Hogg
by Samuel R. Delany
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Book Summary Information
Author: Samuel R. DelanyEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1995-03
ISBN: 0932511880
Number of pages: 219
Publisher: Talman Co
Book Reviews of Hogg
Book Review: Tries too hard to be shocking but just comes off boring instead
Summary: 1 Stars
When I was given this book to read, it was with the assurance that this was "the worst book ever written". Now, I won't necessarily disagree with that, but it's definitely not for the reasons that the person intended.
As is my typical procedure, I won't go into the "plot" (such as it is), since that's been done before. I prefer to go straight to my review and opinion on the book.
1st, I've got to say that to call this book a representation of homosexuality on any level is absurd. This isn't about homosexuality, and I'm completely flabbergasted that this author would be recognized by Lambda. If he HAS "changed our concept of gayness in the last century" it was NOT in a positive way! This book highlights each and every stereotypical "perversion" that homophobics have about the gay community, and it's a tragic disservice.
2nd, to compare this to Tom Wolfe is an insult to Tom Wolfe. While Wolfe was shocking and unique for his time, this book is nowhere near Wolfe's quality.
3rd, on that note, the writing just plain isn't particularly good. I've heard others say that despite the content the book is like poetry (if you can believe that!), or that the writing is just wonderful no matter what it's depicting. Well, I've never read another Delany book, so I can't compare the quality with anything else of his, but I can say without hesitation that the writing itself was, at best, average. As an example, the usage of radio broadcasts to demonstrate what took place while the narrator wasn't present was juvenile and innacurate.
4th, this is NOT erotica, at least not in the sense that it's arousing or erotic. I SUPPOSE that pedophilia, fecophilia, watersports and lack of bathing are a turn on for some, but it does nothing for me. And, quite frankly, if this book IS erotic for someone, I don't really WANT to know.
One of my single biggest complaints, beyond anything else, is that the book is just plain boring! It took me DAYS to read it, not because it was shocking, or horrifying, or gross. Because, honestly, it simply wasn't to me -- I don't get shocked, horrified or grossed out. Rather, it was just soooo slow. Seriously this was as bad as anything else I've ever read in the boring department... with the long, drawn-out descriptions of each and every thing in each and every room, with each and every twitch and movement that each and every person made. OMG, just how many times do I have to hear about someone scratching? WHY would it be necessary to put a PARENTHESIS in DIALOGUE? Even the violence was described in such a bland and disjointed way that it didn't spark interest.
The story, such as it was, is just not all that intriguing. The characters were one-dimensional, stereotypical, and exagerrated. There were no typical people, so to say that the "monsters wear our face" or that they are in possession of "human complexities" is a huge stretch. I mean, truly, I've run into some pretty disgusting, depraved and evil people in my prior line of work (Social Work), but am I REALLY supposed to believe that each and every person that someone encounters, no matter what the context, is going to see a filthy 11 year old boy and become aroused?
The person who gave me the book to read says that I am not viewing it the right way, that it's FICTION, and I'm trying to make it too realistic. I think, really, that I just had higher expectations. I expected to be shocked or at least surprised, and instead I came away from this book wondering why Delany felt that he had to try SO hard. This wasn't a novel, it had no true story to tell, it was just random sex scenes shoved together with some haphazard story in between. If the story was worth reading, if it added anything to the literary lexicon or the reader's noesis, I could probably forgive it. Unfortunately, I feel it did neither. And now valuable space in my brain is taken up with a book that's no better than the trashiest of trashy romance novels that I typically read, and quite frankly was a lot worse. At least romance novels are usually hot.
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