T H E G R E A T P U R S U I T by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub

'Frankly,' said Frensic, 'I regard it as unmitigated tosh bu~ I'm

delighted that Miss Shelmerdine has said it all the same. > always

said it would be a money-spinner.' 'You did, you most certainly did,'

said GeofFrey, 'I have hand it to you, you've been absolutely right.'

'Well we'll have to see about that,' said Frensic befor Geoffrey could

become too e5usive. 'Reviews aren't every. thing. People have yet to

buy the book. Still, it augurs well for American sales. Is there

anything else ?' 'There's a rather nasty piece by Octavian Dorr.' 'Oh

good,' said Frensic. 'He's usually to the point and I like his style.'

'I don't,' said GeofFrey. 'He's far too personal for my ~,te and he

should stick to the book. That's what he's paid for. In-stead he has

made some rather odious comparisons. Still I suppose he has given us

some quotable quotes for the jacket of Piper's next book and that's

the main thing.' 'Quite,' said Frensic and turned with relish to

Octavian Dorr's column in the Sunday Telegraph, 'I just hope we do as

well with the weeklies.' He put the phone down, made some toast and

settled dowa with Octavian Dorr whose piece was headed ' Permissive

Senility'. It began, 'It is appropriate that the publishers of Pause 0

Men for the Virgin by Peter Piper should have printed their Qrst book

during the reign of Catherine The Great. The so-called heroine of this

their latest has many of the less attractive characteristics of that

Empress of Russia. In par-ticular a fondness amounting to sexual mania

for the favi urs of young men and partiality for indiscretion that

was, to ~ay the ieast, regrettable. The same an be said for the

publi~hers, Corkadales...' Frensic could see exactly why Geoffrey had

hated the revi.w. Frensic found it entirely to his taste. It was long

and stri n~ and while it castigated the author, the publisher and the

pu'::~lic whose appetite for perverse eroticism made the sale of s .ch

novels profitable, and then went on to blame society in gen< ral for

the decline in literary values, it aevertheless drew attent:.on to the

book. Mr Dorr might deplore perverse eroticism but hc also helped to

sell it. Frensic finished the review with a sigh o< regef and turned

to the others. Their praise, the presumptuous p p of progressive

Opinion earnest humourless and Sickenlngly weg-meaning, had given

Pause the imprimatur of respectability rensic had hoped for. The novel

was being taken seriously if the weeklies followed suit there was

nothing to worry ut. ' '$ignificance is all,' Frensic murmured and

helped his nose snufF. 'Prime the pump with meaningful hogwash.' pe

settled back in his chair and wondered if there was any-gng he could

do to ensure that Pause got the maximum pub-gcity. Some nice big

sensational story for the daily papers...

14

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