Hemon on Novels

Aleksandar Hemon’s review of Daniel Wagner’s A Movie…and a Book, which calls the novel “the worst book I have ever voluntarily read,” is being compared to Dale Peck’s (in)famous take-down of Rick Moody. Hemon isn’t just upset with this novel; he makes a compelling case for why any novel written with the movie “adaptation” in mind doesn’t make for very good literature. I must say I have sympathy for Hemon’s more general argument, though I suspect this review (like Peck’s) will be remembered for its first line. And, of course, now I actually want to read the book myself.