Those Sophomore Blues

Peter Carey still fears it after two Booker Prizes and 20 years. Harper Lee feared it so badly she gave up. Zadie Smith had it, but crashed through. In March the world will discover whether DBC Pierre, the 2003 Booker winner with Vernon God Little, is suffering from it.

Malcom Knox examines the Second Novel Syndrome. (He could well have added that Upamanyu Chatterjee is still trying to get over it.)