The Boy Who Heard Music - Chapter 16 - Thumbnail

"Alcohol and Pregnancy"

The first difficult chapter in a while but with some action and more than a little punning.

Josh and Leila begin the theme of pessimism vs. optimism with a debate about children she could bear with either Josh or Gabriel. Gabriel describes her as "broody" in the first of the puns. The theme, of course, is also echoed in the latest Message From Our Author.

Then we jump to Leila getting all drunk in Brixton, getting wrapped in plastic and later found in the skip, not dead like Laura Palmer
but raped. Hmm, put a speedball injection in place of Saran Wrap and heart stoppage in place of rape and the whole scene seems rather familiar.

Meanwhile Gabriel does his least to satisfy a girl he thinks he is love with (leading to his introductory remark while driving, "Too fast for you?" Tut-tut, P.T.). Meanwhile Glass' success has led to the inevitable backlash in the British press, thanks to a well-timed radio message.

However, a good half of the chapter is taken up with a heady confrontation between Ray and his art school professor who belittles his pessimistic view of "The Grid" and says he has abandoned his "art" by becoming a rock star. Most of it sounds like the most sobbish professor-speak you can imagine. I wonder whether Our Author is being satirical or means us to swallow the professor's swill? Guess it depends on whether you take his remarks as half-full or half-empty.