Weekend pursuits: Just bought Schmidt Steps Back, Louis Begley’s new novel, which has just come out in Germany. Interestingly, it has first been published in German, as Schmidts Einsicht in November 2011, by Suhrkamp Verlag. The English original, Schmidt Steps Back, will be published by Alfred A. Knopf in March 2012.
Schmidt Steps Back is continuing the story of Albert Schmidt, known as Schmidtie, the retired New York law firm partner that started with About Schmidt (1996) and Schmidt Delivered (2000). So I have a couple of excuses to post about this book: It is a story about a lawyer by a lawyer. Louis Begley has managed to combine a legal career as a partner in Debevoise with that of an author. And all of his books so far were great.
I look forward to this one. Alfred A. Kopf say “at once darkly funny and deeply poignant, Schmidt Steps Back is the most emotionally nuanced installment of the drama that began with the acclaimed About Schmidt. Here is Louis Begley’s finest novel yet.” Thank god it’s a rainy day, so I can find out for myself.