Episode 337: Sequel Slump

The ending of Kockroach was good, although the third section of the book felt too hasty in comparison to its predecessors. The message that rang throughout the novel was clear enough though: cockroaches are wired to survive. As much as reading the book filled me with admiration for the tenacity of this insect, I'm still going to spray it to death in future. After all, there's plenty more where that came from! Have gone back to reading G. W. Dahlquist's The Dark Volume, which I've neglected since coming back from the UK. Sadly, I'm finding it difficult to get through the novel, compared with the first novel, The Glass Books Of The Dream Eaters. Now that was a deliciously moreish book. The sequel, after 100 pages, is still plodding along. That and I grow tired of the main female protagonist's insufferable, often self-centred behaviour. An interesting premise alone cannot save a novel from tanking, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with all those Amazon reviews that said the sequel disappointed them. Am alternating between this book and a collection of Clive James's poetry, The Book Of My Enemy. That is proving to be an easier read by far, at least for now.