Coffin Nail Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Hello all, I can't be the only person in the world that has read any of Will Self's novels, but whenever I mention him to other bookies they look at me blankly. His books (and his articles) always represents a challenge for me. He's the only modern author that ask a lot from me. I need to get a dictionary out for a start. I sometimes have to read the same page more than once to get it. I love his use of language, that he doesn't dumb down, I love his radicalism, his humour and his subversive swipes at culture. When I finish any of his books I get a different sense of satisfaction than if I read something purely for entertainment or schlump value. I'd be glad to hear what other people have thought. Happy page turning. Coffin Nail x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Generally, I've enjoyed the Will Self stuff I've read. It's always intelligent, and generally very playful with ideas and language. I do have a bit of a problem, though - and this is true of his wider demeanour in articles and television as well as in books - and that is that he often feels like he is just trying to shock, a bit like Martin Amis once did. A "Oooh! Look at me! Look how naughty I'm being!" attitude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Landsman Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Anyone ever read Chris Morris' article ripping into Amis? http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/nov/25/bookscomment.religion Funny read, as you'd expect from Morris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 I love Will Self but found the only book that I've read of his extremely difficult and though I did persevere with it until the end ('The Book of Dave') .. I didn't enjoy it .. I lent it to someone else to see whether it was just me ... they couldn't get through it. Going on this book, his books are for those that like a bit of a challenge when reading, unfortunately it was too much of a challenge for me. Perhaps his other books are easier to read ... but it's the usual thing, you get put off an author if you dislike the first book you read of theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 He's good on TV, but I've never read any of his books. Should give him a go, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigWords Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 From his television appearances I get the impression of him being a bit too smug for his own good. It's like he's in on a joke and isn't going to share it, that half-grin never far away. It's only what I take away from his interviews and such, but I'm sure I'm not the only person to instantly take a dislike to him... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raskolnikov Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Dorian, the re-writting of Oscar Wilde's famous book is an interesting go : transgressive and filthy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnsrunner Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 To tell you the truth, I have not read any of his books. But you got me curious, I looked him up on Wikipedia. I noticed that he uses a lot of fun, short titles for his books. He seems very talented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Dorian, the re-writting of Oscar Wilde's famous book is an interesting go : transgressive and filthy. I had never heard of this. I kind of have to read it, don't I? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I don't care about the author in general, he doesn't sound too appealing, but after reading the Amazon reviews about Dorian, of which there are many positives claiming also to have loved Wilde's novel, I'm curious myself to see how it's done in Self's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I think Raskolnikov's description: Transgressive and filthy - is exactly how Self likes to think of himself, and is not far from the truth. He's arrogant and smug and self-satisfied with his own intellectualism, but I think quite a lot of that is deliberate persona creation. It means he comes across as quite an unpleasant character when on TV or the radio, and certainly not the kind of person I'd want to be stuck at the bar with in my pub; but I don't think that should dictate how you read his work. Which is also intellectual, but I often want that level of intellect when I'm reading, and I don't really when I'm having a chat with a bloke down the pub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Landsman Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I think Raskolnikov's description: Transgressive and filthy - is exactly how Self likes to think of himself, and is not far from the truth. He's arrogant and smug and self-satisfied with his own intellectualism, but I think quite a lot of that is deliberate persona creation. It means he comes across as quite an unpleasant character when on TV or the radio, and certainly not the kind of person I'd want to be stuck at the bar with in my pub; but I don't think that should dictate how you read his work. Which is also intellectual, but I often want that level of intellect when I'm reading, and I don't really when I'm having a chat with a bloke down the pub. Sounds exactly like Martin Amis ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I certainly felt a fairly strong link between their work, although I find Self a bit less anonyingly smug, and also find Self's politics are more genuinely radical, whereas Amis feels like a reactionary trying to shock by being politically incorrect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Landsman Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I do find Self to be a pretty interesting character; his appearances on Grumpy Old Men were pretty amusing, and he does seem to have a decent ideas about politics. Amis, on the other hand, seems like an unsavoury character, if his comments about Muslims are anything to go by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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