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| Douglas Kennedy's new novel |
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| I was lucky enough to get an advance proof copy of Douglas Kennedy’s new book, Temptation, which is out this week from Random House. Temptation is an entertaining, fabulously paced page-turner about a guy named David Armitage who, after 9 years of failing to make it a mark in the world of Hollywood screenwriting, suddenly becomes a major critical and commercial success with a TV drama.
He gives up his day job as a bookshop manager, trades in his beater car for a porsche, retires his ailing marriage in lieu of a sexy relationship with a woman who, herself, is a “player” and with whom he is able to enjoy “power couple” status. In fact, he becomes so nauseatingly successful that you are just waiting for Armitage to somehow wreck his career and destroy himself, wholly and forever, as the title of the book suggests that this is coming….which it does.
I can’t say too much more without giving away the plot, but what happens to the poor guy is every writer’s worst nightmare. Things get bad, then worse, and then just when you think Armitage has been ground down to powder, he turns it all around.
I got this proof copy because I was fortunate to work with Douglas at the Edinburgh Festival in August when we presented our books together. Douglas was a little mystified about why we were talking about autism – Temptation has nothing whatsoever to do with autism – as it hadn’t been explained to him that part of the reason he was there, and certainly the reason he was paired up with me, was because he has a son with autism.
I still don’t know why so many writers have kids with autism – maybe because the world at large seems to have kids with autism. Douglas was very upbeat about his son, who has progressed a great deal and is now in his early teens, and quite encouraging to the audience which was a mixture of literary people, parents of autistic children and professionals in the field of autism. Not his usual crowd – though certainly mine at the moment.
For more information on Douglas Kennedy have a look at http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/k/douglas-kennedy/
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| Tuesday, October 10, 2006 | 13:59:06 |
| Comment by kyra |
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| thanks for the intriguing review of Temptation! and hearing more about writers who are also parents of children with autism. yes. it's become my usual crowd too. |
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| Wednesday, October 11, 2006 | 13:33:39 |
| Comment by Angel |
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| Interesting review.
I always love reading your blog entries. |
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| Tuesday, October 24, 2006 | 01:06:09 |
