Directory of Lost Causes (By Quentin S. Crisp)

The Latter

I sigh to notice how many of my hotlinks are on the blink. I wonder if I'll ever have time to tend to my previous blog entries and tidy them up. I hardly even have time for this review. As you all know, we have recently been celebrating Christmas, and I have received a number of books as presents. However, the book that I am about to review (briefly) was not my present, but someone else's. I have been reading it keenly despite this fact. It is called Is It Just Me or Is Everything Shit? and it is by Steve Lowe and Alan Mcarthur. You can take a look at it here.

Now, from the title, I expected it to be a mere stocking-filler, a book of that kind of fatuous, smug cynicism in which we British specialise, written by someone afraid to make known his alleigances, and, ultimately, shallow. There are many such books about. However, I read it and was surprised to find it had real bite, and real commitment in it. The authors do not seem to be cynical just for the sake of it, or for the sake of being clever, but unerringly pick deserving targets for their bile. In fact, they seem almost earnest.

Here's a example entry in this encyclopaedia of all that is loathsome:

"Product, the word
'What products do you use?'
'Oh, you know... pens, ballbearings, all sorts.'
'No, I mean beauty products.'
'Oh, sorry. You needed to be more specific. And less of a fucking twat.'"

Yes, basically, the book lists encyclopaedically all those people who deserve to be slaughtered, but whom, unfortunately, we are not allowed to beat to death with their own severed forearms. It is verbal assassination. I admire it greatly and lament that this is the closest we can get to actual assassination.

Some of the deserving targets are Tony Blair, Ben Elton, global warming sceptics, homophobic christians, U2, Beyonce Knowles, Jimmy Carr and Tracey Emin.