Schaden, meet Freude

Now that Arthur Phillips' sophomore effort THE EGYPTOLOGIST is getting, shall we say, rather mixed reviews, this allows expat Erik D'Amato to speak on behalf of Hungarian-based writers everywhere about their almost complete and utter contempt for Phillips:

The author who put Budapest on the map as an important expat literary capital has gotten some downright dismal notices for his second novel, causing widespread rejoicing among the region's legions of struggling unpublished writers. While hopes were high that the follow-up to Arthur Phillips's phenomenally successful 2002 debut Prague would be bad, local scribes are overjoyed by just how chilly the reception The Egyptologist is receiving. Phillips, who lived in Budapest for a brief period in the early 1990s and now resides in Paris, received in excess of a half-million dollars for his first novel, and is also tall and handsome.

And that's before the Michiko quotes start rolling in.

Damn. Also, if this is a way for a certain Hungarian expat crime writer to delurk and update his damned blog, then I have done my job.

(link from Jeff)

Comments

[Aldo]

Yeah, where is Olen these days? I bet he is real busy editing the new book. It would be great to hear from him when he comes up for air.

[Olen Steinhauer]

Sorry for the absence. But good of you to point out Erik's article, which had me rolling on the floor when I read it.

I just haven't had anything useful to say on the blog, but your encouragement is noted. The "new book" (title still unsure) is in the can completely, and I'm experiementing with speed on the 4th, so I'm in the midst of that. So life, as you'd expect, is boring.

But I'll see what I can cook up.