Ah, to Fan the Flames of Controversy!

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Reading about some of the controversy surrounding Tristram Shandy made me recall the controversy that swirled around my first novel. Here are some of the comments that came out at the time:

"Arse-wiping would have been a better use for this paper!"

"No author should be allowed to assault his readers sense of taste in such a fashion."

"To be forced to read this book to write this review was akin to slowly peeling off one's own skin."

"I used to be a first amendment absolutist, but I have changed my mind: this book presents a drop-kick case for censorship."

"I would rather cut off my testicles with a stone axe, liquefy them in a blender, and then drink a testicle martini, than to have to read another page of this book."

Sterne, Joyce, Lawrence, Nabokov, Rushdie... the name Callahan will soon be added to that illustrious list!

(Thanks to Eamon for help compiling this list.)

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