The passions that animate writers take zany shape in this playful metafictional debut novel by the author of the short story collection Kissing You.
Evan Ulmer, an anxious writer desperate for literary success, is sick of having his stories rejected by busy publishers. Growing impatient, he abducts Robert Partnow, an esteemed book editor he read about in Publisher's Weekly
, and locks him up in a basement designed for maximum comfort. There, Partnow is forced to listen to the many failures of the struggling writer, and captor and captive gradually develop a wary relationship based on honesty and loneliness. Meanwhile, the zealous media coverage of Partnow's disappearance brings to light a few of the editor's own failings and forces the duo to reevaluate their respective positions. When Ulmer isn't talking shop with his hostage, he's falling for Promise, an affection-starved writer with similar pen-in-hand ambitions. It's a nudge from Promise that finally turns the tables on Ulmer, ushering in the startling, satisfying denouement. In deadpan, witty prose embroidered with nervous detail, Hayes offers a deft, pointed look at the writing life and the fine line between ambition and delusion. (Oct.)
Forecast:
Fans of the recent films
Adaptation and
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind will enjoy Hayes's similarly comic, cerebral storytelling, as well as the novel's quirky, touching romance.
Correction:
The Stupidest Angel
, by Christopher Moore (Forecasts Oct. 4) is a hardcover, not a paperback.
