I wrote my first two books fighting the liberality of my graphomania by imitating writers with a simple prose line, though I was mediocre at that too. Lyrical, convoluted, and often incomprehensible sentences belie my determination to keep my prose lucid. I was stunned when the editor at Nord Dam, a leading avantgarde publishing house, accepted my first manuscript. Knowing him beforehand undoubtedly played a role-as is the incestuous way of the literary world-but he could have easily dismissed my first, feeble efforts to become a published novelist from the outset.

The Underachiever delves into the psyche of an unnamed author who, despite critical acclaim for his two published novels, is plagued by dissatisfaction and self-doubt. Aspiring to reach the literary heights of giants like Cortázar, Pynchon, and Nabokov, he flounders in a sea of verbose, disjointed prose devoid of cohesive narratives and compelling characters.

This introspective novel weaves together fragmented stories, poems, philosophical musings, and autobiographical reflections. The protagonist's relentless self-critique and experimentation with new literary styles reveals his existential struggle with the relativity of language, the imminence of death, and the vanity of seeking literary fame.

"The Underachiever" offers a raw and poignant exploration of the incessant pursuit of artistic perfection and the often-painful journey of self-discovery.