Danny Brown had his album, Joy Division had theirs, but Ballard did it best beyond any doubt 🔥🖤 an incredible story collection of 'condensed novels' and unsettling SF imagery/speculation ...!
This was so well timed for me. I finished The Atrocity Exhibition last week and have been grappling with it. The reading experience was, as you also suggest, laborious for the most part. Distinct from conventional literary imagery, it felt more like a collection of images, rough sketches of half thoughts. Some of these were incredibly vivid and enjoyable, while others made me feel next to nothing. Reading this book was often a chore, but I’m glad I did so as its lingering place in my mind has been productive. Your review helped add context, so thank you
I love this book. The boredom is probably due to how clinically obsessive it is. There are God knows how many chunks that deal with the strange disconnected description of an obtuse angle and how it reminds him of someone's third toenail, or random circular musings on the alternate sex death of Rudyard Kipling etc. It can get a bit much.
This is the way, step inside.
Damn it, you beat me to it
better than Unknown Pleasures (imo)
Brilliant song by Joy Division 🖤
Danny Brown had his album, Joy Division had theirs, but Ballard did it best beyond any doubt 🔥🖤 an incredible story collection of 'condensed novels' and unsettling SF imagery/speculation ...!
This was so well timed for me. I finished The Atrocity Exhibition last week and have been grappling with it. The reading experience was, as you also suggest, laborious for the most part. Distinct from conventional literary imagery, it felt more like a collection of images, rough sketches of half thoughts. Some of these were incredibly vivid and enjoyable, while others made me feel next to nothing. Reading this book was often a chore, but I’m glad I did so as its lingering place in my mind has been productive. Your review helped add context, so thank you
We need the heart is a lonely hunter soon.
Oh, wow. I just literally bought this book. Look forward to reading and then hearing your thoughts.
Best opening in a while, man 😂
When are you gonna read Irvine Welsh?
I love this book. The boredom is probably due to how clinically obsessive it is. There are God knows how many chunks that deal with the strange disconnected description of an obtuse angle and how it reminds him of someone's third toenail, or random circular musings on the alternate sex death of Rudyard Kipling etc. It can get a bit much.
the 1990 RE/search publication is easily the definitive version of the atrocity exhibition. highly, highly recommended. 🎉
Would love to one day here your thoughts on Men in the Sun (Rijal Fi Al-Shams رجال في الشمس) by Ghassan Kanafani
Great book, along with Return to Haifa. While I disagree with Kanafani’s politics, he was undeniably a master of Arab literature.
I second this!
Great book, but I read it when I was too young and dumb to know what I was reading, it just moved up on my TBR.
I've DNFd this book three times.
Danny Brown
XXX is my personal favorite but let's give it up for 2016's The Atrocity Exhibition frfr
show of hands: who thought of Joy Division first and who thought of Danny Brown
I thought of Lil Ugly Mane
Joy Division first but Danny Brown's album is a classic in its own right (imo)