This writer’s tale went viral because it’s sad and funny, cautionary and amazing
7.
Sob, sob, sob. “I apologise, Adam,” he said, sitting up straighter. “It is not manly to lose control like this! But I have been under such strain. I apologise. I shall go out and smoke a cigarette and settle myself, and then we will finalise our work together!” 7/
— Adam Roberts (@arrroberts) September 12, 2018
8.
So he left the table and stepped outside. AND I NEVER SAW HIM AGAIN. 8/
— Adam Roberts (@arrroberts) September 12, 2018
9.
I waited, and eventually paid for the lunch and went home. I sent him emails—nothing. To this day I have no idea what happened. 9/
— Adam Roberts (@arrroberts) September 12, 2018
10.
Conceivably my intro to Dickens’s “Christmas Carol” is widely studied in Italian schools to this day. I may be owed a fortune. I just don’t know. I’ve tried googling, but nothing comes up, which leads me to suspect—not. 10/
— Adam Roberts (@arrroberts) September 12, 2018
11.
But this all seems just an immensely elaborate grift for X to get … what? One free lunch? A short school-level introduction to Dickens’s “Christmas Carol”? Why would anybody *want* such a thing? 11/
— Adam Roberts (@arrroberts) September 12, 2018
12.
So there we are: true story, as puzzling to me today as it was at the time. Publishers, eh?
— Adam Roberts (@arrroberts) September 12, 2018
Oooh. We’ve got the chills again and it’s not even the first time we’ve read it.
Here are some of our favourite responses online. Can’t wait to see it on Black Mirror.
I wouldn’t even be mad if this happened to me https://t.co/w64re9ybOe
— Hannah Jewell (@hcjewell) September 12, 2018
A gift! It’s a perfect short story.
— Elizabeth Speller (@lizziespeller) September 12, 2018
This is, at the same time, cautionary and amazing and sad and hilarious. https://t.co/5Yk5rBnj4F
— Dave Bradley (@BoxDaveB) September 12, 2018
This is totally wonderful. A real life Paul Auster plot. https://t.co/C5IOiKbinb
— Sam Wetherell (@samwetherell) September 12, 2018
This thread is amazing! https://t.co/dYg3BSVRcn
— Greg Jenner (@greg_jenner) September 12, 2018
This is begging to be made into a novel. Or a true crime podcast https://t.co/Ezqv4LfYLt
— Anita Singh (@anitathetweeter) September 12, 2018
This is an engrossing thread. WHAT HAPPENED? https://t.co/2Z6OCB60bM
— Count Mysterioso (@MysteriosoX) September 12, 2018
And someone spotted this.
This reminds me of tales of the unexpected episode 79 the luncheon(spoiler in reply):https://t.co/bM659uB9Vw
— Daniel Twycross (@Dannyceres) September 12, 2018
And it does a bit (here’s the plot synopsis).
Susan Mandeville is a beautiful American woman who takes a shine to struggling writer Tony Medway. He takes her out to lunch in the hope of getting a lucrative offer for his book, but, things aren’t so straightforward.
Pretty much the same as your story, except the lunch guest promising the book deal is the wife of the restaurant owner, and does this to get trade for her husbands restaurant.
— Daniel Twycross (@Dannyceres) September 12, 2018
Got those shivers again.
