The title caught my attention – Death of a Writer. It’s a new hardcover release by Booker Prize nominee Michael Collins. The publisher describes it like this:
For Robert Pendleton, a professor clinging to tenure and living in the shambles of his once-bright literary career, death seems to be the only remaining option. But his suicide attempt fails, halted at the last moment by the intervention of Adi Wiltshire, a graduate student battling her own demons of failure and thwarted ambition. During Pendleton’s long convalescence, Adi discovers a novel hidden in his basement: a brilliant, semi-autobiographical story with a gruesome child-murder at its core.
The publication of Scream causes a storm of publicity: a whirlwind into which Adi, Horowitz and the still-incapacitated Pendleton are thrust. The novel is treated as an existential masterpiece and looks set to bring its author the success he’s always sought – when, ironically, he is no longer in a condition to appreciate it – until questions begin to be asked about its content: in particular about the uncanny resemblance between Pendleton’s fictional crime and a real-life, unresolved local murder. Enter Jon Ryder, a world-weary detective who could have walked off the pages of a police thriller, and the hunt for the murderer is on.
Publishers Weekly says: “The philosophical and literary digressions may annoy some readers, but all should appreciate the fully-realized characters, lyrical place descriptions and dark, circuitous plot.” Honestly, I have no idea what that means. Not sure what those digressions are and why everyone is going to be so upset, but the rest of that sentence sounds good.
Kirkus Reviews says: “Mystery, tragedy and farce converge in this engaging novel of considerable psychological depth…The suspense makes this a page-turner until the climax, as Collins’s plot combines academic satire, philosophical speculation and tragedy.” Again with the philosophy angle…but it does sound good to me.
The wonderful folks from Valley Bookfest gave me a Barnes & Noble gift certificate as part of my speaker’s bag of goodies. Seems to me this book is the perfect way to spend it.
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It does sound very interesting. Let us know how it is.
by Pat L. September 2nd, 2006 at 11:53 amPlease let us know what you think of it! It does sound interesting.
by Estella Kissell September 2nd, 2006 at 3:53 pmIt sounds like a very good book. I enjoy reading mysteries.
by Carol September 3rd, 2006 at 7:57 amI’m reading it now for a book review (yes, I know, the frightening idea that an author would review another author’s work! I never get tired of fucktards who complain about that…you know who you are, said fucktards) and can tell you it is pretty stirring stuff.
by tod goldberg September 6th, 2006 at 2:31 pm