The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman by Angela CarterMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
Struggled a bit with this one. It took a certain amount of willpower to keep picking it up, and I found I was more easily distracted away from reading it than with other books. The problem is two-fold – a picaresque plot with little to propel the reader forward, and dense, florid prose that is impressive but occasionally (and sometimes purposefully) inpenetrable. The imagery Carter conjures up is absolutely unique and most chapters build to a climax that is engrossing and disturbing, but it takes a bit of work to get there, and ultimately its exploration of the clash between reality and fantasy did not strike me particularly novel or profound.
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