Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Crash 1-4

         The first four chapters of J.G Ballard's Crash throw the reader right into the deep end of the mind of the main character and his fantasies.  The book acts as a great example of the moral ambiguity that transgressive novels bring to readers.  Ballard (the character) describes his sexual fantasies without any remorse or apologetic tone, he sees them as no different from any other function that one could take part in.  He can't and won't stop thinking about sex on almost every level, it is very much a compulsion for him and his desire never seems content. 
         This story does have an odd setting taking place in a London that does seem a bit altered and during a vague time. My guess on time would be around when in was published (1973) only because the hospital seems to use apparatus that date the time period.  For instance when talking about the catheters he says they are made of metal where as now they would use some type of plastic for draining his knees, also this correlates to the car crash as well because most modern cars are made of a type of plastic where the ones he speaks of are made of mostly metal. 
         The reader is put in the world of the overly sexually charged characters,  and thrown into a head rush of intensity that does not let up.          

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