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19th out of 21 books
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About the Author
Just how did Cal Cunningham -- a twenty-five-year-old bookstore stockboy who is new to Manhattan and who has never written anything -- publish a bestselling novel that sells to the movies for a million dollars?A mysterious roommate, a timely bike accident, and the rapacious literary agent Blackie Yaeger all play a role in Cal's success.Deception, blackmail, and murder all ...more
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
August 1st 2002
by Harper Perennial
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Execellent execution of an interesting premise. It was clever and fast paced. I enjoyed it start to finish. Great book. Especially in the context of A Million Little Pieces, et al.
This story is fast-paced and clever. One of those good reads you don’t want to put down. It’s got all the attributes of a Coen Bros. screenplay (dry humor, shocking visuals, irony)...maybe we’ll see it on the big screen someday?
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An interesting premise, let down in execution. The protagonist is the literary equivalent of the woman who runs upstairs in the horror film; you know that no good can come out of her stupidity.
The interesting psychological terrain that the author carves out patiently in the first fifty or so pages is quickly washed away by predictable and not terribly impressive plot developments. The writing becomes formulaic and not particularly inspired. But the saving grace is the ending, which mu...more
The interesting psychological terrain that the author carves out patiently in the first fifty or so pages is quickly washed away by predictable and not terribly impressive plot developments. The writing becomes formulaic and not particularly inspired. But the saving grace is the ending, which mu...more
This book started out real good and then about 75-100 pages in, it turned into one of those books that I would have to force myself to finish. The only reason I kept on reading was because a friend gave it to me and I knew she would see my review on here so I kept plodding along and all of a sudden I found myself unable to put it down. In the end it all comes together in a way I wasn't expecting and now I am very glad the friend gave it to me and I am glad I kept on reading when I was tempted ...more
For writer-types like me, this novel is a hoot. It tells of Cal Cunningham, a wannabe writer whose nerdy roommate secretly pens a novel based on the Cal’s sexual adventures on the New York City singles scene, which consume a lot more of his time and energy than writing does. After the roommate dies, Cal steals his manuscript and publishes it as his own, winning literary fame and wealth but eventually entangling himself in blackmail and murder. With wry wit and considerable insight on the lit biz...more
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A wholly believable, engaging and above all, funny story. Really well written, which not always true of a plot-centric book like this. The characters behave like human beings not chess pieces.
I think what I loved most was that I really could completely identify with Cal. He is not a wicked man by any stretch, he’s all-too-human - a little self-obsessed, slightly Machiavellian, ambitious, lazy, riddled with guilt and very sorry when he hurts people, even the woman who’s made his life...more
I think what I loved most was that I really could completely identify with Cal. He is not a wicked man by any stretch, he’s all-too-human - a little self-obsessed, slightly Machiavellian, ambitious, lazy, riddled with guilt and very sorry when he hurts people, even the woman who’s made his life...more
I’m a fan of John Colapinto. As Nature Made Him – a non-fiction work about the boy who was raised as a girl – was disturbing and fascinating and I’m always happy to see his stuff in the New Yorker. About The Author is clever, entertaining, fast-paced quick read about Cal Cunningham – an “author” of sorts (although he has never written anything) – who gets into all kinds of sticky illegal troubles when he “borrows” his roommates work and it becomes a huge bestseller.
Clever enjoyable book about a writing wanna be who finds his roommates draft novel after he is killed is a biking accident. When he sees that the novel is about his late night exploits he decides to claim he is the author. The novel becoes a huge success and he becomes very wealthy. But someone knows he has lied about the book and they will keep quiet about it if...
Fun book that becomes a book within a book. Twists and turns. Was looking for a little bit more of a "wow"...more
Fun book that becomes a book within a book. Twists and turns. Was looking for a little bit more of a "wow"...more
This book was the most pleasure I had reading in recent years. A roller coaster ride. Not that I would hang around with this guy but this the kind of book I would give as gift, not for the story but for the prose.
John Colapinto proved to be an excellent writer.
I never heard of him before I visited a bookstore on a rainy day. I picked up this release and read a few paragraphs, and a brief comment from Stephen King on the back cover made me purchase it.
John Colapinto proved to be an excellent writer.
I never heard of him before I visited a bookstore on a rainy day. I picked up this release and read a few paragraphs, and a brief comment from Stephen King on the back cover made me purchase it.
John Colapinto's "About the Author" is a well-paced, well-written, farcical tale. Its highly improbable plot and exaggerated characters are lots of fun, but I think it is a stretch to call this dark or clever. The author does a great job poking fun at the literati and his nods to pop culture are right on the mark. This is a book that does not require a lot from its reader- it is yummy, brain-candy!
