An amazing work. What we have in young Mr. Malry may or may not be a B. S. Johnson doppelganger but this individual is determined on keeping his accounts squared with a society and a political and social system that takes him and all of the rest of its citizens for granted. What Mr. Malry does is get even with his society wherever and however he can while taking the trouble to keep his head down. Now some might think that this is cowardice but not everyone thinks the same and I will say that my opinion falls somewhere along the line of Mr. Malry's in the respect that--for those who would crush him if they knew what this gremlin was up to--those very same never would even think of concerning themselves with any very legitimate grievance on the part of Malry or other Malry's as they expect a certain kind of behavior from the public that those with real power somehow don't seem to think applies to themselves. So in a sense I don't begrudge Christie for feeling as he does or even for acting on it although if one reads this novel some of his actions go too far.

Which brings us to--this is a novel. Something to chew on if one chooses to read it. It is an unusual novel--one in which the author at times intrudes his presence and by the end of which he and Christie--his character discuss how it will end. It is also a funny novel despite at times being grim in some respects. Christie is a purist in his own way and a determined one. Everything he does--he does on his own with a certain and a consistent if sometimes eerie logic. It may not be fun for some but Christie has his own ideas about speaking truth to power. ( )