do is immerse myself in his work for a week or so. Certainly liked bits of this (even as someone who finished it in under 3 hours thought it was probably 100 pages too long). The sex scene with Dr Paula Hamilton isn't the worst I've ever read, but that 'don't forget my...' line is memorably bad. 3/3

Ballard! Is still unsure where where I stand on him. I read "The Atrocity Exhibition" in 2005, "Super-Cannes" in 2021 and "High Rise" in 2023. Is still probably a sceptic but keeps trying because I know many writers and critics I admire rate him extremely highly. Suspects what I really need to 2/3

ones) and really enjoyed the pacing from the fight on the secret island to the final revelations. Personally I got a little bogged down in the middle, but definitely liked the style enough to want to try Twilight. Laughed at the "Casino Royale"/Little Jimmy Bond reference. 2/2

grail symbolism was a lot more noticeable than when I was a callow undergraduate. So much of it barely seems to have aged at all. A book that changed my life! The ELIZA scenes probably colour my current opinion of chatbots. Would like one day to see the TV series.

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v0... 4/4

look up the word spalpeen, but loved all my favourite scenes (Persse confusedly encountering 'The Waste Land' live-theatre, Angelica's lecture etc) and my favourite lines e.g. 'I have performed my narrative function for tonight.' and 'As soon as he was invaginated, he came, tumultuously'. The 3/4

Incredibly funny, learned, sexy, readable etc. This time around (among other things) I recognised the Malcolm Bradbury cameo. Was surprised to realize that the aged Arthur Kingfisher would only have been 79, when I first picked it up about 25 years ago I pictured him as much older. Did have to 2/4

was an incredibly good book, and I'll definitely have to read more of her work. 2/2

bookmark indicating they were last read by someone who frequented The Grove Bookshop (Ilkley, West Yorkshire) before finding their way to me. I'll add them all to my ever-growing TBR pile, but now I really should get back to Gass' "The Tunnel"! 2/2

Überlegung, die sie so sehr irritierte, dass sie das Gebläse vergaß.'] should read 'she forgot'.

Can't wait for the next translated Fitzek. In the meantime I'll have to check out fitzekmimik.de 4/4

and the originals of the alliterative 'serious, sporty and self-assured' vs 'savage criminal, sociopath and sadist' ['seriös, sportlich und selbstbewusst' / 'Schwerverbrecher, ein Soziopath und Sadist'].

Does think that Chapter 64's 'A thought so puzzling that he forgot the blower.' ['Eine 3/4

reading crime novels and thrillers because they 'dealt in motives and tried to make the incomprehensible explicable.' Checked out the original German text to see what words were translated as 'Tomfoolery, gallimaufry. And now phantasmagoria.' ['Fisimatenten. Kuddelmuddel. Und nun hanebüchen.'] 2/4

and most importantly thought provoking. It raised all sorts of interesting questions about AI, consciousness and language/communication. Learnt a lot and will check out the books in the Acknowledgements. Did keep reading Ha as He, especially when it was the first word in a sentence! 2/2

checking out some of his material. Although I'll definitely have to make the initial effort to separate the art from the artist! Enjoyed many parts of it, but got the biggest chuckle from Stephen King's response to being cut off by an answering machine. 5/5

the book was still gripping. Intriguing to read just how much of a reader he was. His diary entries referencing not just "Time's Arrow", but "The Unconsoled", "Gravity's Rainbow" and "Finnegans Wake"! This, plus the intriguing song lyrics introducing each chapter mean I'll definitely start 4/5

cover what his wife and children must have experienced. Once he got sober he seemed to have swapped alcohol for sex addiction, which made for a slightly easier read. Although I recognised some of the big names, many of the people referenced were unfamiliar to me. But it didn't matter because 3/5

read my share of drunk-a-logs and Rock & Roll lifestyle books like Mötley Crüe's "The Dirt", but I'd never read anything like the first half of this warts and all oral history. 'living with a genius who needs to create his own drama for the sake of a song wasn't always easy' doesn't begin to 2/5

there, and something about the writing/plotting somehow raises it above its many imitators. Was a little surprise by Vincent's behaviour in the penultimate chapter, but as always the return to the present day brought tears to my eyes. 2/2