How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely, one of the hilarious writers for 30 Rock, The Office & American Dad

A razor-sharp evisceration of celebrity culture and literary fame, How I Became a Famous Novelist is a satirical novel masquerading as a tell-all memoir.

What Pete Tarslaw wants is simple enough:

1. Fame. Realistic amount. Enough to open new avenues of sexual opportunity. Personal assistant to read mail, grocery shop, etc.

2. Financial comfort. Never have a job again. Retire. Spend rest of life lying around, pursuing hobbies (boating? skeet shooting?)

3. Humiliate ex-girlfriend at her wedding.

Sick of life as he knows it, Tarslaw sets out to write a bestselling novel, armed with a formula for success cobbled together from previous bestseller list. Once the sales ranking for The Tornado Ashes Club starts its meteoric rise, his inevitable decline looms – and his fall from grace will be nothing short of spectacular.

How I Became a Famous Novelist is the hilarious tale of how Pete Tarslaw’s ‘pile of garbage’ became the most talked about, read, admired and reviled novel in America. It will change everything you think you know – about literature, appearance, truth, beauty, and those people out there who still care about books. Read an extract…

‘A deeply, often painfully funny book . . . [which] should be read by anyone with a passing interest in the state of modern literature.’ – The Independent

“Funny as hell” – The Australian

“This guy is f—ing brillant” – The Age

“Highly entertaining.” – The Advertiser

“A consistently hilarious and unrelentingly brilliant gem of a novel.” – The Courier Mail

“Sharp and consistently funny.” – The Sunday Territorian

“Laugh-out-loud funny.’ – Sunday Herald Sun

Steve Hely is a writer for television. His credits include The Late Show with David Letterman, American Dad, 30 Rock and The Office. He is also co-author of the comic travelogue The Ridiculous Race.

Steve will feature on First Tuesday Book Club on 6th December 2011

Steve Hely reveals his five tips for aspiring writers

The following interview Steve did with Sydney Writers’ Centre offers interesting insights as to Steve’s motivation for writing a novel about a novelist…

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EudMpy-DgxQ&rel=0]

1 Comment Share:

About the Contributor

Booktopia