The success of Theo of Golden suggests readers never stopped craving ambitious fiction—and exposes the publishing industry's assumptions about modern audiences.
Hi everyone! Thank you so much for reading my essay and for your kind words. If you are interested in reading more of my work, please consider subscribing to my Substack for more essays on the publishing industry. Thank you again for reading!
Great article, thank you! I very much enjoyed Theo.
Two quibbles:
1. I think you miss the elephant in the room. The book is quite deliberately full of Christian themes. These days books like that are typically relegated to niche Christian imprints, mainstream publishers won’t touch them. Compare to the biggest bestsellers of old, from Dickens to Defoe to Alcott etc etc. You’re gonna miss out on a huge readership when you insist on snubbing anything that smells too much of incense…
2. It’s funny, my only complaint about Theo is that its writing was far too simplistic. But this is because I primarily read older literature. We are in a terrible state when Theo is the example of elevated prose.
The true culprits are today’s children’s books. Did you know that most of the typical children’s books from just a century ago - the stuff 8 and 9 year olds routinely read - are now considered so challenging that they are reserved for college lit classes? And the college kids can’t read them, either! If you grow up reading only simplistic trash, you’ll never be able to manage real literature in adulthood. Raise the bar for your kids!
I’m so glad you finally teamed up with FAIR, Liza! I wish I would’ve been notified of this piece when it came out as I would’ve responded to it. Liza is 100% right in everting she says in this excellent article! The traditional publishing industry is slowly dying and losing money. It’s because they don’t understanding the public. They thinking ordinary people are dumb and need simple sentences, action right away, language so dumbed down a third grader could understand it, they want it to be short, and without any sort of mystery or suspense. The mainstream publishing industry infantilizes the public essentially. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi broke the mold and proved that readers are thirsting for long, complex and drawn out stories rich in narratives and metaphors! Theo of Golden also includes no identity politics or left-wing political messaging or forced diversity. It’s a pro-human book through and through which as Liza talks about all the time on her Substack Pens & Poison, is one that has universal moral messages we can all relate to and doesn’t obsess over particulars like race, gender, sexuality, or gender identity. Books that all of us can relate to. It is because Theo of Golden gives us this, that for all these reasons, it will stand the test of time and garbage like Normal People, Yesteryear, Where The Crawdads Sing, Between the World and Me, The Hate U Give, American Dirt, and Bad Feminist.
Perfect diagnosis. What I don't understand is why are these literary fast-food consummers (ie, the lit agents and editors you describe) getting involved in the publishing industry since they don't love complex, meaningful literature? With their fast-food taste they have destroyed litetature by creating cheap taste and then they claim this is what the readers want.
In my observations, if a novel does not appeal to an upspeaking Millennial with pronouns in her bio and a fetish for Palestine, it won't get representation.
I remember the days when the advice was to work with an agent with whom the writer feels a bond. Skimming agencies for one has left me cold. I don't even care to 'lunch' with any of these people.
Nearly make me cry. This is close to something I wrote in my own note today, about searching for real voice instead of prose that just photographs well.
After numerous recommendations, your post tipped the scales. I'm going to buy, read and savor the complexity and relish the opportunity to critically think while reading Theo of Golden. Thank you for writing about it.
Hi everyone! Thank you so much for reading my essay and for your kind words. If you are interested in reading more of my work, please consider subscribing to my Substack for more essays on the publishing industry. Thank you again for reading!
Great article, thank you! I very much enjoyed Theo.
Two quibbles:
1. I think you miss the elephant in the room. The book is quite deliberately full of Christian themes. These days books like that are typically relegated to niche Christian imprints, mainstream publishers won’t touch them. Compare to the biggest bestsellers of old, from Dickens to Defoe to Alcott etc etc. You’re gonna miss out on a huge readership when you insist on snubbing anything that smells too much of incense…
2. It’s funny, my only complaint about Theo is that its writing was far too simplistic. But this is because I primarily read older literature. We are in a terrible state when Theo is the example of elevated prose.
The true culprits are today’s children’s books. Did you know that most of the typical children’s books from just a century ago - the stuff 8 and 9 year olds routinely read - are now considered so challenging that they are reserved for college lit classes? And the college kids can’t read them, either! If you grow up reading only simplistic trash, you’ll never be able to manage real literature in adulthood. Raise the bar for your kids!
Much more here, with examples:
https://gaty.substack.com/p/summer-series-saving-your-childs
I’m so glad you finally teamed up with FAIR, Liza! I wish I would’ve been notified of this piece when it came out as I would’ve responded to it. Liza is 100% right in everting she says in this excellent article! The traditional publishing industry is slowly dying and losing money. It’s because they don’t understanding the public. They thinking ordinary people are dumb and need simple sentences, action right away, language so dumbed down a third grader could understand it, they want it to be short, and without any sort of mystery or suspense. The mainstream publishing industry infantilizes the public essentially. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi broke the mold and proved that readers are thirsting for long, complex and drawn out stories rich in narratives and metaphors! Theo of Golden also includes no identity politics or left-wing political messaging or forced diversity. It’s a pro-human book through and through which as Liza talks about all the time on her Substack Pens & Poison, is one that has universal moral messages we can all relate to and doesn’t obsess over particulars like race, gender, sexuality, or gender identity. Books that all of us can relate to. It is because Theo of Golden gives us this, that for all these reasons, it will stand the test of time and garbage like Normal People, Yesteryear, Where The Crawdads Sing, Between the World and Me, The Hate U Give, American Dirt, and Bad Feminist.
I liked Theo because it described normal things as normal. Love. Beauty. Marriage. Kindness. It shrugged-off postmodern shibboleths.
But I didn’t finish. The prose was not up to Saki or Trollope standards.
Perfect diagnosis. What I don't understand is why are these literary fast-food consummers (ie, the lit agents and editors you describe) getting involved in the publishing industry since they don't love complex, meaningful literature? With their fast-food taste they have destroyed litetature by creating cheap taste and then they claim this is what the readers want.
Thank you for supporting writers who don't want to write for people who have the attention span of a kitten.
So glad you read one of Liza’s amazing pieces, Labia! I’ve been trying to nudge you towards Liza’s publication for years!
Maybe now I should start!
It was a thoughtful book that sticks with you. I've read 3 other books this summer that I've already forgotten
In my observations, if a novel does not appeal to an upspeaking Millennial with pronouns in her bio and a fetish for Palestine, it won't get representation.
I remember the days when the advice was to work with an agent with whom the writer feels a bond. Skimming agencies for one has left me cold. I don't even care to 'lunch' with any of these people.
Nearly make me cry. This is close to something I wrote in my own note today, about searching for real voice instead of prose that just photographs well.
Great article
Thank you for exposing the sophomoric trend in publishing (and film) today.
After numerous recommendations, your post tipped the scales. I'm going to buy, read and savor the complexity and relish the opportunity to critically think while reading Theo of Golden. Thank you for writing about it.