Login  |  Register          Free Newsletter Subscription
The Book Maven   


Link This | Email this | Blog This | Comments (6)


Recommended Reading: 'The Melancholy Fate of Capt. Lewis'
November 6, 2007

Say what you will about MySpace and the creepiness of anyone over a certain age hanging around over there -- [NB: See comments below; I was imprecise. I don't think it's creepy for anyone to be on MySpace because of age... but I know that there are some people out there who think so. Please forgive me for hitting "Publish" too soon -- Bethanne, Nov. 9] it's a great thing for books and their authors. MySpace allows authors to quickly and easily share their work and their world with readers, and this can be awfully interesting. Where else can you see that an author is currently interested in "16th century English bibles and chivalric novels" and "occult roots of Nazism," then immediately see that he reveres James Dean and Caroline Kennedy? 

Well, Michael Pritchett shares all of that and more on his MySpace page for his new novel, The Melancholy Fate of Capt. Lewis (Unbridled Books), and once you've made your way through the book, you'll be even more fascinated by Pritchett's idiosyncratic mind (shout-out to Sarah, of course).

                                                    Cover Image

The Melancholy Fate of Capt. Lewis weaves together the loosely historical saga of legendary explorer Meriwether Lewis with the present-day tale of high-school history teacher Bill Lewis. Both men have their troubles -- Meriwether struggles with his brutal leadership style, Bill with his troubled adolescent son -- but the richness of the story derives from the emotional terrain that's covered (for more, check out this review). As Bill attempts to write a novel about Meriwether, the depression that the men share becomes a means by which Pritchett can examine how our cultural attitudes towards other people's demons can rile those demons.

Although this novel provides a demon's-eye-view of what it's like to suffer through depression, I was less interested when I finished in whether or not Pritchett himself has battled a bout or three of the illness than I was in what kinds of references and ideas went in to his depiction of it. I count that as a good book, and I count myself fortunate that I can learn something about Pritchett's references and ideas on MySpace.

Posted by Bethanne Patrick on November 6, 2007 | Comments (6)


November 7, 2007
In response to: Recommended Reading: 'The Melancholy Fate of Capt. Lewis'
Kat Brokaw commented:

Recommendation from moi: read Stephen King's Cell and McCarthy's The Road. Compare.




November 7, 2007
In response to: Recommended Reading: 'The Melancholy Fate of Capt. Lewis'
Kevin A. Lewis commented:

Actually, compare The Road and Cousin Stevie's The Stand... Also, I'd been aware that Capt. Lewis was a bit of a nutter who eventually offed himself, but didn't know the details; have to check book out...




November 7, 2007
In response to: Recommended Reading: 'The Melancholy Fate of Capt. Lewis'
Conan the Grammarian commented:

Ageism is the last refuge of the biased mind, an adage you richly illustrate with your mention of "the creepiness of anyone over a certain age hanging around" MySpace. What are you suggesting—that visitors be "reverse-carded" in order to access the site? ("You, Grandpa—out of the mosh pit!") This prejudice is endemic to mainstream media. Even ostensibly hip *Entertainment Weekly* falls prey to it: Reviewing Sidney Lumet's *Long Day's Journey into Night* in the 11/02/07 issue, Owen Gleiberman bloviated: "Lumet, at 83, works with the vigor and cunning of a virtuoso half his age." (No, Owen: He works with the vigor and cunning of a virtuoso *precisely* his age.) The unexamined life may or may not be worth living. What's certain is that the unexamined sentence is not worth publishing. Your readers expect—and demand—better of you.




November 8, 2007
In response to: Recommended Reading: 'The Melancholy Fate of Capt. Lewis'
Bethanne commented:

Conan the Grammarian, I stand corrected, but only because I was not precise. I don't think there's anything creepy about anyone of any age hanging out on MySpace, unless of course they are there for creepy reasons. What I meant to say and imply is that this is an attitude some people have. I wrote hastily and sloppily. Forgive me, please?




November 8, 2007
In response to: Recommended Reading: 'The Melancholy Fate of Capt. Lewis'
Conan the Grammarian commented:

Conan's steely resolve is invariably undone by genuine contrition. Tapping you thrice on the shoulder with the Mouse of Mercy, formerly known as the Blue Pencil of Beatitude, I hereby dub thee resolvèd.




November 8, 2007
In response to: Recommended Reading: 'The Melancholy Fate of Capt. Lewis'
Dwayne Parsons commented:

Good for you. I'm glad to see your apology to your readers. I'll continue to come back.





POST A COMMENT
Display Name or Registered Users Login Here.
Please restrict submissions to less than 7,000 characters (including any HTML formatting).

Before submitting this form, please type the characters displayed above:

Advertisement
Advertisements



VIRTUAL EDITION


Virtual Edition



©2008 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Use of this Web site is subject to its Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Please visit these other Reed Business sites