Contemporary Britain Seems An Endlessly Fascinating Place

I Had No Sense Of Any Reputation That What A Carve Up! Might Acquire - At The Time I Didnt Even Have A Publisher, So My Main Worry Was Whether It Was Even Going To See The Light Of Day Or Not.

For Many Weeks After [my Wife] Died, I Could Not Get Used To The Feeling Of Coldness And Lifelessness On Her Side Of The Bed - And It Was Even Worse When They Took The Body Away And Buried Her.

Ah, Well, I Have No Talent For Nonfiction, That's My Problem.

I Was Mainly In A State Of Nervousness While I Wrote It - Nervousness That It Was Far Bigger And More Complicated Than Anything Id Attempted Before, And That Maybe My Talent Just Wasnt Up To It And The Book Would Have To Be Abandoned, Or Would Turn Out Not To Work At All When It Was Finished.

I Live A Perfectly Happy And Comfortable Life In Blair's Britain, But I Can't Work Up Much Affection For The Culture We've Created For Ourselves: It's Too Cynical, Too Knowing, Too Ironic, Too Empty Of Real Value And Meaning.