yet another must-read

[realthog]

To those who're still upset about the frogs, a welcome retreat into the balmy territory of high literature. Thanks to the BBC's Newsnight for alerting me to this latest tour de force:

And then some very sticky moments. Wetlands is a first novel which has sold half a million copies since its publication in Germany. Written by the High Wycombe-born star of German TV Charlotte Roche, and now out in English, it is a voyage around her 18-year-old character's private parts. Throughout the story Helen prods, pokes, smells and inserts implements into her nether regions in her hospital room where she is recovering from a serious accident after shaving around her haemorrhoids. Is it porn, or a feminist tract?

IMPORTANT UPDATE: As he notes in the comments, fledgist has found a short translated passage from this masterpiece online. This is far too significant a discovery to be buried among the comments -- hence this update. Thanks, F!

Comments

[quietselkie.livejournal.com]

Wetlands. Sounds like a title I'd write. Wow. Just...another of those titles we won't be carrying in the shop...

[txtriffidranch.livejournal.com]

Why do I get the feeling that this book will make the author millions in movie rights sales as it bounces from studio to studio?

[quietselkie.livejournal.com]

Anything they film from it will go straight to DVD.

[txtriffidranch.livejournal.com]

Hey, that's what happened to Prozac Nation. After years in development hell, it finally came out a few years back, with Wurtzel played by Christina Ricci. Boy, they kinda became irrelevant together, didn't they?

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"Anything they film from it will go straight to DVD."

There's got to be a "straight down the toilet" joke around here somewhere . . .

[pds-lit.livejournal.com]

Nah! The porn industry will get to it before Hollywood.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"Just...another of those titles we won't be carrying in the shop..."

Don't you think stocking it might attract a better class of customer?

[quietselkie.livejournal.com]

"different" != "better"

[realthog.livejournal.com]

I didn't think it did. I meant what I said. To judge by the customers you describe . . .

[quietselkie.livejournal.com]

But it wouldn't be the Vortex of Weird without the weirdos, you know. And then where would you be? Here in LJ, adrift in a sea of memes and LOLcats, and no tales of geniuses, sociopaths and meth freaks to lighten your day.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

And hemorrhoid shavers. Let them not be forgotten.

Hm. However hard we might try . . .

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

Not to mention cauliflower farmers.