My rating: 2 of 5 stars
It’s certainly a vulgar tale. The conclusion is given away at the start of the tale in a summary of the whole novel which leaves the reader wondering who the main protagonist is and when will they meet him. In between this, we address the author’s unhealthy obsession with sex and genitalia while unhindered or unashamed by any other character he meets. There’s a sense that courtesy is dead, and that only work, sex, and death exists in Ballard’s world and nothing is pure. There’s no escapism except for the planes which Ballard’s partner experiences. I get the sense that Ballard is appealing to an international audience rather than a local one. His constant use of road terms such as ‘exit ramp’ instead of ‘slip road’ illustrates that he’s catering for a foreign market, yet he’s actually alienating the British one as his writing appears to be of a visiting narrator rather than a resident one. It’s repulsive at times, and with no background story you have to wonder how these characters came to be this way.
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