Charlottesville Words

Random House really, really believes in Charles Bock‘s debut novel, Beautiful Children. You’ve seen the ads, you’ve read the reviews, you’ve doubted the hype: now download the entire book and decide for yourself. (Via TEV)

Personally, when I’m trying to form a snap judgment about an suspiciously overhyped debut, I skip right to the acknowledgments. The acknowledgments can tell you a lot. F’rinstance:

This novel took a long time to write, and there’s no way I could have completed it without a lot of support. From the bottom of my heart, thanks and praise to:

Buckethead…Slash….Axl Rose.

Guns N’ Roses — bad sign!

….William and Allison Woolston for two of the greatest summers known to man, and the most perfect place to get married that a person could ask for.

Needless hyperbole — bad sign.

….Pumpkin and Hippolyte.

Friends with amusing names. How droll.

….Messy Stench drew the awesomest flyer in the history of papyrus (her website, craptabulous.com, rules, go visit it).

Two-fer: Funny name and needless hyperbole. Or maybe I’m just jealous of the plug.

….To Mohammed Naseehu Ali, I make a personal promise, one day I will dance and sing for your birthday and you can insult me….Alison Smith is my personal corn muffin and I love her no end.

Jokes to which we are not privy.

[Obligatory faux-ironic gushing over publisher, editor, agent deleted.]

….Mary Beth Hughes not only changed my life, but taught me how grace moves through the world.

I must meet this woman! She is a goddess.

….The Great One.

Jackie Gleason??

….Wyatt Mason possesses the finest mind I’ve ever known; moreover, he is the best friend I’ve ever had.

Risky — this could come as an unpleasant surprise to the many wonderful people previously mentioned.

[Sister, wife, parents, blahbiddy-blah.]

So, that gives you an idea what we’re up against. It doesn’t mean the book is bad. It might just mean the author thinks a bit much of himself for having written it.