Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore: A Novel
Written by Walter Mosley
Narrated by Bahni Turpin
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
Millions of men (and no doubt many women) have watched famed black porn queen Debbie Dare-she of the blond wig and blue contacts-"do it" on television and computer screens every which way with every combination of partners the mind of man can imagine. But one day an unexpected and thunderous on-set orgasm catches Debbie unawares, and when she returns to the mansion she shares with her husband, insatiable former porn star and "film producer" Theon Pinkney, she discovers that he's died in a case of hot tub electrocution, "auditioning" an aspiring "starlet." Burdened with massive debts that her husband incurred, and which various L.A. heavies want to collect on, Debbie must reckon with a life spent in the peculiar subculture of the pornography industry and her estrangement from her family and the child she had to give up. She's done with porn, but her options for what might come next include the possibility of suicide. Debbie . . . is a portrait of a ransacked but resilient soul in search of salvation and a cure for grief.
Walter Mosley
Walter Mosley (b. 1952) is the author of the bestselling mystery series featuring Easy Rawlins, as well as numerous other works, from literary fiction and science fiction to a young adult novel and political monographs. His short fiction has been widely published, and his nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times Magazine and the Nation, among other publications. Mosley is the winner of numerous awards, including an O. Henry Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, a Grammy, and PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He lives in New York City.
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Reviews for Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore
55 ratings8 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What a really good book. From beginning to end, I LOVED IT!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mosely at his best. Turpins voice was amazing. Really enjoyed it.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5come on Mr. Mosley--you can do better than this.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Debbie decides to leave her profession - porn star - after the sudden, accidental death of her husband. There's plenty of sexuality on display in the book, but it's not erotic - it's a story about grief, with some reconciliation with estranged family members thrown in for good measure. It was interesting to read this just after finishing the graphic novel Habibi; in both, lead female characters have experienced so much non-loving sex that they are largely numb to desire - but still want intimacy. Mosley does it better. The book was compelling and satisfying, though I confess I don't follow why the climax of the story - right at the end - affected the character the way it did.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It is no secret. If you walked into my place, eye level on my book shelf are Walter Mosley novels. I started reading his work with the release of Devil In A Blue Dress, and have ready everything he has written to date (or at least like to believe I have). While Easy Rawlins is one of my all-time favorite fictional characters, Debbie “Dare” Pinkney is one I would not mind seeing more of in the future.What unfolds inMosley’s, Debbie Doesn’t Do It Anymore, is the depressing tale of a thirty-one-year old woman who makes her living in the porn industry. After a bizarre day of filming, Debbie returns home to find her husband, Theon –a once famous porn star-turned film maker– dead. He’s been electrocuted. The camera he’d set up by the bathtub had fallen into the water. Worse, Theon wasn’t alone. On top of his corpse, also dead, is sixteen year old Jolie Wins. The craziness of the situation, coupled with the filming that day brought Debbie to a decision. She was going to walk away from it all and start over. Doing what? She didn’t yet know … but she knew she was done with the industry from that day on.There is a tangle of story lines played out. Debbie’s money supported the couple. Theon, unfortunately, spent more than was brought in. His death did not prevent thugs from coming around to collect. Richard Ness and Coco Manetti are vile hoodlums; heartless in their attempts to collect. Debbie might do porn, but she could easily be Easy’s sister with her calm, cool, and clear mannerisms. However, showing you are in control, doesn’t always prove that you are. Debbie quickly learns the difference.Pasadena Lieutenant Detective Perry Mendelson is assigned to investigate the case. There are issues with Theon’s death. No one admits to knowing who the young woman is that was also electrocuted, andthe blatant fact that she was a minor. (I am mildly disappointed that there is no closure with the undefined relationship between Mendelson and Debbie). The short journey from Theon’s death to the funeral is the make-up behind the novel.Filled with emotional back-stories, and current hurdles that need to be bound over, Debbie is a strong character, determined and, perhaps, a lost soul. Several times I needed to remind myself that Debbie was not a sixty-five year-old woman, but just thirty-one. It was a testament to the wear and tear of such a lifestyle. Although this literary novel is not a fast-paced and gritty crime novel, like I’ve come to expect from Mosely, it is dark and poetical crafted, disturbingly detailed and compelling. Walter Mosley’s Debbie Doesn’t Do It Anymore is one of those books that you pick up and just can’t put down. Should you have to set it aside, I can promise you will be thinking about the characters until you find the time to get back to reading. Promise!Phillip Tomasso,Author of The Vaccination Trilogy
