What words can I use to describe About the Author, Colapinto’s first novel? Madcap? Comedy? Suspense? Thriller? Farce? Satire? It’s not that I’m indecisive about selecting the appropriate descriptive; it’s that this novel is all of those things and more. Much more.
Stephen King is quoted on the cover of this novel as saying “A thriller worthy of Hitchcock at his best.” I agree, but only if he’s referring to North by Northwest – a darkly comedic thriller. The main character, Cal Cunningham, is more vintage Woody Allen both in narrative style and level of neuroses. Cal is a stockboy at a New York City bookstore; all his life he’s dreamed of becoming a published author. It’s in his blood, he knows he’s good – until he reads Stewart Church’s short story.
Stewart is Cal’s roommate. He is also the person who has unknowingly destroyed Cal’s dream. Shortly after reading Stewart’s story, Cal has an epiphany – his life long dream is just that, a dream. A dream eclipsed by Stewart’s brilliant prose. Cal collects all his childhood scribblings and recent attempts at writing and buries them in the kitchen garbage. Before the shock can wear off, Cal discovers two things about Stewart: one, he has written a novel, and two, he’s dead. Well, actually he discovers three things, the third being that Stewart has incorporated Cal’s ribald retelling of his one-night-stands into a masterpiece of a novel. I’m not giving anything away, this all happens within the first few chapters and it’s also summarized on the back of the book. Get ready for fraud, mayhem and murder. That’s just the beginning. The ensuing rollercoaster ride of comic suspense reminded me of the classic anti-heroes created by Patricia Highsmith in The Talented Mr. Ripley and Patrick Suskind in Perfume.
The story bursts with plot twists akin to The Player, a movie that lampooned (or is it revealed?) Hollywood’s power players. Imagine the world of publishing being skewered with the same razor-sharp wit and you get an idea of what Colapinto accomplishes in this novel. You’ll even forgive him the cliches because they are at the heart of this literary satire. The characters who populate this novel are richly drawn, deeply complex people -- and by that I mean you should cross the street if you see them coming. Imagine Woody Allen producing MacBeth with a rewrite by Kurt Vonnegut. I can’t tell you anymore about the story because you wouldn’t believe me – you’ll have to read this treasure for yourself.