Fiction Turned Real

Dave Eggers, founder of McSweeney's and best known for A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS, has a new book out called ZEITOUN. Eggers is considered by many to be one of the fathers of modern fiction. But this new book is unlike any other he has written.

A week after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, Abdulrahman Zeitoun disappeared. Zeitoun, a Syrian-American businessman who stayed in New Orleans to protect his home and business, is the focus of this book that ranges around the world, with interviews from family and friends.

What I find most interesting about this is that it's quite a departure from Eggers' usual fare. Humorous essays and turns of phrase are what he is known for and yet, here is a project that was 3 years in the making, involving hours of travel, research and interviews.

The field of stories stemming from Katrina and similar catastrophic events has been mined pretty well, but I am a bit intrigued with ZEITOUN. What made Dave Eggers decide that THIS story had to be written? That Zeitoun's story was more worthy of being told than other personal stories? He spent so much time on this book that I am curious to see what comes of it.

From what I can see this is a labor of love. Rather like Patricia Cornwell's exploration on the Jack the Ripper legend or John Grisham's THE INNOCENT MAN last year. And just like with those stories, I wonder what kind of an impact ZEITOUN will have on fans and other interested parties.


Do you think you will read this new book by Eggers? Or do you think he should stick to fiction?


Nicole