charmian | The Infernal Desire Machines of Dr. Hoffman

This was a random pick, but since it looked fairly insane, I decided to read it. Not a long book, but one which takes longer than one would expect to read, because of the density of surrealistic prose, allusion, and metaphysics. (Not that it falls into the category of the nigh unreadable, IMHO. The author is doing that 'every sentence seems quotable' thing like Durrell or Mieville, maybe, although not in the same way. Also reminded me of a picaresque, or maybe even of Wolfe because like Desiderio and Severian share strange similarities, such as writing much better than one would expect them to)

The premise (more than the plot) is this: In a nameless South American city, probably during the latter half of the twentieth century (though possibly also Nebulous Time, and the diction makes it feel like the 19th century; the imagery feels 19th century, maybe), a city is under attack by phantasms, produced by the mysterious Dr. Hoffman. The protagonist, a clerk named Desiderio, goes on a mission to assassinate Hoffman, but is embroiled in all kinds of metaphysically significant incidents on the way. Also, he falls in love with Hoffman's daughter, the continually disguised Albertina.

Atwood describes Angela Carter's prose as 'baroque,' and perhaps this accounts for my feeling that Desiderio is not a man of the 20th century. I guess I won't spoil the pleasures of reading the book, but the sensation of reading the book was akin to viewing the peep shows/tableaux which are central to the transformations and unreality (authentic simulacra?) at the core. Viewing a diorama obscenely crammed full of symbolic meaning, perhaps.

Now reading Alan Hollinghurst's The Swimming Pool Library. Not really enjoying it; I think it may be one of those things that was ground-breaking at the time.