The Bookseller.com

4th July 2009

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Rise of the celebrity novel

25.09.07

The news that Katie Price, a.k.a. Jordan's contribution to the world of fiction, Crystal, is "outselling the whole of the Booker shortlist", should come as no surprise, argues Hadley Freeman in the Guardian. Looking at the growing genre of the celebrity novel, she writes that Katie Price is "the Philip Roth of the market" - "but others are catching up", mentioning Kerry Katona's Tough Love and Nicole Richie's The Truth About Diamonds.

The new generation of celebrity novels offer a voyeuristic appeal, she argues: "Celebrity autobiographies tend to be bland whitewashes. Yet under the forgiving banner of "fiction", so much more can be discussed. Crystal features a young girl from humble beginnings who finds sudden fame. In Richie's novel, the main character makes a reality TV show with a friend described as "inarticulate to the point of mental incompetence". Obviously, this character was not inspired by Richie's friend and TV co-host Paris Hilton in the slightest. Then there's OJ Simpson, with his tastefully titled If I Did It.

"Although these novels may answer some questions, one they do not resolve is that of authorship. It is generally assumed that celebrity autobiographies are written with assistance, but when it comes to the novels, the line that they are self-penned is, almost without exception, strictly maintained. Having someone write a novel for you smacks of getting someone to do your English GCSE coursework, a plot device that has sadly yet to feature in any of these novels."

Guardian

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