Two Novel Responses
March 10, 2010Henry Baum 2 Comments »Two nice responses to my book via email. Both come from people with the name Philip, which must have some sort of profound significance. Looking it up, Philip means “Horse lover,” but I knew that – ergo Horselover Fat = Philip K. Dick.
Incidentally I also received an email this week from Anne Dick, PK Dick’s third wife, who I sent my novel to, and who I interviewed. She hasn’t read the novel yet, but a gracious note from the wife of Philip K. Dick restores some of my faith in the future.
From Philip Heying, photographer:
Your book is a page-turner. I burned through it in three days -finished it last Friday, which is really fast for me.
I found it both highly entertaining and plenty smart, with doses of humor. The Winchell family especially made me laugh, the way biting satire does -with fangs of truth.
For whatever my humble opinion is worth, I’d say it is a classic in the genre.
From Philip Persinger, author of Do the Math:
In the beginning… Oops. I didn’t mean to be so Biblical. I meant to say that as I started reading, I was very interested in how you were going to maintain, let alone, resolve the ambitious conceit that seemed to be your foundation. Little did I know that you would weave conceit into conceit.
The hyper-self-consciousness of the narrator’s narrative was the most problematic to me at the on-set and what I ultimately found technically the most pleasing in its resolution.
Since Philip K. Dick still remains on my super-sized to be read bookshelf, I was unable to appreciate any kind of homage there. But I did get a whiff of a little Brian Aldiss in a scene or two. Whether that was real or imagined, I do not know.
It is a complicated piece of work and as I’ve said interwoven. But what propelled me forward was not just the story line. It was your confidence. Your writing has strength of character. Even when the voice is insecure and afraid, the self-assurance of the writing moves the story forward powerfully.
I blasted through the book. I wasn’t quite sure whether or not I was enjoying the W Redux so soon after the damage was done. But I found it a great read.
May 14th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
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