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Title: SELF-IGNORANCE
Review: This book is an autobiography and, as such, is supposed to be an exploration of self. It is not. There is no self-knowledge in this book. If Paul Monette came to any conclusions about his life they are not on display here. Here there is self-congratulation and self-loathing side by side and, achingly, these qualities never meet. He hates being homosexual, hates his body, hates his lack of talent--emotions churn unendingly--but never, Never, NEVER does he realize that these hates are aspects of one whole. Bitter invectives against the government, the straight world, people in general are presented with a self-complacency that astounded me from someone who never ceases to beat his own breast about other things and cry "mea culpa." It's like the man is two people, and these two haven't had a conversation in years. This book is a disaster from any point of view
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