The success of Theo of Golden suggests readers never stopped craving ambitious fiction—and exposes the publishing industry's assumptions about modern audiences.
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.
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!
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.
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.
It was a thoughtful book that sticks with you. I've read 3 other books this summer that I've already forgotten
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.
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
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.