Another book bought for me by my supervisor, though it had been previously recommended to me by certain extracted quotes that made it seem an appealing read, as well as by mentions of it in [b:The Swimming-Pool Library|30106|The Swimming-Pool Library|Alan Hollinghurst|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388450054s/30106.jpg|2776591]. But I really struggled with the writing. I feel like I only half-heard anything and kept losing my attentiveness, which is what all the characters are doing to each other when anyone talks but which is also something I don't really go in for when I'm reading. And the back says that Auden and Forster and Waugh adored Firbank and sets it up as if to not like his work is to be a fake Forster fan or something, which I rather resent. Greg wanted to buy me [b:Valmouth|17453514|Valmouth|Ronald Firbank|/assets/nocover/60x80.png|24342400], I think, or [b:The Flower Beneath the Foot: Being a Record of the Early Life of St. Laura de Nazianzi|917917|The Flower Beneath the Foot Being a Record of the Early Life of St. Laura de Nazianzi|Ronald Firbank|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348732066s/917917.jpg|902991], but they couldn't be found.

Maybe I was reading it all wrong, but it was simply something I couldn't properly enjoy however much I tried. ( )