To get the rage every time I hear / read anything by Will Self

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid]

Every time he comes on radio 4 or I stumble across anything he's written I just end up angry.

Obviously he has his fans but to me he just sounds like a pompous arse who has swallowed a dictionary.

Grrrr

Love him!

YABU. We need people like Will Self who oppose the nonsense brashly and loudly.

I think he's highly intelligent and perceptive, but (and I'm possibly being unfair here) for me, his way of writing and speaking smack of intellectual snob, so I tend to avoid both.

intellectual snobbery.

YANBU.

He is a pretentious gobshite.

I respect what he does, but prefer his journalism to his novels, which I don't much warm to.

YANBU - whether I agree with his point or not, I can't watch him. It's his delivery! So up his own arse, inflexible to others opinions and often just shouty. We like to watch Question Time but I am so annoyed when he's on the panel because he is all you will hear!

I'm angry talking about him now even!

Yanbu. I've often wondered if anyone has ever actually read one of his novels. However, I can't help but admire him hugely for overcoming his heroin addiction. That is a truly stupendous and massive achievement.

Have you read Great Apes? Loved that book. Although it's more clever than creative.

Book of Dave is a great book. I've got loads of his novels and that's my favourite.

He's upset you by describing George Orwell as a mediocrity, hasn't he?

He always strikes me as tremendously impressed with himself and his cleverness. There doesn't seem to be anything warm or attractive to balance the acerbic delivery and ego.

Can't abide him nor that Keith Allen bloke.

Whaat?? He is brilliant. I liked his monologue on consumerism, I think it was on last week.

Never read his novels. I think I started Book of Dave, but couldn't stick with it.

He has the same effect on me.

I was prejudiced against him from the start, as the first I was aware of him was when he was in the news for taking heroin on John Major's plane. That alone made me think of him as a loser-ish arse.

As he's fairly left wing, he says things that I think are complete bollocks, but says them in total confident/patronising/arrogant tone. If there's one thing worse than listening to someone talk bollocks, it's listening to someone who hasn't got the slightest bit of humility about the bollocks they are talking.

I suspect I probably wouldn't mind his writing though, as long as it wasn't on political topics. (Can't remember what I've read, certainly not any fiction.)

I find his voice and manner very annoying. His writing I can cope with, even when I disagree with the content. Lots of people write bollocks I disagree with. On the page it's merely slightly annoying, it's only when you hear the sanctimonious voice on the radio that you feel like punching something.

I think he suffers from an excess of self-esteem.

to me he just sounds like a pompous arse who has swallowed a dictionary.

I think that probably is the best summary of how I feel.

an excess of self-esteem

Yanbu. I tried to read one of his books once - let's just say I didn't try very hard and have no intention of ever trying again.

I think he's less a case of intellectual snobbery and more a case of intellectual nobbery.

Self's article quotes the following:

George Orwell's rules for writing (from Politics and the English Language)

(i) Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

(ii) Never use a long word where a short one will do.

(iii) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

(iv) Never use the passive where you can use the active.

(v) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

(vi) Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

It is the exact opposite of Self's own rules for writing.

I think he's quite sexist but I cannot remember what I read which made me think that now. He has had two families with two wives I believe.

YANBU not at all - he inspires "The Rage" in me! Grace Dent has the same effect

I've just read some nobbishness of his about George Orwell.

If you're that devastatingly intelligent why were you a team captain on Shooting Stars? Huh, Self? WHY? Or were you being ironic?

YANBU

To be fair, that is the extent of my acquaintance with Self. I have heard he's very clever and educated and stuff yada yada...

I agree with most of the above, but I still adore him! I have a bit of a weakness for arrogance and long words. I have read most of his books - he's not the greatest storyteller, but he does write beautiful sentences.