It's Not Too Late

[Dave Monroe]

Dear Mr. Penzler--

While I am not much of a reader of mysteries, crime
fiction, or "true crime" nonfiction, for that matter, 
and while both I and my roommate and many of our
friends did indeed go through at least a period of
some interest in juvenile fantasy novels (though the
Tolkien ouevre is hardly juvenile), we still share a
fascination with, say, espionage, film noir and/or
Leonardo Da Vinci (a hero of mine since childhood, by
the way).  But, as my copy will be tied up through the
coming year for close rereading, he'll be trading a
bookstore gift certificate he was given for the indeed
impressive new Pynchon novel.  And if I could give
away $35 clothbound novels the way I've given away
used paperback copies of, say, the Crying of Lot 49 or
Gravity's Rainbow (not quite on the scale of the
Gideons with their own pet volumes, but ...), I'd be
delighting several more friends with 1085 page
masterpieces this Yuletide season.  But, then again,
most of them have had it since publication, so ...

We don't give to impress, Mr. Penzler, we simply give
the best, which generally tends to impress on its own.
 Here's to hoping your tongue was a firmly in your
cheek as your brow seems to be in the middle ...  

The best of the holidays (whichever they may be for
you) to you and yrs,

David M. Monroe (ret.)
Milwaukee, WI

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