Closet Queens, Quicksand and Book of Numbers

El Reg bookworm Mark Diston looks at literature's latest as Michael Bloch lifts the shirt on the private passions of the political elite. Both Steve Toltz and Joshua Cohen are on their second novels. Toltz crafts a distinctive voice while Cohen goes for an experimental approach for the tech savvy. Closet Queens Michael Bloch …

[Little Mouse]

"Joshua Cohen, like many mediocrities seems intent on displaying his intellect, but has no great eye, poor editing skills and is unable to fashion a coherent whole. Book of Numbers reads like a first draft, or a bad case of logorrhoea... an unedited stream of crapulence."

Sweeeet. I wanna be a critic too! Where do I sign up?

[JLV]

Well, to be fair, there are many a book for which I would have benefited from reading such a scalding review. As in, not reading them. Life is short and one doesn't have to be a builder to observe that a roof is leaky.

[Youngone]

Editor? Pah!

Pretty sure Ian Banks writ The Wasp Factory.

[AbelSoul]

Re: Ian Banks writ The Wasp Factory

Indeed he did, although I took that reference as meaning there are also shades of Banks in Kennedy Toole's style (or vice-versa), a comparison I wouldn't completely disagree with (although I'm possibly biased insofar as I loved A Confederacy of Dunces and also loved almost everything I've read by Banks, which runs to dozens). But I agree, it isn't clear.

Aside from that, sounds like a decent read, especially if it reaches some of the heights of either Banks or Kennedy Toole.