631. The Atrocity Exhibition

The Atrocity Exhibition
J.G. Ballard
1970
Around 160 pages

I went to a penis museum in Iceland, so I am no stranger to weird exhibitions. And this novel (or whatever it was) really captured the feeling of a museum. Some plaques you want to walk right past, while others are more eye-catching. Of course, I have to read every plaque at the museum regardless, but you may have gathered that already.

We get snapshots of different tragedies from modern history in avant garde style; for example, Marilyn Monroe is scorched by radiation burns. One section was just list of shooters and their victims, another described a face lift in graphic detail. 

We can all just turn on the news if we want a relentless parade of bad events, but I totally understand Ballard being in this place after the death of his wife. Some interesting stylistic choices were made here, but I still think it is more impressive to create something beautiful, rather than a bulletin board of all misery on the planet.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

After a 1970 edition by Doubleday & Company had already been printed, Nelson Doubleday Jr. personally cancelled the publication and had the copies destroyed, fearing legal action from some of the celebrities depicted in the book.

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