“Declan Burke is his own genre. The Lammisters dazzles, beguiles and transcends. Virtuoso from start to finish.” – Eoin McNamee “This bourbon-smooth riot of jazz-age excess, high satire and Wodehouse flamboyance is a pitch-perfect bullseye of comic brilliance.” – Irish Independent Books of the Year 2019 “This rapid-fire novel deserves a place on any bookshelf that grants asylum to PG Wodehouse, Flann O’Brien or Kyril Bonfiglioli.” – Eoin Colfer, Guardian Best Books of the Year 2019 “The funniest book of the year.” – Sunday Independent “Declan Burke is one funny bastard. The Lammisters ... conducts a forensic analysis on the anatomy of a story.” – Liz Nugent “Burke’s exuberant prose takes centre stage … He plays with language like a jazz soloist stretching the boundaries of musical theory.” – Totally Dublin “A mega-meta smorgasbord of inventive language ... linguistic verve not just on every page but every line.Irish Times “Above all, The Lammisters gives the impression of a writer enjoying himself. And so, dear reader, should you.” – Sunday Times “A triumph of absurdity, which burlesques the literary canon from Shakespeare, Pope and Austen to Flann O’Brien … The Lammisters is very clever indeed.” – The Guardian

Thursday, August 28, 2008

The Embiggened O: Where The Hell Is Lord Lucan When You Really Need Him?

Three cheers, two stools and a resounding huzzah for the PR folk at Harcourt Houghton Mifflin, who have been beavering away behind the scenes jazzing up THE BIG O’s Amazon.com page. Apart from the unseemly blight of the Publishers Weekly review, which is the only negative review THE BIG O has received in the 18 months since its first publication, and that on the basis that it’s not up to Elmore Leonard’s standard (!), the page now features quotes from Kirkus Reviews (starred), Crime Spree magazine, Jason Starr and John Connolly. Which is nice.
  The real bonus, though, is that they’ve also uploaded the first few chapters for your perusal. Which means, given that the chapters are dialogue-heavy and average out at about two pages each, that you could have read the first three chapters in the time it took you to read this load of muck. Anyhoos, the link is here if you’re so inclined, and any and all feedback will be gratefully received …
  Meanwhile, with just under a month to go to the official publication date, I’m wondering if this isn’t as good as it gets. The book is pristine, HHM have created a wonderful cover with which I am well pleased, the advance reviews have been fantastic (PW notwithstanding), and the generosity of various media outlets across the interweb offering promotion opportunities has been well-nigh staggering. In fact, I’m wondering if I shouldn’t just go ahead and pull a Lord Lucan and bow out while everything is still going so well. Any pithy words of advice, o sage and all-knowing readership?

7 comments:

Gerard Brennan said...

I say hang around for another while. If things continue along this upward trend, happy days. If not, you've a good excuse to become a bitter old drunk for a few years, then make a startling comeback upon writing your heart-wrenching memoir.

It's all in the planning.

gb

John McFetridge said...

Kirkus. They're the people who know what they're talking about. Kirkus.

Anonymous said...

Bow out? No.

Declan Burke said...

Cheers, folks, much obliged. But I've been thinking about it all day and the prospect of pulling a Salinger on a Greek island is a tasty one ... especially given the Irish weather. Although the sun is actually shining right now. Yep, that's right - it's August in Ireland, and the sun is actually shining. Three cheers for global warming, eh? Cheers, Dec

John McFetridge said...

Almost every day on the news here in Canada we see shots of the arctic and talk about what moves are being taken to assure our "soveriegnity" over the new trade route opening up.

Lokking on the bright side, I guess...

Trouble with global warming is where to actually pull this Salinger? No, better off to just keep at it where you are (though I've sure had the same thoughts about bowing out recently myself).

adrian mckinty said...

Dec

How dare you compare yourself to the fantastically moustachioed Lord Lucan, you who don't even have a hint of stubble. No, Mr. Burke, I know Lord Lucan (I'm pretty sure he works in the St Kilda chip shop), Lord Lucan is a friend of mine, and you, sir, are no Lord Lucan.

A..

Anonymous said...

I say take the money and run. I know a good wheel man. Just say the word and count me in for a split.