The Perils of Great Success

goatpiper · May 22, 2008

I just finished reading 'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold. Intimidating and amazing. I couldn't put it down and was blown away by her writing. It makes sense that I was interested in 'The Almost Moon'. I got online. I read reviews. Pretty much everywhere I go, people say it's a big disappointment. I've read about writers who have to deal with following up a smashing success, especially when it's the first novel - that must really suck.

Thoughts?

Maryn · May 22, 2008

Since I only liked about the first 2/3 of The Lovely Bones, I'm less surprised at the second novel's reviews. It's something that happens to lots of writers, though. Some recover from the slump and write a third I'll-show-them novel that's terrific. Since you enjoyed her first so thoroughly, let's hope she's in that group.

Maryn, who likes seeing writers grow, change, and expand their range

blacbird · May 22, 2008

"Can I have just a little of the peril?"

-- Eric Idle, as Sir Lancelot, in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

caw

NeuroFizz · May 22, 2008

Yeah. It must really suck to have a smashing success. Seriously though, having any success should provide motivation, even if the motivation comes from some form of fear of failure. This may be where the "half-empty-ers" stumble a bit, if the fear of failure is too strong. It's also where the self-motivational traits of a productive writer should kick in and power them through.

Jackfishwoman · May 22, 2008

I read The Almost Moon about two months ago and I thought it was brilliant. But it was brilliant to the point that most readers of popular, mass market fiction won't (and don't) "get it".
yes, yes that is a snobby thing to say but Sebold's writing is inquiring into the human psyche to such a great extent in her second book that it borders on academic study. I found The Almost Moon to be more sophisticated & psychologically intricate than her first novel.
In my humble opinion, she has reached a new high with her second work.
It seems that maybe the turn she has taken has not pleased her earlier fans. But, as writers, we should be growing and expanding. I would hate for great authors like Alice Sebold to be trapped into one particular type of writing. I look forward to what she will come up with next!

a_sharp · May 22, 2008

Well, with only two books she's probably not in mid-career crisis quite yet, but there are agents such as Al Zuckerman who specialize in such dilemmas. Time and a third book will tell for Sebold, but I'd bet her talent will carry her beyond the criticism of this second book.

Phaeal · May 22, 2008

Don't worry about Alice. After Peter Jackson's movie of The Lovely Bones comes out, she'll get a nice boost on sales to that book. As for the critics, I think there's nothing they like better than to lay into the second book of someone who's had success on the first. Right now, though, they're most avidly sharpening their knives in anticipation of J. K. Rowling publishing a non-Potter book. Vampires take note: There will be blood.

IceCreamEmpress · May 22, 2008

I didn't like The Almost Moon at all, and I had liked both The Lovely Bones and Lucky, her first book (a memoir of her rape experience as a young woman).

But having met Sebold a couple of times, I don't think that the success of The Lovely Bones had any more to do with her trajectory as a writer than the relative obscurity of Lucky did. My impression is that she writes what she feels she needs to write, and doesn't worry overmuch about how marketable it is.

I think Lucky is her best book so far, even though it's the one that has gotten the least attention.

ORION · May 22, 2008

As someone who is working on the a novel that will follow LOTTERY I see this dilemma from another perspective. A reader who enjoyed LOTTERY will most likely buy my next book and could be disappointed if it does not meet expectations. That's a tough position to be in for a writer because while a reader is in mind -- I write for myself and from a passion-- not every reader will like what an author writes...It's so subjective. I have heard that people either love or hate Almost Moon- there's no ambivalence...
I think rather that it just shows the range of an artist and one unwilling to force herself into a niche just to try to please every reader...

windyrdg · May 22, 2008

I have a totally opposite opinion of Lovely Bones. It had a great concept and a killer first chapter...I mean how can you not get hooked on this kid who's about to be killed. Her execution of the concept is very poor and the book heads downhill very quickly. The AW Book Club had a thread on Lovely Bones in which it was widely panned.

As far as the second book, I'd chalk it up to sophomore jinx. People are right when they say the third book will tell the tale of her writing career.

JamieFord · May 22, 2008

I went to a Sebold reading of Almost Moon in 2006. At the time it was her "unnamed next book." There was a big crowd--everyone expecting something akin to Bones. The crowd, mainly middle-aged boomers, wilted with each page she read. It was a strange thing to watch.

IceCreamEmpress · May 22, 2008

windyrdg said:
As far as the second book

The Almost Moon is Sebold's THIRD book.

JamieFord said:
I went to a Sebold reading of Almost Moon in 2006. At the time it was her "unnamed next book."

I was at a conference in 2005 and she read from her then-work-in-progress, which was not The Almost Moon. The book she read from was a quirky magic realism thing about people who continued to live in a town that was partially flooded for a reservoir.

