Book: Shark

WILL SELF’s novels are often Marmite to readers, and his latest is no different. An erratic, tangled prequel — second in a trilogy — Shark revisits Dr Zack Busner, who, along with fellow psychiatrist Roger Gourevitch, engages in an acid trip with a troubled Second World War veteran who witnessed a school of sharks devouring several hundred of his crew mates after his ship was sunk. Not one for bowing to convention, Self constructs a narrative which is void of any form.

It seems as though it was written, torn apart, then assembled again in the dark. Little punctuation, no chapter or paragraph breaks and over-use of italics give the impression of reading someone’s continuous unedited thoughts, however it’s not a comfortable read.