I'm about 40 pages into the novel now, and its world is starting to become more familiar. The reverse chronology takes some getting used to, and I have to think about some of the events that are occurring by trying to reverse them in my mind. I really like how this makes me think about the "real" events (if they were going forward) and allows me to question their conventional "goodness" or "badness."
I have my doubts about the logic of the text--the attempted "realism" of the book (esp from the view of the narrator, who may not be entirely trustworthy) doesn't always work--like the fact that everyone would be talking backwards, which is mentioned a few times, but that the author isn't always consistent about. I understand this is for our convenience, putting conversations backwards by sentences is already difficult enough to follow. Can you imagine if all the words were backwards? It'd be very hard to read, but I think truer to the potential of the form Amis has chosen (invented?).
I also wonder what the relationship between Tod and the narrator is--though I guess this will probably be explained--I picture the evil vestigial twin head of the Mike's Hard Lemonade commercials--as the narrator is some sort of invisible parasite.
That's all for now. I hope to really kick into gear and have the book done by the end of the week.
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