Philosophers can find honesty and modesty a tricky subject, the temptation to add validity to awkward and chaotic intellectualism by simply taking themselves very, very seriously often proves to be unavoidably seductive.
Lars Iyer's 'Spurious' doesn't suffer in this way, much of the enjoyment in reading the book is in the access you are granted to the shortcomings of its characters. Sneer, snipe and scoff along with W. and Lars at their pretentions and vanity, their silliness and pointlessness, their drunkenness and restlessness. Lars self-deprecates. W. verbally defecates on Lars. We enjoy this, it is funny and delivered with wit and spite but mostly it's the pie in face, pants down clownishness contrasted with real intelligence that makes this book worth owning, because despite all of their foolishness they are also worthwhile thinkers. The humour overall plays a lesser role than the weighty, articulate and stylish observations. The mild paralysis in the characters' lives is largely the result of the challenges of philosophical pursuits but it is also the origins of this book's humour.
'Spurious' is an unkempt journal of philosophers behaving uncannily like people; keep it with you for spontaneous thirty minute trips to the pub. Pick passages at random and enjoy their humour, modesty, Englishness and depth.
JKemmetmuller, Not the Booker review
