Here's one for the books. An LROD reader sent in this rejection in which the editor found the actions of character "almost too outrageous, and sometimes even nauseating. For this reason, I cannot see this as a Viking title and so I will pass." Click on the rejection to make it bigger for easier reading. In the meantime, all best and alas and cheers.
3 comments:
I'm tempted to buy this book. Here is the bad review/blurb from PW:
"Wensink's convoluted and unpolished story requires a veritable suspension bridge of disbelief. However, instead of being absorbed into what Deshler's publisher calls "bizarro fiction," the effect is more like waking up with a terrible hangover or trying to recall a bad dream. "
Notice how they conflate Deshler the character with Wensink the author. I doubt the reviewer even read the book. Not that that surprises me.
Here's a better written review from Fanzine. It doesn't praise Wensink's style, but it gives you more of an idea what kind of book it is.
http://thefanzine.com/review-patrick-wensinks-broken-piano-for-president/
Could it be worse than Swamplandia! ? Heaps of praise for how "imaginative" that book was, oy vey, yes, she's up to her eyebrows in imagination. So much imagination that an actual story worth reading drowns in it.
If Wensink was an MFA darling instead of an indie dude (read: real person with actual life experience to enrich his writing, not a workshop drone), I'm sure the literary establishment would have been all over this one. They'd classify it as "literary" instead of "bizarro fiction." My god, how these stupid labels can make or break you. (So many excellent books get the kiss of death with the YA label, that's a whole 'nother rant.)
Honestly though, that Publisher's Weekly review sounds pretty honest to me, name error not withstanding, like the reviewer was just too exhausted with the whole book to bother writing a decent review. I think I'll pass on this one.
But good for him getting his book finally published. It's a bitch out there.
Funny, i get same rejection almost and on the same day! lol
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