The Sweet Smell of Psychosis
Encyclopedia
The Sweet Smell of Psychosis is Will Self
's first published Novella. It was printed by Bloomsbury Books in 1996 and features illustrations by Martin Rowson
.
Richard Hermes is a London
journalist who lives a life of drudging days and cocaine
fuelled nights. He falls in with a local media personality called Bell and his crew which includes the delightful and attractive Ursula. Ursula is also a media type writing a good sex column. As Richard attempts to get closer and closer to her, he finds himself consuming more and more until finally psychosis begins to break in.
In reviewing the book Katherine Guckenberger concludes:
Brian Budzynski writing for the Center for Book Culture observed:
Will Self
William Woodard "Will" Self is an English novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight and Question Time...
's first published Novella. It was printed by Bloomsbury Books in 1996 and features illustrations by Martin Rowson
Martin Rowson
Martin George Edmund Rowson is a British cartoonist and novelist. His genre is political satire and his style is scathing and graphic. His work frequently appears in The Guardian and The Independent...
.
Richard Hermes is a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
journalist who lives a life of drudging days and cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
fuelled nights. He falls in with a local media personality called Bell and his crew which includes the delightful and attractive Ursula. Ursula is also a media type writing a good sex column. As Richard attempts to get closer and closer to her, he finds himself consuming more and more until finally psychosis begins to break in.
In reviewing the book Katherine Guckenberger concludes:
"Self's message is clear: life is ugly and ironic, and the sooner one figures this out, the sooner one can not overcome it but accept it."
Brian Budzynski writing for the Center for Book Culture observed:
"Self’s satirical indictment of urban literary culture is defined within his prose by Richard’s voice, “brusque to the point of rank rudeness.” With an air of contempt and “expensively studied disregard,” Self’s characters endeavor to persevere within the “knots of desperation” that they have created. One can’t help but think that Self implicates himself as a fellow “hack”; his language perfectly reflects a subculture that is as mysterious as it is dangerous and intriguing."