This first novel from Clive James, well established as critic and as comic writer in other forms, comes with full critical apparatus and is presented in the author's introduction as an example of 'the novel improper . . . what used to be called a sport'. The 258 pages of fiction treat of liaisons among the famous, particularly of the publishing world, in high comic, risque vein; supported by 10 pages of introduction, 32 pages of ponderously critical 'Notes' reminiscent of, but inferior to, those of Nabokov's Pale fire, and 14'/i pages of index. The Notes are attributed solemnly to 'Peter C. Bartelski, of Sydney, Sussex and Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge'; but the index has no attribution, apparent or real.
The merits of indexing such lighthearted works as Brilliant creatures relate little to information retrieval; but this index does work for finding incidents recalled. It is full and detailed, with sub-subheadings and a combination of set-out and run-on style.