"Some who caught me that way were more understanding: one married woman even asked to read it, finding it amusing," he says, smiling a little at this. But growing serious again, he adds, "But some were not so accepting of this: my sister Fuschia was horrified and one older woman hit me with the book and told me that I was wasting my time. And a young man whom I know from Gormenghast taunted me for it."