DEAF SENTENCE

I have played variations on the phonetic near-equivalence of 'deaf' and 'death' -- writes David Lodge and it seems that this is the main thrust of his latest book. The main character, Desmond Bates, who is a retired professor of linguistics is battling with his deafness and realising as he writes his journal, and changes from first to third person from time to time, that the 'deaf sentence' in the title is to him a kind of death sentence as well. He plays with this concept and explores death and deafness in many walks of life. 'This seems to be turning into some kind of journal, or notes for an autobiography, or perhaps just occupational therapy' he says, and we realise that for David Lodge himself, suffering from deafness as he does, it is his autobiography within the autobiography of Desmond Bates.