Scan barcode
cheapskate's review against another edition
3.0
Really like the writing style but wasn't expecting it to be a collection of reviews, essays etc. Should have started with some of Self's novels.
feimineach's review
I'm not blaming the book, or Will Self, for this. I bought it with a hangover (I think) and didn't realise what it was about. I am tangentially interested in the beat writers but not enough to read a collection of articles about them. No, not that interested at all.
thebobsphere's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of Will Self's articles. For fans only.
barrynorton's review against another edition
4.0
What a troublesome book. I read it to see if what I remembered from the time (early-to-mid nineties) about Self and Burroughs was correct, in light of Self's comments on WSB on the BBC recently.
As well as that, though, I learned new things about JG Ballard and had to buy another copy of 'From Shanghai to Shepperton' - since I've never opened mine (signed copy - he was so clearly going to die) - and of 'Concrete Island' today.
Along the way he led me to a new discovery: I picked up Nicholson Baker's Vox (which I read last weekend) and ordered 'The Fermata', which arrived yesterday.
What I didn't remember was the personal relationship between Self and Martin Amis. At the time I used to rage against them both for their London-centricity - I'd never even visited London until 1995. I'm in the middle of reading (or, in most cases, re-reading) Self's whole canon... and I feel I need to re-read a lot of Amis. To see how I've changed.
As well as that, though, I learned new things about JG Ballard and had to buy another copy of 'From Shanghai to Shepperton' - since I've never opened mine (signed copy - he was so clearly going to die) - and of 'Concrete Island' today.
Along the way he led me to a new discovery: I picked up Nicholson Baker's Vox (which I read last weekend) and ordered 'The Fermata', which arrived yesterday.
What I didn't remember was the personal relationship between Self and Martin Amis. At the time I used to rage against them both for their London-centricity - I'd never even visited London until 1995. I'm in the middle of reading (or, in most cases, re-reading) Self's whole canon... and I feel I need to re-read a lot of Amis. To see how I've changed.
More...