Love vs. the cosy notions of our insular lives

I tried to read the short novel, Marisa by Peter Cowlam, over the weekend. I had picked it up at the library since I found the gist on the book flap intriguing but I found the writing style to be difficult and gave up, perhaps prematurely. This review at amazon.com (by Jennifer Armstrong of Perth, Australia) is really well written and makes me want to attempt another read.

The book..

…explores a broad range of intellectual themes, such as the psychological dynamic of left-wing and right-wing politics and their relation to art, male and female conceptions of love, our intuitive conceptions of time and the tragic nature of humour.

…the social mores we take for granted every day' might give us less than the full serve demanded of our human desires in this world. This intoxication is not to be imbibed in the form of seemingly lowbrow student confections, however. Form is not only as important as function - it is the fundamental key for Bruce, aiding him to determine his class function on the basis of certain straightforward and external social signs. Therefore, it must be via his own elitist social circle where he receives the artistic message which can reach him, the one whereby the `whole cosy notion of what civilisation is, is undermined.'