I read this book twenty years ago and I still remember some particularly ghastly scenes in perfect detail. Explicit descriptions of bodily functions abound. Very rapey. And overall, a humungous downer -- dark, depressing and hopeless. So an ideal read for my angsty 15-year-old self. But despite all the shocking stuff -- which may bother a more sensitive reader -- the ideas are so original, and even if he's an asshole in reality, he is an exceptional writer.