Paperback Writer (Paperback)

by Stephen A. Bly (Author) "Are you having a bad day, darlin'?" Paul James Watson drawled..." (more)
Key Phrases: green impala, paperback writer, empty passenger, Paul James Watson, Paul Watson, Theo Revelage (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In this fresh contribution to the CBA market, Bly, the prolific, Christy Award-winning author of series westerns, pens an amusing parody of the proverbial dime-store paperback novel. Paul James Watson is a hack novelist who has just wrapped up the Diamond Dandy Disaster, the 55th book in his Distracted Detective series. Exhausted by his demanding publishing schedule and bored with a life "lived on cruise control," Watson longs to be like his fictional protagonist, the buff detective Toby McKinna, through whom he has lived vicariously in his novels. Watson discovers he's no longer able to separate reality from fiction when Toby appears to him as a real person, and their hilarious dialogues about Toby's fictional exploits provide the best moments in the book. Indeed, the reader is never sure if what is presented on the pages is reality or Watson's imaginary plotting of how the next "scene" of his life will unfold. When Watson gets tangled up in a cabal involving a serial killer, the question dogs him: is it real? Or is it fiction? Like the pulp fiction it parodies, the story is plagued by contrived coincidences, too many descriptive adjectives and interminable passages of dialogue. There is a cheesy reference to one of Bly's own westerns, and the ending is anticlimactic. But forget the writing problems (which may well be intentional genre parody)-this book is a funny, enjoyable romp for CBA fiction readers.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
". . . a zany look into the novelist's mind and a whole lotta fun."
-- Angela Elwell Hunt --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: B&H Publishing Group (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805426183
• ISBN-13: 978-0805426182
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,537,510 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars from another paperback writer, July 5, 2006

By	Terry Burns "Inspirational Fiction with a Wes... (Amarillo, Texas United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I enjoyed Paperback Writer. Bly messed with my head making it clear that not only did his protagonist not know what was real and what was imagined, but neither did I. My wife and I took turns reading on a trip and often stopped and looked at one another when it took another 180 degree turn, catching us off guard and keeping us off balance. He took a chance with this book and in my opinion it works if the reader is willing to go with it. I also very much identified with the conclusions the writer reached about his writing and found them very applicable to my own writing.

Terry W. Burns
Mysterious Ways Series from River Oak
www.terryburns.net

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars interesting, October 12, 2004

By	Terry L. Kaeseberg - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have read a lot of Stephen Bly's books and this one is by far the best one. The man in the story is coming to terms with himself. He is tired, stressed and is wondering if he should keep on writing. In the end he discovers that doing what Jesus wants him to do is always the way to peace. A fantastic book. Really makes you think and ponder. And don't forget the topic of the book-God.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Pick a side, already!, May 2, 2004

By A Customer

The Christian parts are distracting and gratuitous. The author is straddling the border between two different types of stories, and the book suffers because he fails to choose a side. Either the book can be about a man who is coming to terms with his life, or it can be about a man who is coming to terms with his God. Either one would have been stronger than this, a story about a religious man who retreats into a fantasy world.