Company

I just love that new book smell, don't you?

This is something I just don't do as a rule. Order a book, full retail price, on the strength of the author. Even if I loved the book before it, there's too much risk. I was reminded of why I don't do this when I made an exception for Chuck Palahniuk's 'Haunted.' When Chuck is on his game he's one of my favorite contemporary writers, but the connective material meant to turn that collection of cute stories into a novel was awful.

Another example is Craig Clevenger, who's debut 'Contortionist's Handbook' is a masterpiece. I was lucky enough to get a 'street team' preview of his follow up, 'Dermaphoria,' and I didn't go around telling people how great it was because it wasn't. Kind of like a literary 'Kill Bill,' Clevenger took his considerable talents and squandered them on another drug-culture tale. I might read the rest of it, from the library. Might even pick it up as a remainder if I see it and it's cheap enough, but I'm not rushing out to buy it in hardback.

Still, while Max Barry's first novel, 'Syrup' was my favorite of his first two, 'Jennifer Government' being somewhat less riotously fun, I've rushed in again, just as I did with 'Haunted.' Even faster, actually.

The publication date is January 17, but I bought the book today. It was actually in yesterday evening but I got the message too late to go fetch it. As of Max's blog of two days ago, even he hasn't seen a proper, finished copy of the book. I thought perhaps a mistake had been made and one of his other books had been ordered by mistake, but nope, it was 'Company.'

I thought maybe Borders was messing up, but I wanted the book so I wasn't going to rock the boat. It turns out that while some books are released with a 'lay down date,' prior to which a retailer can be tortured by ex-KGB agents for selling a book, they aren't all (or even mostly) released this way.

Ironically, it was 'Jennifer Government' that made such hay out of the marketing practice of withholding goods to stimulate demand. Maybe part of why that book wasn't as funny as 'Syrup' is Nike is pretty much as portrayed in 'Jennifer Government,' where Coca-Cola, besides being on the other side of America from where Max places them, is probably a few years away from marketing 'Fukk' to the masses.

But I'm falling down on the job as a sneezer. That's the marketing term for obnoxious people like me who rant and rave about how you have to try 'X' or read 'Y' because it's the best whatever in the history of whatevers. Nothing wrong with sneezes, it's the most honest form of marketing there is. If I rave about a book because I loved it, even if you find the book irritating, you at least got an honest recomendation. If I constantly recommend books you hate and have nothing good to say about your favorites, then my endorsement still tells you more than an advertisment can.

I haven't read 'Company' yet, only admired the cover. I'm about halfway through 'Americana' by Don DeLillo and haven't put it aside to read the new Max Barry. It's next, warming up in the on-deck circle. I just blogged about it and I haven't even read it. I guess that's a sneeze of sorts. I won't tell you to run out and buy it since I haven't read it yet. But if you feel like running out and buying it, you don't have to wait for the 17th.

The odd thing with 'Americana' is I shouldn't like it. Except that I do, so far anyway.