I have often wondered how book reviewers find the time to read all those books and write their reviews on deadline. I guess this answers that question.
Reviewer slams book that was never written
Published: 15th December 2006 16:54 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/5818/
A book reviewer on a Swedish newspaper has got himself into hot water for writing a review of a book that has not been written. To make matters worse, Kristian Lundberg claimed the book's plot was "predictable" and said the characterisations were one-dimensional.
Lundberg made the comments in Helsingborgs Daglad, in an article about recently published thrillers, reports Dagens Nyheter. Among those he reviewed were Britt-Marie Mattsson's novel 'Fruktans Makt' (The Power of Fear).
Unfortunately for Lundberg, while the book had been advertised in publisher Piratförlaget's autumn catalogue, Mattsson never actually got round to writing it.
The newspaper has made an "unreserved apology" to Mattsson. Lundberg's apology was more qualified. He told Svensk Bokhandel magazine that he had "got worked up in advance about Britt-Marie Mattsson because I detest her so very greatly. But let's hope the book is published so I get the chance to say it for real."
Mattsson has not yet made her views on the subject known. But Piratförlaget's spokesman Mattias Boström said it confirmed what they'd suspected about reviewers.
"We've known for a long time that reviewers skim-read books, but know we know what really happens," he told Dagens Nyheter.
James Savage
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