''The Quantity Theory of Insanity'' is a collection of short stories by
Will Self. It won the
Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize
The Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize is a British literary prize established in 1963 in tribute to Geoffrey Faber, founder and first Chairman of the publisher Faber & Faber. It recognises a single volume of poetry or fiction by a United Kingdom, Irish ...
in 1993.
Publishing details
First published in 1991 in paperback
it was the first published collection of the author's short work and includes themes and characters (such as
Zack Busner Zack Busner is a recurring character in the fiction of British author Will Self, appearing in the short story collections '' The Quantity Theory of Insanity'', ''Grey Area'', '' Dr. Mukti and Other Tales of Woe'', the novels ''Great Apes'', '' The B ...
) that are common throughout Self's shorter and longer fiction.
Self received an advance of £1,700 for the work.
Within this collection, as well as Dr Busner appearing in two of the stories, the fictional tribe the "Ur-Bororo" are a touchstone. Specifically in the story "Understanding the Ur-Bororo" and subtly in "Ward 9" and the title story. The book is prefaced by the traditional Ur-Bororo saying "However far you may travel in this world, you will still occupy the same volume of space."
Praise for the collection came from fellow authors and critics.
"If a manic J. G. Ballard and a depressive David Lodge got together, they might produce something like ''The Quantity Theory of Insanity''. But Will Self's world is all his own" - Martin Amis
Martin Louis Amis (born 25 August 1949) is a British novelist, essayist, memoirist, and screenwriter. He is best known for his novels ''Money'' (1984) and ''London Fields'' (1989). He received the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his memoir '' ...
[https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-quantity-theory-of-insanity-9781408827451/ ]
"'Will Self's ''The Quantity Theory of Insanity'' is as disturbing as satire ought to be and these days seldom is. Also it is unashamedly funny as well as chilling, presented with an air of cunning repose" - ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''
Stories
;"The North London book of the Dead"
A young man's mother dies. After her funeral he begins to see her acting as normal. At first he wonders if this is an effect of his
grief
Grief is the response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or some living thing that has died, to which a bond or affection was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, grief also has physical, cogni ...
addled mind, until he approaches and talks to one of the apparitions.
;"Ward 9"
A new
art therapist
Art therapy (not to be confused with ''arts therapy'', which includes other creative therapies such as drama therapy and music therapy) is a distinct discipline that incorporates creative methods of expression through visual art media. Art ther ...
begins treating the psychological patients on the eponymous Ward 9. As the story progresses the therapist becomes more embroiled in the lives of the patients, begins taking medication one of them gives him and investigates the machine in the basement of the hospital. The ward is overseen by Zack Busner, a position he also holds during the story "Dr Mukti" in another of Self's collections.
;"Understanding the Ur-Bororo"
A man wonders what happened to his friend Janner from the days when they were at school in
Reigate together. His friend had tended towards secrecy and reclusiveness at the time, before disappearing completely. Then he bumps into him in a laundrette. Over dinner he explains where he has been and who he has been studying.
;"The Quantity Theory of Insanity"
The title story deals with the creation, testing and impact of the "Quantity Theory of Insanity." A Number of scientists are involved including Zack Busner. The Doctors use a group of patients in a concept house in
Willesden Junction
Willesden Junction is a railway station in Harlesden, north-west London, UK. It is served by both London Overground and London Underground services.
History
The station developed on three contiguous sites: the West Coast Main Line (WCML) st ...
.
;"Mono Cellular"
A man suffers from insomnia. Waiting to sleep he compiles a list of things keeping him awake and muses upon his recent life and where it is going- however it is clear that he is afflicted by a certain level of 'insanity', as his musings become more and more erratic and irrelevant.
;"Waiting"
A man watches his friend James descend into madness exacerbated by a cult-like group led by a
motorcycle courier named Carlos. James is obsessed with waiting, and goes to great lengths to avoid it. He contends that all people are constantly waiting and rails against it passionately.
References
External links
Official Will Self site*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quantity Theory of Insanity, The
1991 short story collections
Bloomsbury Publishing books
Short story collections by Will Self