GROSSMAN, Lev (Thomas) 1969(?)-

PERSONAL:

Born c. 1969; son of Allen (a university professor) and Judith (a writer and writing teacher) Grossman; married Heather O'Donnell (a doctoral candidate at Yale), 2000. Education: Harvard University, bachelor's degree (magna cum laude); Yale University, master's degree.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Brooklyn, NY. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Harcourt, 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL 32887.

CAREER:

Author. Time, New York, NY, writer and book critic; Time Digital, writer.

WRITINGS:

Warp (novel), St. Martin's Griffin (New York, NY), 1997.

Codex (novel), Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2004.

Contributor of articles to New York Times, Salon, Lingua Franca, Entertainment Weekly, Time Out New York, and Village Voice.

SIDELIGHTS:

Lev Grossman is a Time magazine book reviewer turned novelist. Grossman's 1997 debut, Warp, focuses on a Harvard graduate named Hollis, who heads for trouble after falling out of favor with his well-heeled parents. A Publishers Weekly critic described the book as "low-key [and] witty" and noted that Grossman manages somehow "to inspire affection for his unlikely protagonist."

Codex, Grossman's second novel, centers on a young investment banker named Edward Wozny and his unusual task: unpacking and cataloging a crate of rare books from the personal library of his firm's richest clients, the duke and duchess of Bowmry. The nobleman and his wife believe the collection may hide a medieval codex, and each one wants it for very different reasons. As Edward searches for the codex, he finds himself drawn progressively deeper into a virtual-reality computer game. "There's a lot going on here," wrote Bill Ott in Booklist, "and most of it is thoroughly fascinating." David Lazarus, reviewing Codex for the San Francisco Chronicle, noted that readers need to pay close attention to the book's convoluted plot, as "small things take on great significance." Lazarus added: "Grossman never loses track of the story and never lets the suspense flag. The result is a literary thriller that challenges but also satisfies."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 15, 1997, Kevin Grandfield, review of Warp, p. 386; March 15, 2004, Bill Ott, review of Codex, p. 1271.

Denver Post, April 4, 2004, Tom Schants and Enid Schants, review of Codex, p. F10.

Entertainment Weekly, February 27, 2004, David Koeppel, review of Codex, p. 103.

Kirkus Reviews, January 15, 2004, review of Codex, p. 53.

Library Journal, November 1, 1997, Doris Lynch, review of Warp, p. 116; February 15, 2004, David Wright, review of Codex, p. 160.

New York Times, April 2, 2000, "Heather O'Donnell, Lev Grossman," section 9, p. 9.

New York Times Book Review, March 21, 2004, Polly Shulman, "Heart of Dorkness," p. 6.

People, April 12, 2004, Scott Nybakken, review of Codex, p. 66.

Publishers Weekly, September 15, 1997, review of Warp, p. 49; February 9, 2004, review of Codex, p. 55.

San Francisco Chronicle, March 7, 2004, David Lazarus, review of Codex, p. M6.

ONLINE

Harcourt Trade Publishers Web site,http://www.harcourtbooks.com/ (September 13, 2004), "Between the Lines: Interview with Grossman."*