About This Book
The novel Talking Heads relates the story of a serial killer named Raymond Mort who is so lonely he kills more out of a desperate need for companionship than anything else. Along the way, he eventually finds a girlfriend, but ultimately he is discovered and lands in a psychiatric prison regardless of her, or of his stealth. At one point, he considers what many must have thought from time to time and arrives at the conclusion that he does not know which is worse—life outside the prison walls or life inside, where at least he learns to know what to expect from other prisoners, but never finds much peace in the unpredictable, "survival of the fittest" world outside the prison walls…a world that abused and mistreated him from early childhood on. In the end, Raymond's artistic talents help him immeasurably to survive the prison system, but rehabilitation may or may not be a likelihood for him, partly because as peculiar as his character is, it just may be possible—even for him—to discover himself and his niche…something many of us have done, despite a handicap or two. It just so happens that Raymond's handicaps are not only taboo, but are also quite brutal. Habits one would never expect in a man of such mild temperament, but nevertheless are persistent in him. At times, we don't know what to make of him. Is he the enemy, or is he a friend? That is only one contradiction we must come to terms with in the frighteningly real, fictional account: Talking Heads.
