two of the worst and grossest men I’ve ever encountered in fiction - but strangely compelling and, of course, written so viscerally. I didn’t think I’d want to read anything ‘exploring cruelty’ given the state of the world. The internet provides plenty of material. But I can see that there is value to be drawn out of this, even simply as an exercise in stretching the boundaries of the novel form and what is allowed to be written about. 50 years on, people are just as fucked up.