A Thriller with Overwrought Prose and Wildly Improbable Plot Developments
What happened: CNN host Jake Tapper managed to convince (or maybe begged?) numerous liberal celebrities and journalist colleagues to publicly endorse his latest book, All the Demons Are Here: A Thriller, which was released this summer.
The list of celebrity endorsements for Tapper’s book includes Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jimmy Kimmel, Jake Gyllenhaal, Seth Meyers, Paul Rudd, Adam Scott, Ben Stiller, Judd Apatow, Whoopi Goldberg, Conan O’Brien, Christian Slater, Elizabeth Banks, and “Weird Al” Yankovic, among others. Kimmel urged his 11.4 million followers to buy a copy “for yourself or to send a copy to Trump in jail.”
Almost all of Tapper’s CNN colleagues who regularly appear on television also endorsed the book on social media. They were joined by several journalists from rival networks, including former Clinton spokesman George Stephanopoulos.
What happened next: Despite the endorsements, the book didn’t perform well. All the Demons Are Here has only sold 13,196 copies since its release on July 11, according to the Daily Beast.
Crucial context: That’s a disappointing result. To put it into perspective, Fox News host Bret Baier’s latest book, To Rescue the Constitution: George Washington and the Fragile American Experiment, sold more copies in just one week after its release last month.
Tapper’s book sales were even overshadowed by his own daughter, Alice Paul Tapper, who published a children’s book in 2019 at the age of 11. Raise Your Hand, partly inspired by her time in the Girl Scouts, debuted at number two on the New York Times bestseller list for picture books.
The elder Tapper’s thriller was promoted as “an absolute page-turner” that takes readers to the 1970s underground world of cults, celebrities, tabloid journalism, serial killers, disco, and UFOs.
What they’re saying:
Kirkus ReviewsdescribedAll the Demons Are Here as “a quasi-mystery in search of authenticity.”
One Kindle customer on Amazon expressed disappointment, saying, “I wanted to love it… But it was painful. So I doubt I’ll read another. Sorry dude… I really really like you.”
Another Amazon customer, “Family Nurse,” who is a fan of Tapper’s work on CNN, found the story and characters uninteresting, wondering if the author rushed to finish the project.
Amazon customer Dr. Gabriel I. Penagaricano, also unimpressed, stated that the story was too farfetched to be interesting.
Bottom line: CNN and everyone associated with the network are experiencing a major failure in terms of ratings.
Despite selling over 40,000 copies in its first week, what factors contributed to the disappointing sales of Brad Thor’s “Black Ice” in the political thriller genre?
Wed by another new release in the political thriller genre, Brad Thor’s Black Ice, which sold more than 40,000 copies in its first week alone.
The disappointing sales of Tapper’s book can partly be attributed to the mixed reviews it has received. Many readers and critics have criticized the book for its overwrought prose and wildly improbable plot developments.
Tapper’s attempt to blend his expertise in politics and journalism with the thriller genre seems to have fallen flat. The book, which revolves around a plot involving a journalist investigating corruption at the highest levels of government, fails to deliver the gripping suspense and believability that readers expect from a thriller.
One reviewer described Tapper’s writing style as “clunky and heavy-handed,” with excessive use of clichés and awkward dialogue. The plot, according to multiple reviews, becomes increasingly convoluted and relies on too many coincidences and implausible twists.
What this means for Tapper: The underwhelming performance of All the Demons Are Here raises questions about Tapper’s foray into fiction-writing and his ability to captivate readers outside of his usual news reporting. While he may have convinced his celebrity and journalist colleagues to endorse his book, it ultimately failed to resonate with the wider audience.
Tapper’s reputation as a respected journalist and television anchor on CNN doesn’t seem to have translated into success in the literary world. The writing and storytelling skills required for fiction may have proved to be a challenge for Tapper, highlighting the complexities of switching genres and succeeding in a highly competitive market.
It remains to be seen whether Tapper will make another attempt at writing fiction or if he will stick to his strengths as a political commentator and journalist. Regardless, the lukewarm response to his debut novel serves as a reminder that not all successful broadcasters can seamlessly transition into the realm of fiction-writing.
As for readers who are seeking a gripping thriller with compelling prose and believable plot developments, they may want to look elsewhere and explore the works of established authors in the genre. With the abundance of talented writers in the thriller genre, there is no shortage of thrilling and well-crafted novels to satisfy their cravings for suspense and excitement.
Ultimately, the disappointment surrounding All the Demons Are Here serves as a cautionary tale for authors who attempt to cross genres and for readers who expect a certain level of quality from their favorite broadcasters-turned-writers. It reminds us that expertise in one field does not guarantee success in another, and that literary acclaim requires its own set of skills and talents.
So while Tapper’s foray into fiction may not have been a resounding success, it serves as a testament to the ever-evolving nature of the literary world and the challenges faced by authors who dare to step outside their comfort zones.
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