It was that glorious cover that caught my eye on Twitter, singing out on a dank winter’s day, and when I read its blurb Andrew Lipstein’s debut sounded right up my alley. Last Resort tells the story of how a writer came to both realise his ambition and frustrate it when his first novel is picked up by an agent who scents a bestseller but there’s a hitch.
If Vermeer read Tracy Chevalier’s The Girl with a Pearl Earring, would he feel like he was reading about himself?
Determined to become an author, Caleb Horowitz throws up his copywriting job in New York City, taking himself off to California by way of Florida and a broken heart. He knows just one person there: Avi Dietsch, an acquaintance from college who offers him a bed for the night and regales him with the story of his own romantic misadventures on a Greek island, a story he sends in written form for Caleb’s opinion. The writing is poor but the story is gripping and Caleb sees a way out of his own writing slump, working Avi’s story up into a novel which snags Ellis Buford’s attention. Soon Buford is close to brokering a substantial deal, Caleb’s broken heart has been mended by Sandra with whom he has fallen in love, even the startup he works for looks set to pay out handsomely when its takeover completes but there’s a fly in the ointment. Avi is now working in publishing and despite Caleb’s best endeavours, he’s seen the manuscript. A deal is finessed, one that satisfies Avi but not Caleb who has no choice in the matter. His resentment nags away at him, blocking his writing, infecting his relationship until he hits upon a plan that only an obsessive would conceive. What ensues benefits no one, least of all Caleb.
I am driven by what I don’t have
Regular readers might be forgiven for thinking Lipstein’s novel is a rerun of Antoine Wilson’s Mouth to Mouth which I reviewed last week but aside from a novelist told a real life story by a college acquaintance, they’re very different although they both share a thread of suspense pulled pleasingly taut. Lipstein’s novel is narrated by Caleb, not an entirely attractive character but a compelling and convincing one. There’s the occasional glimpse of self-awareness coupled with flashes of humour as Caleb hurtles towards self-destruction, caught up in his obsession, heedless of anyone else. It’s a sharply observed novel whose overarching theme is the ownership of stories: to Caleb anyone is fair game. Lipstein manages the pace of his narrative brilliantly. It had me gripped from the start, a proper literary page-turner, and the ending is a masterstroke.
Weidenfeld & Nicolson: London 9781474620109 304 pages Hardback
I managed to pick up a Kindle version of Mouth to Mouth for a bargain 99p so am really looking forward to getting into that soon. Last Resort also sounds great and have added that to the list too. Thanks Susan!
Delighted to hear that, Liz! Hope you enjoy both. I’m glad I was seduced by that lovely jacket – it’s a great read.
Reminds me of the NYT article on writers Larson and Dorland and the stolen story of a kidney donation. Looking forward to reading both your recommendations.
I’ll have to look that up! I hope you enjoy them both.
That cover is lovely! This sounds a little like The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz, although not as thriller-ish as that was. Interesting.
I couldn’t resist it! That’s an interesting comparison. I already have The Plot on my TBR list. Perhaps I should bump it up a few notches.
It’s very enjoyable and she writes about the literary world really well.
Excellent! I’ll look forward to that.
Sounds right up my street too. The ‘whose story is it to tell?’ issue always intrigues me.
Fascinating, isn’t it, Helen. As a writer, I’m sure you’ve given it much thought.
I have this one to read. Looking forward to it even more now.
Hope you enjoy it, Janet. I know you’ve been in a bit of a reading slump but this might just pull you out of it.
Writers in literature are always appealing. This one sounds very compelling. And that cover does look enticing.
It’s a very appealing theme. Those colours are so vibrant, aren’t they? Irresistible on a dank winter day which it was when I first spotted it.
The cover is so enticing, I’m not surprised you succumbed! This does sound a real page turner, and with a complex narrator.
I fell for those colours which yelled summer at me! It’s a very satisfying read.
The ownership of stories is an interesting theme! And you have me curious about the ending…
Isn’t it? I have another review of a book on a similar theme tomorrow. Always aim to keep schtum about endings but it’s a satisfying one!
Sounds like a very interesting perspective to inhabit, as a writer and, potentially, as a reader too.
How writers use the stories of others, consciously or unconsciously, is a fascinating theme, I think.