Double Debuts
by Daisy Maryles -- Publishers Weekly, 9/29/2003
At the #10 spot is a debut novel, The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, from independent house MacAdam/Cage. Publisher David Poindexter called it "one of the most brilliant and original books I've read in a long time"; so far, the critics agree. MacAdam/Cage paid six figures for world rights, its biggest advance yet. Bestselling author Scott Turow, along with Today Show cohost Matt Lauer, named the novel as Today's newest book club pick on September 17. Film rights have been optioned to New Line in association with Plan B, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's company; the couple plan to star. First printing was 30,000; for the Today Book Club, an additional 40,000 were printed. Another 15,000 copies are on press now, for 85,000 copies in print.
Jonathan Lethem's sixth novel, The Fortress of Solitude, was one of the buzz books at BEA. While the author has enjoyed critical acclaim (his 1999 Motherless Brooklyn won the National Book Critics Circle award), this is his first national bestseller. Doubleday has 90,000 copies in print after two trips to press and the author kicked off his 12-city tour in Brooklyn last week.