That showed up in The Almost Moon as a memory the protagonist has of visiting her father's partially-flooded home town, which kind of made me miss the work I heard her read in '05.

Straka · May 23, 2008

I admit that I have some fears about being too successful. For one, it may sound silly, but doing public readings make me nervous.

Anyone else dread them?

Gary Clarke · May 23, 2008

I dread public readings. I have a lot of them lined up later this year and they scare me stupid.

I'm also very nervous of the fact that none of my future projects are anything like the books I have coming out soon. In fact, my up coming books are YA and the book after that is to be an adult thriller! The nerves are starting to burn a hole in my belly!

Susan Breen · May 23, 2008

I've had a lot of public readings lately and I've found each one is easier than the one before. I'm reaching the point where I have a terror of not having public readings, which is to say, having my book sink into oblivion. I read The Lovely Bones and loved it and wasn't really tempted to read The Almost Moon. But I suspect she has a long career in front of her, and I'll read other books by her.

JamieFord · May 23, 2008

At the reading I went to, she basically read the first part of the book where the main character kills her mother. It reminded me of when I saw the Blue Velvet in the theater, years ago--the crowd wasn't sure whether to laugh or cringe--they couldn't figure out if it was parody or not.

Willowmound · May 23, 2008

Straka said:
Anyone else dread them?

I'd never do one. Not for fame and a million dollars. Wouldn't happen. No way.

CaroGirl · May 23, 2008

I read The Lovely Bones and thought the idea was strong and the writing was weak. When I read terrible reviews of The Almost Moon (her second novel (Lucky was a memoir)), I definitely wasn't tempted to read it. I do own it because someone gave it to me so I might read it yet. But, IMO, her weak writing was exposed. Great ideas only go so far.

With regard to following success with further success: I only wish I had such a "problem". Maybe someday...

Gary Clarke · May 23, 2008

Susan, its a relief to hear that the readings get easier! I'll try and keep telliing myself that :0)

Re The Lovely Bones, I remember liking it and I definitely reccomended it to friends, so I must have thought it had something going for it at the time. I certainly don't recall thinking that the writing was weak. I'm gonna have to go back and read it again now, just to see :0)

IceCreamEmpress · May 23, 2008

Gary Clarke said:
Susan, its a relief to hear that the readings get easier!

I second that, and I'm extremely shy.

The one piece of advice that I have is to mark the passages you're going to read clearly beforehand--there's nothing that puts you and the audience off your stride as much as you flipping around in the book while the audience clears its collective throat.

Gary Clarke · May 23, 2008

*Grins at icecream while scribbling notes on readings* You sure as heck don't come over as shy online :0) I always think of you as a formidable person!

pconsidine · May 23, 2008

Ah, the dreaded Sophomore Slump. I haven't read The Almost Moon, so I can't really speak to it specifically, but if you think about it, it makes perfect sense that any second book would be less stellar than a first. I mean, look at the circumstances that second books are written in – a definite deadline, an established reputation to live up to, a contract to fulfill, a marketing or PR department wanting to know when they're going to get something to sell, and so on. I don't know about any of you, but that's vastly different from the conditions I wrote under.

It just reminds me of something I heard said with regard to musicians – you get a lifetime to make your first album; you get two years to write your second.

ORION · May 23, 2008

People have told me at my talks that they really enjoy it when authors read their books. Because I was a high school teacher readings don't bother me - it fact I really enjoy them-- they are opportunities to connect with readers. The Orange Prize recorded me reading from Lottery-- here's the link...
http://www.orangeprize.co.uk/show/feature/orange-patricia-wood
Practicing with someone is really helpful - I have all sorts of passages timed and marked in my "reading" book so I can pick and choose depending on my audience and my mood...
Sorry this is a little off the subject but it kind of relates to the question - there are lots of things other than writing that an author may be required to do for promotion...
That second book can be difficult because of the promotional tasks also...

Gary Clarke · May 23, 2008

ORION:That second book can be difficult because of the promotional tasks also...

I'm suffering very badly from that at the moment. I'm quite simply exhausted and the work load seems set to get even heavier ... everyday I settle down to write my usual four pages and I almost fall asleep over the keyboard. I'm just so tired, its hard enough to keep going when you're near the end of a very long project, but energy wise I almost don't feel up to the task of finishing! Eek!

Straka · May 23, 2008

Gary Clarke said:
I dread public readings. I have a lot of them lined up later this year and they scare me stupid.

I just have memories of having to read aloud in english class *shivers* and occasionally stuttering and or getting stuck on a word I didn't know. Granted if I'm reading my own stuff, that scenario is unlikely to happen. But I haven't read any of my work aloud so I don't know yet. I am talented at doing different voices though and have been told many times I have a great voice for radio so who knows?

The Perils of Great Success

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