A book worth buying?

Malco:

Interesting...I was gonna suggest the very same thing. Bear in mind, tho', that Mr. Gray - encountered in the book as the author, Nastler - is very reluctant to have 'Lanark' regarded as science fiction. He shouts indignantly that he is writing about real people... If you really want to spend some money on it, Bloomsbury have issued a 20th Anniversary edition; a boxed set with all four volumes as an individual book. £35.00: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/184195120X/bloomsburymag-21/202-5635029-7452657 Should gain in value over the years... ->Zx<- ____________________________________________________________ When God failed to respond reliably to on-line access, Mankind had to turn elsewhere to unload the burden of its own responsibility. It invented the computer - which is far more accessible than God and just as satisfying - providing you never give yourself time to think about it. - Colin Kapp ____________________________________________________________

Hi Zx, He does say that, but he also admits that although Thaw/Lanark is based on himself they have been altered in various ways in order that the reader will become more attached to them. In any case, I trust Nastler as far as I can comfortably spit out a rat. Personally I dislike the idea of the books being bound separately, it might give someone the nasty idea of reading them in the "right" order. Which would be the wrong thing to do. I'll also say that Lanark deals with the judgement of a society following an assessment of the main character by a council of representatives. And I was particularly taken by the passage where Thaw accuses God of using "a torturers trick" (!!!) to gain his worship. Thaw prays for mercy during an awful asthma attack. ArchD'Ikon Zibethicus wrote: Malco:>Lanark by Alasdair Gray Interesting...I was gonna suggest the very same thing. Bear in mind, tho', that Mr. Gray - encountered in the book as the author, Nastler - is very reluctant to have 'Lanark' regarded as science fiction. He shouts indignantly that he is writing about real people... If you really want to spend some money on it, Bloomsbury have issued a 20th Anniversary edition; a boxed set with all four volumes as an individual book. £35.00: