A review by vacanthungarian
The Sweet Smell of Psychosis: A Novella by Will Self

dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

So that was a bit of a hard read. 
For the most part, it paints a grotesque picture of coked up, bitchy writers scrambling to either discredit or suck up to one another. Literally everyone on this book is a little bit of a cretin. It does give the impression that Will Self may have a bone to pick with the industry and/or the people involved in it.
I feel like this could have been a great book if there hadn't been so much desperation to squeeze as much vulgarity and shock in as humanly possible, though I acknowledge that I would probably not have finished it if it hadn't been so liberally decorated with both those things. But still, it just felt a bit hollow as a story.