Cock and Bull

Cock and Bull
by Will Self

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Book Summary Information

Author: Will Self
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-03-09
ISBN: 0802141374
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Grove Press

Book Reviews of Cock and Bull

Book Review: Writing Style is Enough to Drive the Reader Onward
Summary: 5 Stars

If only I were a true reviewer of books instead of the Neanderthal pointing in the direction of Will Self grumbling out the words 'he good!' I have only read this book of Mr. Self's at this point, with Great Apes next on my list. It is his prose, his unexpected twist of phrase, and his British English slang ('offie', 'fanny', 'knickers', 'kit') that keeps me enthralled. It almost doesn't matter what the book is about; his sentences are like candy first popped in the mouth; the intensity of flavour makes you run it all round inside your cake-hole from cheek to cheek to maximize the joy. I found myself rereading sentences simply because of the words and images he'd juxtaposed.
As for the stories (there are two novelettes to the book), I found myself thinking about the scenes and the emotions long after I'd finished a chapter. One of the other reviewers in Amazon had mentioned that the woman in the first novelette, the one who grows a penis, had no personality, no depth to her. But Self has us grow with her in her development of a sense of pride and substance throughout the evolution of her penis (it ends up being much more than a nub). In the second story, likewise, our protagonist, Bull, is developing a vagina, and we come to feel vulnerable along with him, farce though it be. We almost fall in love with Bull, the muscular rugby player, who sobs uncontrollbaly at having had a 'bad day', feels lonely, and needs to 'talk.' He feels the hormones racing through his body.
I find that this book, short and to the point as it is, has altered my neuronal firing patterns in a permanent way. I will often think of the things Self has had his characters feel and experience. I'm looking forward to reading his other books and maybe catch him on one of the British game shows that he's been on.

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Summary of Cock and Bull

"Cock: A Novelette" is the story of a woman who grows a fully functional penis. "Bull: A Farce" is the story of a man who acquires a vagina and all its companion parts. There are, however, complications. Cock & Bull, the book that introduced an enfant terrible of English letters to an American audience, has quickly become a classic of blistering satire.

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