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Title: Debbie Doesn't Do It AnymoreAuthor: Walter MosleyPublisher: DoubledayReviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: 4Review:"Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore" by Walter Mosley...What is this novel about?"In this scorching, mournful, often explicit, and never less than moving literary novel by the famed creator of the Easy Rawlins series, Debbie Dare, a black porn queen, has to come to terms with her sordid life in the adult entertainment industry after her tomcatting husband dies in a hot tub. Electrocuted. With another woman in there with him. Debbie decides she just isn't going to "do it anymore." But executing her exit strategy from the porn world is a wrenching and far from simple process.Millions of men (and no doubt many women) have watched famed black porn queen Debbie Dare—she of the blond wig and blue contacts-"do it" on television and computer screens every which way with every combination of partners the mind of man can imagine. But one day an unexpected and thunderous on-set orgasm catches Debbie unawares, and when she returns to the mansion she shares with her husband, insatiable former porn star and "film producer" Theon Pinkney, she discovers that he's died in a case of hot tub electrocution, "auditioning" an aspiring "starlet." Burdened with massive debts that her husband incurred, and which various L.A. heavies want to collect on, Debbie must reckon with a life spent in the peculiar subculture of the pornography industry and her estrangement from her family and the child she had to give up. She's done with porn, but her options for what might come next include the possibility of suicide. Debbie . . . is a portrait of a ransacked but resilient soul in search of salvation and a cure for grief."What I liked about this novel...This author gives the reader one interesting raw read of the pornography industry and the efforts of a woman named Debbie Dare and finding redemption in a Sandra Peel. I will have to say this was different from his previous novel...Devil in a Blue Dress (Easy Rawlins Mysteries) in which I thoroughly enjoyed. Now, after saying that I will say this novel was a good one too. I found it was an intriguing read of this protagonist porn star being able to change her previous path of choices of change and even some redemption. This will be a read of a roller coaster ride and will keep your attention as Debbie will be presented with discovering her husband dead, sorting out finances and finding debt, handling racism on to setting up an agenda for her new life that was ahead for building a new life. The characters were all well developed, well portrayed and believable. And as usual this author helps to get the reader into the soul of his characters. Be prepared for the most part there was a good balance of the sexual and violence content scenes in the read. What I especially liked from the read..."Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore" was a fast mystery read. Once you start reading you will not want to put it down until the end. Yes, this novel is somewhat different from some of this author's other novels but yet it is again a good one that I would recommend to you.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Maybe Debbie doesn't do it anymore, but she sure does talk about it.This book isn't my normal genre, but I've read one Walter Mosley mystery out of the many books he has written, and I liked it, so when this one became available for review, I decided to take a chance on it.This book was just too explicit for me. Debbie is giving up the porn movie business, and I expected to read a little bit that was more graphic than I wanted in the beginning. But it didn't stop there – it was throughout the book.On the plus side, I really like the character Debbie, despite her rather sordid profession and past. She has a tender heart and is accepting of people and their foibles. She is a strong and very interesting character. Some of the other characterization was terrific, too.This is no mystery. The story moved a little slowly for me in a couple of places, but it kept me interested. And it certainly doesn't glorify the porn business. The sex that is described is anything but sexy. It's just a job, and an awful one at that. Some of the people involved in the trade were portrayed in a kinder light than one might expect, but the reality wasn't glossed over. Nevertheless, there was too much explicitness for my tender sensibilities, and reading it made me uncomfortable. While it was well written and I liked the character development, I would have liked it much more without the repeated sex descriptions. I don't recommend this one for anyone offended by crude language or uncomfortable reading about physical, loveless sex.I was given a copy of this book for review.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Clearly I need to read about porn stars more often because this book was hella awesome! I've also always wanted to read Walter Mosley so I'm glad I finally got around to it, this was a great introduction to his work. When I saw how friggin amazing the cover art was on this book I knew I had to read it. HAD TO. Seriously, just take a moment to appreciate the cover art, it's stunning. It makes you want to pick up the book. You can't stop looking! And once you find out it's about a porn star you absolutely have the desire to read it! Debbie Dare is a legend in the porn biz. With dark black skin, long blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and white beauty mark tattoo on her face she is quite unforgettable. Deb comes home after a hard day of screwing in front of the camera only to find that her husband is dead. He was electrocuted when a video camera fell in the hot tub while attempting to film a home sex tape with a sixteen year old girl. Debbie, is upset but numb, she doesn't know how to handle it. She decides to quit the porn industry and go by her real name, Saundra Peel. She wants to move on with her life but doesn't know how to, especially since her husband spent every penny they had and she now has loan sharks chasing her all over town. That's all you need to know. Just read it. It's graphic, gritty, smart, and intriguing. The ending was a little more abrupt then I would have liked but I still thoroughly enjoyed the book!