The Great Pursuit

The Great Pursuit is a comic novel from 1977 that takes aim at the publishing industry through the story of a literary agency's risky scheme. The plot follows a London agency that receives a manuscript from an anonymous author, leading to a high-stakes publishing deal worth $2 million. The story spans multiple locations including London, New York, the Deep South, and coastal Maine as the agency attempts to fulfill a major publisher's demand for the anonymous author to conduct a promotional tour. The central conflict revolves around their solution: hiring an unpublished writer to impersonate the actual author. The two main characters are Frederick Frensic, an old-fashioned London literary agent who prides himself on understanding public taste, and his business partner Sonia Futtle, an American known for her aggressive sales tactics. Their desperate plan sets off a chain of events that propel the narrative across continents. The novel serves as a satire of commercial publishing, exploring tensions between artistic merit and market demands while questioning the relationship between authors, agents, and the reading public.

Readers found The Great Pursuit to be an uneven follow-up to Sharpe's earlier works. Many noted it lacks the sharp satire and comedic timing of his other novels. Readers appreciated: - The academic world parody elements - Fast-paced opening chapters - Return of familiar characters from previous books Common criticisms: - Plot becomes convoluted and loses focus - Humor feels forced compared to other Sharpe novels - Characters make unrealistic decisions - Ending feels rushed and unsatisfying One reader on Goodreads noted: "The wit is there but it's buried under too many subplots." Another commented: "Started strong but lost its way halfway through." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.6/5 (482 ratings) Amazon: 3.7/5 (64 reviews) LibraryThing: 3.5/5 (89 ratings) Most recommend starting with Sharpe's earlier works like Wilt or Porterhouse Blue before reading this one.

Thank You, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse Similar absurdist humor and farcical situations unfold as characters navigate British high society, much like the publishing world mishaps in The Great Pursuit.

Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris Chronicles the inner workings and office politics of a Chicago advertising agency with the same satirical lens used to examine the publishing industry.

Lost for Words by Edward St. Aubyn Takes readers behind the scenes of a literary prize committee with comparable industry satire and publishing world commentary.

Money by Martin Amis Follows a film director through London and New York media circles with parallel themes of commercial art versus artistic merit.

Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde Features a literary detective in an alternate Britain where book publishing drives the plot through similar industry machinations and satirical twists.

🔖 The book was published in 1977, during a transformative period in publishing when corporate consolidation was dramatically reshaping the industry. 📚 Tom Sharpe wrote the novel after his own experiences in publishing, including a period when his works were banned in South Africa due to their anti-apartheid stance. ✒️ The character of the stand-in author was partially inspired by real cases of literary hoaxes, including the infamous Clifford Irving/Howard Hughes autobiography scandal of 1971. 📖 The novel's original manuscript was reportedly rejected by three publishers before being accepted, ironically mirroring its own plot about publishing industry challenges. 🏆 The Great Pursuit helped establish Sharpe's reputation as a master of farce, leading to his works being adapted for both television and stage throughout the 1980s.