Wednesday, March 21, 2007

A freighted book

In December Sven Birkerts wrote a piece about the challenges of reviewing a book that comes freighted with a huge advance, a lot of hype, and a cinder block heft. He discussed in particular Vikram Chandra's new epic novel "Sacred Games." The novel won an advance of $1 million and is over 900 pages. How does a critic stay clear-eyed, free of envy and marketplace cynicism, Birkerts wondered. How to read a lead weight while lying on your back? (Pillow on the stomach, under the book.)

There is a new interview with Chandra on the provocatively named Bookslut Web site, which is actually not at all lascivious. In the interview Chandra takes up the issue and gives, I think, a graceful answer:

[Interviewer:] There was a lot of press regarding the advance of one million dollars for the book. Now that it's published do you feel the pressure of that?

[Chandra:] I was, I had a kind of happy life, as a midlist writer with a couple of books out. I mean you're just so happy about being published; I never expected anything much more than that. So, when the whole sort of excitement started over this one, it was baffling and exciting at the same time. I guess it's not really pressure, but I can see how having that sort of buzz can shape a backlash against it. I suppose what's unfortunate about that is that people getting caught up in that than actually looking at the book itself as a story.

The interviewer, Tony DuShane, mentions the size issue, too: "This 900-page epic is also heavy enough to use as a weapon against muggers on public transit."

Posted by Evan Hughes at 10:06 AM

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