read: the end of everything by m john harrison
this short novel (novella?) falls into that bucket of books i find hypnotic and experiential while reading. along with "a short stay in hell" and "i who have never known men".
however where i'm quite fond of both of those books--they make a rather devastating existential combo read back-to-back--this one not so much. while the prose was excellent and felt often obviously intentionally disorienting there wasn't enough meat on that bone for me.
i don't really enjoy reading experiences that are simply experiences. i understand this is the effect the book is intended to have. i came away from it with the exact same feeling that the characters in the book often express which is to say that i'm sure i have experience something but am unsure what exactly it is much less what it means.
i'm thankful the book was short. i don't think it could have continued much longer than it did without collapsing in on itself.
would i recommend reading this? maybe. if you can subsist on prose and disorientation alone sure.
also sea kale mentioned. that's neat.