps the reader explore the seriousness of this particular addiction without the need of a quick fix solution. That I think is what makes it such a good story. The kind of unending realism we must all face when dealing with our own personal problems.

"Funny as hell ... dialogue is sharp and the narrative witty ... adult females may delight in discovering what certain men really think and feel about women, in and out of bed."

This book is all about sex, but it isn’t a bodice-ripper. Actually, for all of the sex portrayed, this book isn’t sexy, and that is a great accomplishment. 

Shelly is a talented writer, and his prose can soar poetic when he wants it to. Still, his descriptions of sexual encounters range from delicate and intimate to raunchy and completely absurd. Considering the main character is a sex addict, this seems an appropriate way to gauge his development.

 Dash starts out relatively innocent. When he first begins frequenting prostitutes at his friend’s behest, he seeks intimacy and mutual pleasure. These initial experiences are filled with almost tender details of him trying to feel connected. As he gradually descends into full-fledged addiction, the way he sees the world changes. He no longer carefully describes each woman; his partners blur together into a string of random people. His actions become more selfish. As Dash’s desire for partnership fades into a desire for a higher “number,” the sex itself changes. Of an early visit to a massage parlor, he says that “there were satisfying little gestures of intimacy in that moment, such as our fingers interlacing, a kiss to the neck, the smile in her eyes.” Of a later escapade, he says only that he “finished co-mingling genitals.” Ladies he meets early in the book are described as goddesses; later women are harlots or hussies. Shelly lovingly details the sex that Dash has for the mostly right reasons, but he refuses to glorify the sex that exists as an emotional crutch and a burden. Addiction is never pretty, and this book shows that in a vivid manner. In The Hobbyist, Darryl Shelly has created a disturbing (and disturbingly realistic) tale of a young man falling into temptation. Throughout the book, Dash’s entire ideas about sex, intimacy, and himself are altered through his transformation from average guy to sex addict. It is a fascinating and horrifying transition. By focusing on Dash’s fall and exploring primarily his low points, Shelly shatters the unfortunate idea that sex addiction is nicer than other forms of self-abuse. At his worst, Dash is no safer, no more charming, and no more in control than someone dealing with substance abuse. Shelly does a wonderful job portraying the tragedy of sex addiction. Mae West had it wrong; too much of a good thing is not always wonderful. – San Francisco Book Review