Marriage by Robert Aickman

 

MARRIAGE by Robert Aickman

“It was hot has Hell.” (sic)

It has much Hell today, too, for me where I live!

Meanwhile, anyone who has read this story, will probably believe this is Aickman’s most remarkable story. Some will think it is his worst, others his best. Some his most salacious, or most politically incorrect, or most scandalously absurdist in a very good way that opens our eyes. In a very bad way, too. I think I am in all camps. It leaves me hot, it leaves me thankfully cold.

The story of a man called Laming (a Christian Name) and I note that ‘Taming the Shrew’ is mentioned later on in the story. Except he is the one arguably being tamed, tamed by three shrews, Helen Black, Ellen Brown and his Mum like the Mum in ‘The Fetch’ yesterday. There are a number of sexual elephants in the room of this story involving, not only metaphorical elephants that  are now airbrushed by me  in this review but also literal ones that become various large heavy parcels and other burdens. Sciatica, Bayreuth et al.

Arbitrary errands of delivery punctuated by bouts of paranoia and acts of stalking as well as coincidences of encounter in theatres, cafes and parks. 

The answer to life, the universe, everything — especially at “Forty-two Washwood Court, North West six”? But it must be hot in London today, even hotter than it is here where I write this beside the story’s “immense divan.”

All my Aickman articles linked from here: https://dflewisreviews.wordpress.com/robert-aickman/