Paul Dukach is heir apparent at Purcell and Stern, one of the last independent publishing houses in New York, whose shabby offices on Union Square belie the treasures of its list. Thanks to his boss, the flamboyant Homer Stern, Paul learns the ins and outs of the book world.
But though things are shaky in the age of conglomerates and digital, Paul remains obsessed by one dazzling writer: poet Ida Perkins, whose outsize life and audacious verse have shaped America's contemporary literary landscape, and whose longtime publisher - also her cousin and erstwhile lover - happens to be Homer's biggest rival. And when Paul at last meets Ida at her secluded Venetian palazzo, she entrusts him with her greatest secret - one that will change their lives forever.
Enriched by juicy details from a quintessential insider, Muse is a hilarious and touching love letter to the people who write, sell - and, above all, read - the books that shape our lives.
Jonathan Galassi is the president and publisher of Farrar, Straus and Giroux and the author of three collections of poetry, as well as acclaimed translations of the Italian poets Eugenio Montale and Giacomo Leopardi. He lives in New York City.
'I have not enjoyed a book this much in a long time. Galassi's writing skips along with seemingly effortless ease.' Melbourne Review of Books
'Muse is quintessentially stylish, as well as a poetic contemplation on the mythologising of authors, the symbiotic relationship between writers and their work, and the impact of fame on life.' Observer
'Muse is bathed in a distinctly nostalgic glow as it traverses the golden years of the postwar literary boom in America.' Age
'[Muse is] a wicked yet loving elegy to the erotics of publishing...Galassi's wit and intelligence are formidable, and one senses his delight at creating pseudonyms for his literary heroes and foes...For literary acolytes, this novel is not only a guilty pleasure but also an intellectual one.' Listener
'A charming rollercoaster of a novel...Muse is a literary lark for serious readers.' Sydney Morning Herald
"A bravura first novel...Galassi propels his readers forward on a thought-provoking, often hilarious, bittersweet ride.' LA Review of Books
'Entertaining...Muse is many things: a satire of New York's social world, a portrait of publishing that is both love song and takedown, and an intriguing mystery.' New York Times Book Review
'A love letter to beautiful writing. . . . Galassi has a treasure trove of information which he supplies to readers in great, and gorgeous detail.' Huffington Post
'A long-awaited, and worthwhile, event. Galassi's main character is the heir to a prestigious publishing house who becomes the confidante of his favorite writer, a poet whose personal life is as famed as her writing.' Vanity Fair
'An enjoyably incestuous tangle of life and art...Preserve[s] the quirks and charms of a colorful era in literary culture.' Boston Globe
'A witty, elegant, tons-of-fun debut novel. Jonathan Galassi has got all the dirt on the publishing industry and he is ready to dish. But he also takes us from Union Square and a hideaway country cottage to Venice, for a love story all his own.' Gary Shteyngart
