[Mithras]

(forgive the straight-out bragging, but I'm proud)

So my wife wrote a novel -- I may have mentioned that once or twice before -- and it's starting to pick up a little steam, which is great.

Today it's on the cover of the NYTimes book review, which is a pretty great place for a debut novel to land. (Direct link to the review).





It's kind of a brainy clever book that the 'NN crowd might like -- or might not, feel free to tell me your complaints as well -- about a psychiatrist who comes home one day to find that his wife has been replaced by a simulacrum.

cheers!
~mithras

[turtle777]

Congratulations.
Getting it reviewed in the NYT is a great feat. The review is cool.

However, too bad they can't get the spelling of your wife's name right.

-t

[imitchellg5]

Awesome. Sounds like an interesting read.

[Atomic Rooster]

The cover bothers me. It's not a 'pick me up and check this book out' kinda cover. Looks kinda amateurish.

You'd be surprised how covers affect sales.

Constructive criticism.

[angelmb]

Thanks for the heads up, I got the news from you before the very own NYT RSS feed

Since I haven't read the book yet, no idea if it is going to be published here in Spain, and even so they could ruin the cover/book jacket- so all I can honestly say is the doodle-laden book cover is really nice

The cover bothers me. It's not a 'pick me up and check this book out' kinda cover. Looks kinda amateurish.

You'd be surprised how covers affect sales

It has this Robert Rauschenberg look, it can't be bad neither amateurish, doodles are trendy these days… 

[scaught]

Originally Posted by Atomic Rooster 

The cover bothers me. It's not a 'pick me up and check this book out' kinda cover. Looks kinda amateurish.

You'd be surprised how covers affect sales.

Constructive criticism.

You can't judge a book by it's cover?

(ooh, the old cliche'd memes ring true!)

[Kerrigan]

Like Turtle said, and as I'm sure you know, that is a huge accomplishment. And to be on the cover no less. Congrats to your wife.

I normally read the TLS but I'll go pick up a copy of the NYT Book Review and check it out.

Regarding the cover nonsense... having your book critically reviewed by a huge journal is far more important than the few extra sales you could garner by tweaking the book's appearance.

[Spliff]

This thread is useless without photos of your wife.

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by Spliff 

This thread is useless without photos of your wife.

Yeah, I came across some of these pics as well when looking into her history and, while you have a very attractive wife, the M.D. and M.F.A. just a few years apart impressed me even more than her looks. She must be crazy smart. That deserves a .


NOTE: Just to be clear, the is not because this was accomplished by a woman (M.D. and M.F.A. in quick succession) but rather the mere fact of such an accomplishment. Most individuals tend to excel in one form or other of learning but to excel both in the sciences and liberal arts is quite impressive, for a man or woman.



@Mithras

One thing I still don't understand after reading about a half-dozen reviews is *how* the psychiatrist learns/knows his wife is a simulacrum. Perhaps that information would give away too much about the story but I thought the overall premise confusing without some explanation about how the main element of the narrative (person finds out some profound detail about a spouse) is presented to the reader.

[Mithras]

Thanks fellas.

Originally Posted by Atomic Rooster

The cover bothers me.

I didn't like it at first, either. That cover was actually the British cover, but the American publisher liked it and decided to use it too. As Angel says, doodle art is all the rage these days. And I now think the cover is pretty cool. But I tend to agree that it's not the most striking first impression.

Originally Posted by Spliff

This thread is useless without photos of your wife.

Erm, ok. I like her, at any rate.

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy

Most individuals tend to excel in one form or other of learning but to excel both in the sciences and liberal arts is quite impressive, for a man or woman.

The thing that's most impressed me about her is not that she's clever or multitalented, but that she's determined and sticks with things even that she doesn't have a natural knack for. I've never been one to keep working at something that I'm not very good at, & I have tried to learn this from her.

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy

One thing I still don't understand after reading about a half-dozen reviews is *how* the psychiatrist learns/knows his wife is a simulacrum.

