An interesting book with a discussion of languages, translation, publishing and writing.Jennie Erdal started out as an editor for a small publishing company. She called her boss "Tiger" because of a huge tiger skin he had on the wall in his office and he called all the women who worked for him "Beloved". She was an anomaly to Tiger's usual staff. Most were thin, young, single, society girls. Jennie was older, married with children and worked from home in Scotland, only going to London once a month for a meeting. Jennie had studied languages in college and knows quite a few - German, Russian, French, etc. She scored a coup for her publisher in reading a Russian book for another publisher who turned it down. The book was "Red Square". She recommended it to the other publisher in an independent reader's report, they didn't take it so she suggested it to her boss. They bought the book right before the death of Brezhnev. The book was a thriller - fiction mixed with facts concerning the death of an important official in Soviet Russia. The book was an enormous hit. She supervised the translation by dealing out portions of the book to various translators and then reviewed the whole to make sure it merged seamlessly. It was praised as a "nearly invisible translation".Jennie talks about how she thinks she became interested in language - because growing up in Scotland there was the local dialect and the "proper" language she learned (from being sent to an elocutionist). She became obsessed with words. She discusses the difficulties of translation. Also the difficulties of ghost writing. Tiger decided he wanted to publish a book of interviews of women in society and of renown. He sent tapes of all the interviews to Jennie who organized and edited the interviews into the book. Which was published under Tiger's name. He decided he would do another book as well. Then he wanted to write a novel. He had a few specific ideas about what he wanted in a book - and was insistent that it be included. Even if she didn't like it. It was a difficult job writing it. Then he decided he wanted to write another, so she did. But she grew in awareness that she didn't like writing like this. She did not enjoy it and it was extremely stressful to herself. But, it took her four more years before she could finally break the connection and quit.
So far, absolutely fascinating!Finished now, did not want it to end... This skilled writer, Jennie Erdal, really held my attention, and not only because her autobiographical book centers around interesting revelations from her years of ghost-writing for a well-known London publisher. While the Scottish mother of 3 young children, she had translated some important Russian works. Being in the right place at the right time, she developed his trust in her abilities, which gradually led to supporting his ego, and ghosting, with occasional trips to London and southern France.Her sensitive consideration for others' feelings is evident throughout the book. She treats all manner of occurrences with such articulate literary style; her carefully constructed discussions on the writing process itself warrant note-taking & discussion. A brief section on her upbringing in Scotland, complete with elocution lessons and anti-Papist propaganda from her family, should be expanded into its own book. I hope it will be. As life progressed, some elements in her family and job must have been quite difficult to deal with and, even years later, to describe. She handled these stresses so well! Detailing the numerous, ludicrous demands made by her boss, "Tiger," she chose varied, sometimes clipped, British terms, delivered with delightful, understated spareness. His dictatorial mode was almost unconsciously funny, while Ms. Erdal was ever uncomplaining... but never oblivious. She remained, still keeping secrets and philosophical, long after what most would call "the last straw." Way toward the end, she used the word "lies" quite judiciously, & effectively. My impression is that she still maintains her friendship with Tiger. Even for a few distasteful topics, her descriptions could not have been more masterful! Wish more authors wrote as well, and will look for more of her writings... under her own name!
What do You think about Ghosting: A Double Life (2006)?
So...I feel quite justified in my book cover prejudice because this book has a mediocre cover and complementary content. Ghosting is the 20 year memoir of a ghostwriter and the flamboyant publishing playboy she wrote for. During the course of their relationship they developed a somewhat odd symbiosis. Erdal learned to cope with Tiger (as she calls her employer) and his outlandish personality and persnickety habits. She wrote at least 3 books under his name along with letters, reviews, and columns.The concept of ghostwriting is definitely interesting and controversial and Erdal gives a great peak into the process of writing as someone else, as well as, the writing process in general. Where the book (which is fairly short) failed was in 1. structure--going back and forth between the psychology of her upbringing and her personal relationships, a character studies of Tiger and her writing process. It felt very disjointed. 2. High falutin' writing. While her writing style was mostly accessible she kept throwing in latin phrases and other references which were further made the story disjointed. One or two sine qua non would have been enough I think. 3.Sometimes I just didn't believe or understand Tiger as she explained him.Anyway...here's a lesson for all of you: judge books by their cover
—Georgia
This memoir is about a Scottish woman who was an editor and ghostwriter for a London publisher for 20 years, through the late 1990s. One of her degrees is philosophy and I enjoyed her perspective as she tried to write books, newspaper columns and even love letters for her male boss. Essentially the moral dilemma is this: In each novel, the author's perspective on life comes out through the characters. When you're a ghost writer, you're creating a voice of the author, who is creating characters. So there is a sort of double deceit or double invention. Exhausting was the work to convince (often unsuccessfully) her boss that a book did not need another sex scene or character or what have you. She needed the job after her husband left her with three kids to live in Australia with another woman... In addition to appreciating the financial stress she was under, I was mortified when I read that she often had to create sympathetic protagonists who were like her husband. The British press ripped this book for not revealing more juicy gossip on the sexual and family life of her boss, the publisher of Quarter Books, who is apparently a flamboyant and controversial figure in the London literary scene. It yawned on the details of her childhood and adult life.For me, an American who picked this book up used at Powell's City of Books in Portland, Ore., I loved the details about her life mixed with the details of the job.
—Laura Hancock
Es ya el segundo libro que leo y me encanta gracias a los art��culos de Nick Hornby recopilados en The Complete Polysyllabic Spree. La historia de como una fil��loga escocesa se transforma de traductora y editora en la escritora en la sombra de un magnate del negocio editorial es incre��ble. La narraci��n que la autora mantiene es magistral y el libro aporta una visi��n ��nica sobre el proceso de crear una novela que no creo que ning��n escritor "real" y no "fantasma" sea capaz de explicar. Si te gusta leer y sobre todo te interesa la literatura, esos pasajes te encantar��n. Si no, nada m��s que la presentaci��n del personaje apodado Tiger (el magnate) y la curiosa relaci��n que mantiene con la escritora, son motivos m��s que suficientes para leer este libro. En resumen, totalmente recomendable.
—Rosa
