On August 5, 2008 RandomHouse/Doubelday will release the much-anticipated novel, The Gargoyle, by Canadian author, Andrew Davidson. The debut has received more praise (follow links to The New Yorker and more below) than criticism (which comes from Entertainment Weekly, a publication whose front page boasts stories about the movie “The Mummy,” Christina Applegate’s cancer and Nicole Kidman’s “steamy Australia.)

According to the Washington Post, The Gargoyle:

“is a story for people who like their literary entertainment well done…Following close behind David Wroblewski’s The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and Brunonia Barry’s The Lace Reader, The Gargoyle is another in this summer’s extraordinary series of million-dollar debuts from unknown writers that combine elements of mystery and mysticism.”

(Incidentally, having read and loved The Gargoyle myself, that makes me want to move Wroblewski and Barry to the top of my TBR pile.)

Part of the buzz surrounding the book can be attributed to its addictive companion website, Burned by Love, which now boasts a virally exploding following. When I first visited the site, there were fewer than 20 “burns” compared to today’s 155.

Also contributing to the buzz is a positive review by the Washington Post, who is also hosting a live Q&A chat with Andrew Davidson. The author will be online taking questions and comments on Tuesday, August 5 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Click here to leave a question or join the chat.

Read more:

The Raabe Review
BookWorld Review
Publisher website
Burned by Love
The New Yorker
The Wall Street Journal