Well, he "just knows." Something about her seems off; there's the fact that she brings home a puppy, which strikes him as odd, and her appearance seems different:

Originally Posted by Chapter 6

Then I noticed the she – the simulacrum – had fine lines of age on her face. Tiny crow's-feet, and not just when she smiled, since I could see them and she was not smiling. This look-alike Rema, I began to realize, was not such a perfect look-alike; it would seem Rema was being played by someone older, or who at least looked older. Someone pretty, but not as pretty. Not that there's anything wrong with an older woman – there is nothing wrong with a woman my age for example, I just don't happen to be married to one.

And then there's this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capgras_delusion

[mdc]

Congratulations to your wife for getting her debut book into the book review. I read the reviews on Amazon and it sounds very interesting.

Do you know anything about Kindle versions?

[Atomic Rooster]

Originally Posted by Mithras 

Thanks fellas.

And then there's this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capgras_delusion

This actually happened or is happening with a comedian who was on Saturday Night Live. He thought or thinks his wife is one. Damn, I wish I could think of his name.

Just curious, Why would she pick this subject? Are you who you say you are? Is she? Am I? Weight, this is getting heavy and I'm getting a headache.

[scottiB]

Purchased, along with The Monster of Florence because 5% who bought your wife's book also bought that.

I haven't read fiction in a while, looking forward to it.

[angelmb]

Francisco Goldman says it is the best thing he have read this year so far.

¿Qué diferencia hoy a la literatura estadounidense de la latinoamericana?

Es muy difícil generalizar sobre la literatura estadounidense: hay una enorme cantidad y variedad de escritores. Entre ciertos jóvenes norteamericanos se siente que han leído con provecho la literatura latinoamericana y viceversa. Un ejemplo es Rivka Galchen que acaba de publicar su primera novela, 'Atmospheric Disturbances'. Es lo mejor que he leído este año.

[Jawbone54]

Tell your wife that a bunch of insignificant geeks (or at least this one) said CONGRATULATIONS!

I really hope the book takes off and your wife becomes a multi-gazillionaire.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Mithras 

Here's where you come in: If you're in a generous mood, you could hop over to the Amazon page and upvote the positive reviews, and downvote the annoying 2-star review that is currently at the top of the page.

You know, because the synopsis appealed to me, I've added this title to my "to read" list (and I always purchase and read books thus honoured, which is money in your wife's pocket); but I have to say—as a lowly but untiring reviewer of books at Amazon—I wholly disapprove of your solicitation to fudge the ratings.

A work of art should stand or fall on what's there, regardless of petty allegiances.

[Mrjinglesusa]

Originally Posted by Mithras 

(Here's where you come in: If you're in a generous mood, you could hop over to the Amazon page and upvote the positive reviews, and downvote the annoying 2-star review that is currently at the top of the page.

Why is it "annoying"? Because the reviewer didn't like the book? Do you really expect that everyone who reads it is going to like it and rate it a 4 or 5?

Asking people to artifically upvote positive reviews =

For the record, the person who gave it the vote of 2/5 wrote a very thorough review and seems to have some very valid issues with the book. Much more thorough than people who give it a 5/5 and only say, "BEST BOOK I EVER READ!"

[Atomic Rooster]

I'm sorry but falsely pumping up the stars on amazon is inexcusable.

And asking peeps at forums to do so is a moral slippery slope.

If anyone here complied they should be ashamed.

Sad days.

[Mithras]

Eesh, alright folks, I didn't want anyone doing anything against their conscience. And Atomic, there was no star-pumping; I just hoped that y'all would agree that the long but not actually thoughtful review was not helpful.

It so happens that that review was written by someone I know with an unrelated personal vendetta, anyway. Which was why I found it annoying.

But by all means, I retract the request.

[Tiresias]

^ Thing is, you gotta read the book before you can judge a review.