When our narrator smashes his car into another and watches a man die in front of him, his sense of sexual possibilities in the world around him becomes detached. As he begins an affair with the dead man's wife, he finds himself drawn with increasing intensity to the mangled impacts of car crashes. Then he encounters Robert Vaughan, a former TV scientist turned nightmare angel of the expressway, who has gathered around him a collection of alienated crash victims and experiments with a series of erotic atrocities, each more ...
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When our narrator smashes his car into another and watches a man die in front of him, his sense of sexual possibilities in the world around him becomes detached. As he begins an affair with the dead man's wife, he finds himself drawn with increasing intensity to the mangled impacts of car crashes. Then he encounters Robert Vaughan, a former TV scientist turned nightmare angel of the expressway, who has gathered around him a collection of alienated crash victims and experiments with a series of erotic atrocities, each more sinister than the last. But Vaughan craves the ultimate crash - a head-on collision of blood, semen, engine coolant and iconic celebrity.
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Add this copy of Crash (Paladin Books) to cart. $19.92, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1993 by Flamingo.
very recommendable seller, everything was on time and shape they promised
CatParty
Oct 20, 2008
Disgusting, Pornographic, and Great
Usually I wouldn't use the terms "disgusting" and "pornographic" in the same sentence as the word "great", but J.G. Ballard has inspired me to do so. I think what really fascinated me by this book was that it presented an idea so radically different than anything I have ever known previously. Basically, Crash is about a group of people who become sexually excited during a car crash, and the different lives they lead and their connection. It is very graphic and vulgar, and yet has such a strange uniqueness that I felt compelled to read it. Ballard merges the concepts of technology and sexuality with grotesque but eloquent writing. For example, one quote from the book (don't worry, it will not reveal any spoilers), is an excellent example of what I am trying to convey; "Already I was aware that the interlocked radiator grilles of our cars formed the model of an inescapable and perverse union between us." James, the main character, if you will, is describing the violent car crash that created his awe and fascination for the intimacy of car crashes. He is brought further into this world of sex and pain when he meets the eccentric Vaughn. I don't want to call all the people involved immoral, because there is something very human and desperate to these acts of violent sexual activity; they are sort of on a different level, despite how primative their behavior seems. If you will be offended by vulgarity, do not read this book. If you have a very weak stomach, do not read this book. If you are neither of these, and you are looking to read something that is obscene and revolutionary in thought, then you must read this book.
