The writing is awkward, even ________, but the novel has nonetheless attracted a large ________.
- felicitous . . . following
- grotesque . . . vacuity
- elegant . . . repertoire
- graceful . . . audience
- ungainly . . . readership
(E. ungainly . . . readership) The first word here must have a meaning like awkward, but more intense. The only choices are grotesque, B, or ungainly, E, but only E has a noun (readership) that fits the second blank.