The Book of Forgotten Authors
"Fowler takes you on a wonderful trip and introduces his reader to a plethora of great writers who simply fell out of fashion."
Synopsis:
'Absence doesn't make the heart grow fonder. It makes people think you're dead.'
So begins Christopher Fowler's foray into the back catalogues and backstories of 99 authors who, once hugely popular, have all but disappeared from our shelves.
Whether male or female, domestic or international, flash-in-the-pan or prolific, mega-seller or prize-winner - no author, it seems, can ever be fully immune from the fate of being forgotten. And Fowler, as well as remembering their careers, lifts the lid on their lives, and why they often stopped writing or disappeared from the public eye.
These 99 journeys are punctuated by 12 short essays about faded once-favourites: including the now-vanished novels Walt Disney brought to the screen, the contemporary rivals of Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie who did not stand the test of time, and the women who introduced us to psychological suspense many decades before it conquered the world. This is a book about books and their authors. It is for book lovers, and is written by one who could not be a more enthusiastic, enlightening and entertaining guide.
Purchase the book from Amazon.
Review:
In a similar vein as Edwards' books, another staunch lover of forgotten crime writers of the past who have slipped in to obscurity, even if they were greatly admired in their heyday, is Christopher Fowler. Again, Fowler's homage to the forgotten writer will be costly. That list of yours will grow as you read through this selection. As Edwards takes us through the books, here Fowler deals with the author, re-introducing us to many who have disappeared from our bookshops and bookshelves, (some deservedly so and some not so deserved). Fowler takes you on a wonderful trip and introduces his reader to a plethora of great writers who simply fell out of fashion. I have been a great fan of forgotten authors for decades and scoured many a charity shop and second-hand bookshop. It has become a joke with family and friends that I cannot simply walk passed a bookshop without having to walk in. I always have the last laugh as I have bought many treasures with an off-the-cuff visit! My shelves are lined with Margaret Millar, Jean Potts, Shelley Smith, Lucille Fletcher, Mabel Seeley et al. This is perfect for the book lover you know – perfect for dipping in now and again. For me, this is a sublime book and one to savour. There were even some authors I hadn't heard of! Now I have to go and make more space of my shelves! Wish me luck!