Thread: Reading J.G. Ballard

Hi!
This is from Ballard's "Crystal World"

Dr. Sanders had made one or two attempts to talk to him, but most of the time Ventress ignored him, keeping to himself whatever reasons he had for coming to Port Matarre. However, the doctor was well inured by now to being avoided by those around him. Shortly before they embarked, a slight contretemps, more embarrassing to his fellow passengers than to himself, had arisen over the choice of a cabinmate for Dr. Sanders. His fame having preceded him (what was fame to the world at large still remained notoriety on the personal level, Sanders reflected, and no doubt the reverse was true), no one could be found to share a cabin with the assistant director of the Fort Isabelle leper hospital.

The comment in braces is not quite clear to me.
Dr. Sanders is the assistant director of the Fort Isabelle leper hospital. People respect him being a doctor but try to avoid him since they afraid that the leper can be contagious (The doctor knows that the probability is quite low but other people try to play safe). So when the doctor came to the ship nobody willed to share a cabin with him. What is written in bold I see as "Back side of a coin for the fame, people respect him but don't like to approach him" though the function of "at large" is not clear. What is written in color is absolutely unclear to me. Any help?

Originally Posted by CoffeeCup

...(what was fame to the world at large still remained notoriety on the personal level, Sanders reflected, and no doubt the reverse was true),...

Perhaps there is some confusion about the meaning here, as the usage of the word 'notorious' is not quite the most common usage.
From wiktionary: Notorious:
Adjective

notorious (comparative more notorious, superlative most notorious)

1. Widely known, especially for something bad; infamous.  [quotations ▼]

[edit] Synonyms

• ill-famed
• infamous

.The doctor is not 'notorious' from having done something bad.

Broadly speaking the doctor is famous to the world at large because of his humanitarian activity. This is the 'at large'. But up close, in person, people avoid close contact with him because of his contact with lepers. And so this is like being notorious, even though it is not the normal meaning.


' Sanders reflected, and no doubt the reverse was true'
It appears that the character thinks that the reverse may be true, that in some cases, a person may have some activity or profession that makes the person like-able in person, but to the world at large, they may be held in some disrespect. Some lawyers, or finance or bank people might be in this category. Some people have negative attitudes about lawyers, but may have a very good friend that is a lawyer.

Thanks!