ear Señor Michael of Sirvientes (do I have the spelling right?): We've now had the chance to read the long manuscript--a behemoth, really--you kindly sent us. While we appreciate your earnest attempt at developing the distinct personalities of the old chap and his fat servant, we've found the storyline to be problematic. You stuff the plot with one too many adventures that do little to advance the plot. There are too many characters whose fate the reader gets attached to but who suddenly disappear never to be heard from again. Maybe another publisher will be willing to trim the book to approximately two hundred pages; we simply don't have the time.
Plus, what is one to make of the fact that Cide Hamete Benengeli is said to be the true creator of the book? Is this true? At times this seems like an ingenious device. But we've had a word with our legal department on this respect. They would be anxious about bringing out a novel whose authorship is uncertain. The field would be wide open to a copyright lawsuit. This problem is exacerbated by Mr. Benengeli's religion. Given the political situation in which we live today, as an Arab he would even have grounds for defamation, given the derogatory comments made of moriscos in your work. The comments on Catholicism and the Church are smoother but we might also get caught for publishing them.
And the style!!! Advance apologies for asking but did you take a writing course in college? You write carelessly. Your sentences twist and turn. You don't always seem to know where you are going and what you have in mind. Your vocabulary bank seems quite limited given the size of your endeavor, and your use of adjectives is questionable.
In short, Don Quixote is not really for us. We do wish you success in placing it elsewhere. Let me conclude by saying that should you have something substantially shorter, preferably with some elements of Magical Realism, please don't hesitate to send it to us. We've also been looking for novels about ghetto life in New York and Los Angeles. If you do decide to try your luck at one, please keep drugs and violent crimes to a minimum. We usually get criticized by reviewers on this respect, although these books do get adopted in college courses.
From The New Republic online
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