The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl is a whodunit mystery revolving around Charles Dickens' The Mystery of Edwin Drood and his American publisher, James Osgood's, attempts to uncover the mystery.
If you missed the first part of the interview with Matthew Pearl, check it out.
You've written books about controversial elements from the literary canon, from the unveiling of Dante's Divine Comedy in English, the mysterious circumstances of Edgar Allen Poe's death, and now the unfinished novel of Charles Dickens. What attracts you to these controversies and do you feel like a detective when you weave these fictional worlds?
I do sometimes have delusions of being a detective, though sadly one who is mostly locked inside library archives. My characters certainly have more exciting adventures than I do, but we're usually on parallel journeys. One thing that appeals to me, since I'm a writer, is to have the opportunity to discover the secrets of writers from the past. It makes me better understand their courage and dedication.
Please share some of your obsessions.
I love the history of animation--not the very recent stuff, but from, say, the 1930s to the 1950s. Nothing to do with what I write about, of course.
Most writers will read inspirational/how-to manuals, take workshops, or belong to writing groups. Do you or did you subscribe to any of these aids and if so which did you find most helpful? Please feel free to name any "writing" books you enjoyed most (i.e. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott).
You never stop learning about writing, both from the actual act and from hearing from others about their own writing. Actually, Bird by Bird would be the one I'd mention too as being a stellar and inspiring text about writing. I also find keeping a writing journal with your own thoughts about your own writing really helps build technique and confidence.
I just finished the Patricia Highsmith "Ripley" books series fairly recently and was completely absorbed. I love characters like Tom Ripley whom you root for without being able to understand why. I could have read 10 more.
For more reviews of The Last Dickens, please check out Bookish Ruth, Book Chatter and Other Stuff, Savvy Verse & Wit, and Musings of a Bookish Kitty.
Check out Matthew Pearl's writing space.
Comments
I've heard Bird by Bird is good, so I'll have to check it out. Great interview, as always!
I've read bird by bird and it is good, but not my favorite book.
Serena, I haven't read that many of the writing books, to be honest. Do you have any you've read that you really like?
I'm not really much of a writing book reader either lately, but I really enjoyed the practical advice I gleaned from Stephen King's On Writing, and I really love the 3AM Epiphany when I get stuck for ideas or need to jump start the creative juices.
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