This completely blew me away.

I read it in bed, in one sitting, until about 3 a.m.

It was in 1984, in my rented room at the top of a rambling mansion in Sussex.

I've never read it since, and don't need to.

For me, it is head and shoulders above his other laborious fictions.

This is the real thing.

It can be compared with Fowles' "The Magus" because it is based, covertly, on experience.

The story was so captivating that it held my attention throughout the night.

The setting of the old mansion added an air of mystery and charm.

The characters came to life on the pages, and I felt as if I was part of their world.

The author's writing style was engaging and unique, making it a truly unforgettable read.

Even after all these years, I still remember the impact this book had on me.

It is a classic that will always be cherished.

Alan Desland, a rather conservative low-brow British porcelain dealer, falls head over heels in love mainly with the eclectic and beautiful yet guilt-ridden German Käthe during a trip to Copenhagen.

From here, it goes from bad to worse in a very erotic frenzy, where reality is constantly up for negotiation between heavy mysticism, foggy British landscapes and religious acts.

The sex scenes are wild and weird. Their love is curiously disturbing - like when Alan remarks about his beloved that her dress fits her as well as the skin fits a deer!

Maybe it's not such a great book, but I have a rather special relationship with it. I read it for the first time at the age of 19, at a time when I myself was more or less afraid of going crazy and otherwise was heart-poundingly in love, and at that time its play with the boundaries of reality made a big impression on me. Recently, I then caught sight of its spine on an unexpected book shelf and decided to reread it, and although the story doesn't stand out as strongly as in my memory, it has nevertheless been a lovely (and a bit creepy) reunion!

I first came across this piece approximately 37 years ago, and at that time, I was truly captivated by its wonder. However, upon revisiting it this time, I found the initial 100 pages or so to be rather dull and uninteresting. But perhaps it's not the fault of the text itself. Maybe my concentration levels have diminished over the years. Despite this, it still remains a good read. The plot is highly unusual, which keeps the reader engaged and intrigued. Moreover, it offers an astute and perceptive observation of adult passions, delving deep into the complex emotions and desires that drive us as adults. It's a thought-provoking and engaging work that, despite its initial sluggishness, manages to draw the reader in and leave a lasting impression.

Abandoned circa 30%, because I just don't care.

I've tried twice before to get into this, and both times I failed to get beyond the first chapter. Since I enjoyed Adams' epic fantasy MAIA, I thought my previous fails must've been sheer moodiness. So this time I pushed onward, but nope. Alan's narration is unspeakably dull. When he's not scaling epic heights of uninteresting ceramic-related factoids, he's busy being a stuck-up ass. He goes on and on about how he doesn't care for other people. But quite honestly, I can see why nobody wants to hang with him. His superiority complex and superficiality, disguised by babbling references to Greek theatre and ceramic manufacturing, are a huge turnoff. We've all met this sort before. The super-nerd for something, where you groan internally each time he or she sits at your table because you KNOW all he/she can talk about is their fascination with that thing, but nobody else is remotely interested in said topic. You just sit there, nibbling your sandwich or sipping your coffee, surreptitiously checking your watch or phone to see how soon you can escape.

That's what Alan's narration is like. It's also full of "tally-ho, good chap!" mid-century Britishisms. I wanted to punch him in the face after 10 pages. Uber-slang is cute when Bertie Wooster does it; Alan just comes off as a pretentious, overly educated snob.

1 star for sheer dullness. Maybe it gets better after the first third, but I won't be there to see it. A 300-some page (supposed) erotic supernatural novel shouldn't take that long to get to the meat and potatoes. It's a real disappointment, and I'm glad I didn't waste any more of my time on it.