This is a collection of hard-hitting essays and book reviews which first appeared on Michael Allen’s blog, the Grumpy Old Bookman .
A blog is a kind of newspaper column which is published on the internet; material is usually added on a daily basis. The Grumpy Old Bookman began operation in late March 2004, and soon acquired a reputation for plain speaking and controversy. This book reproduces some 130 entries from the first six months.
Grumpy Old Bookman is aimed at both readers and writers, and the content deals almost entirely with books and publishing. A typical entry will either be a lengthy review of a book, or the author’s thoughts on some aspect of the book world, inspired by an item of recent news.
Rights available: US, translation
NB If you are not familiar with it already, you should visit Michael Allen’s Grumpy Old Bookman blog, where you can sample the kind of essays and criticism that appear in this book. In February 2005, the GOB blog was listed by the Guardian as one of the top 10 literary blogs worldwide. Just click here.