This is a novel for those who've ever dreamed of being a famous (i.e. celebrity) writer, and who claim they'd do anything to make it happen. A wickedly paced, hilarious yet suspenseful first novel, you'll have difficultly setting this book down once you start.
Also, and I don't feel this way often, I hope this book is made into a film. It lends itself perfectly to a movie treatment, and I do NOT mean that as an insult.
A wonderful read highly recommended.
Also, and I don't feel this way often, I hope this book is made into a film. It lends itself perfectly to a movie treatment, and I do NOT mean that as an insult.
A wonderful read highly recommended.
This is a very good book. From the title, which has multiple meanings, to its skewering of pop culture, I have to say I liked it from beginning to end. Colapinto's writing is very descriptive and the word pictures readily pop into your head. (A movie has to be in the works.) But their is some grit to go along with the entertaining read and for my money that is often the best type of combination.
This is a pretty straight forward story that I enjoyed immensely. Nothing fancy and an easy read. If you have ever thought of putting pen to paper yourself, you'll enjoy this book.
Colapinto does a good job of pulling you along as you're waiting for the "other shoe to drop".
A bit "formula" towards at the end, but a tense ride getting there.
Colapinto does a good job of pulling you along as you're waiting for the "other shoe to drop".
A bit "formula" towards at the end, but a tense ride getting there.
For some reason I thought that this would be a literary book with elements of a thriller, but it's really a straight-up thriller with literary scenery, so to speak -- which is okay, too. Hugely improbable ending but pretty clever and well-written.
So clever: A novel about a novel, narrated by an author who isn't the author. While you won't like this slimy leading man who benefits from everyone else's misfortunes, you'll chuckle at the way lies can grow and take root.
Spent a perfectly sunny day smiling my way thru this book! Shaking my head time after time figuring out the next plot twist - and its twtisted - made this book more than amusing. Book in a book - it's a good read.
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I was bored reading this book, but I have to admit that was primarily me, not the story. It was inventive, with a unique narrator, and not entirely predictable ending. I think I just read it at the wrong time. It's not a keeper for me, though.
After reading a review from 500daysofkissingmypillow, I was intrigued. Looking it up on Amazon and seeing Stephen King’s review, I knew I had to read it. It isn’t that bad, but maybe I went in with such high expectations that I was anticipating tearing into the pages. I realize that maybe Mr. King and I have different tastes, because I managed to it down. For several hours. The protagonist, Cal Cunningham was fascinating to read though, a character you’d love to hate but you also can’t help but ...more
A 2.5 star review.
This book is really the poster child of "What a tangled web we weave, when at first we practise to deceive."
Honestly, I mostly wasn't too impressed. About half way through I could sense that the author was just a couple of pages away from making a really, really bad mistake. I wanted to shake him and make him stop, and the only way I could do that was by putting the book down, so it took me quite a bit longer to read than the size of the book w...more
This book is really the poster child of "What a tangled web we weave, when at first we practise to deceive."
Honestly, I mostly wasn't too impressed. About half way through I could sense that the author was just a couple of pages away from making a really, really bad mistake. I wanted to shake him and make him stop, and the only way I could do that was by putting the book down, so it took me quite a bit longer to read than the size of the book w...more
Interesting, different from what I normally read. At times it felt like the writing was rushed--like he was trying to hurry up with parts of the story. The ending was very good.
Dear Group,
This books is one of those that you simply whiz right through because it is so very gripping. I'd have to say this is absolutely one of my top 25 favorite books.
This books is one of those that you simply whiz right through because it is so very gripping. I'd have to say this is absolutely one of my top 25 favorite books.
Read this for PMS book club. I can't say I loved the book but I read it like a train wreck I couldn't keep my eyes off of.
This is not my usual genre. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. A quick, fun "summertime" thriller.
A fast read, lots of potential in the beginning and very end, but somewhere in the middle it kind of spins out of control.
a great read! finished it in a day as i couldn't bear to put it down once i started.
Funny, clever, suspenseful, satirical, this would make a good movie! (in joke!)
Only halfway through but I'm loving it!
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An award-winning journalist, author and novelist and is currently a staff writer at The New Yorker.
Prior to working at The New Yorker, Colapinto wrote for Vanity Fair, New York magazine and The New York Times Magazine, and in 1995 he became a contributing editor at Rolling Stone,[1] where he published feature stories on a variety of subjects ranging from AIDS, to kids and guns, to hero...more
More about John Colapinto...
Prior to working at The New Yorker, Colapinto wrote for Vanity Fair, New York magazine and The New York Times Magazine, and in 1995 he became a contributing editor at Rolling Stone,[1] where he published feature stories on a variety of subjects ranging from AIDS, to kids and guns, to hero...more
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