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Daniel Silva’s book The Messenger is on this coming Sunday’s New York Times bestseller list. Again. It’s been on the list for weeks. (It appears to be slipping.) As you know, most bestsellers aren’t worth discussing. They certainly don’t need extra attention. That’s why we rarely review them in The Stranger.
Rarely, but not never. Lindy West cracked open The Messenger this week. Here’s what she found.
I do read bestsellers - they are bestsellers for a reason even if they aren't worth discussing. But I read Lindy's review this afternoon at the coffeehouse, and my thought was, "If all of his books read as bad as this, how in the hell did the book get published in the first place, and who in the hell is buying this crap in droves?" Then again, I went to Freddies in search of something to read a couple of days ago. Need one look any further for answers? Makes my bestseller picks look impressive.
Bestselling authors are usually part of some big author clique and/or fraternity, and get ahead via connections and backpatting. It's been the case since the days of Hemingway and Fitzgerald.
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"He saw a skinny black-haired boy with eyes as green as emeralds chasing lightning in the hills above Nazareth."
That is a hilarious mental image.