Viva Dan

Its hard hat time. Wherever you are this week, Dan Brown will get you at some point. The publishing world think he's their saviour and in terms of sales he certainly is. Anybody that can sell 81 Million copies of their last book is worth their weight in gold. Forget the Fryisms about it'being stool water,' that's mere commercial jealousy. The fact is simple. He's bringing new readers into bookshops, supermarkets wherever, and they're buying books. That's good news. What the publisher does with the vast profits is another issue. If they invest in new writers and don't simply go out and buy another sleb biography, we're all quids in. If they simply reinvest in Dan Brown like novels then that is hardly visionary. If bookshops are full for whatever reason, apart from a riot, then we have to celebrate, especialy in these straightened times. I will buy a copy and read it and if it's a good story I will let you know. Remember he doesn't pretend to be a literary giant. He won't be gladhanding at Fey on Whey. He's telling a story and hopefully he's got a good editor.