An Associated Press article reports that former President Bill Clinton acknowledges that his memoir, My Life, may have been too long.
Clinton acknowledges complaints about the book's length and names a possible culprit, his wife. He calls the senator's memoirs, Living History, a "fine book" (he has called his own book "pretty good") and says that her success "added to the pressure" for him to meet a June 2004 deadline.
"Most people thought it was too long -- a fair criticism. Thomas Jefferson once said that if he had had more time he could have written shorter letters," writes Clinton, whose afterword helps make the trade paperback even longer, 969 pages.
Clinton also said he was concerned about the high price of his book ($35) when he saw people of "modest means" turn up his book signings.
"When I saw how many people of modest means came to the book signings, I worried about my long and heavy book also being too expensive," writes Clinton, whose book has a $17.95 suggested price in trade paperback and $7.99 for each of the mass market volumes.
"I can't change the length, but I hope the paperback edition, in reducing the weight and cost, will make My Life accessible to a new round of readers."
The hardcover version of My Life sold over 2.2 million copies. The trade paperback edition will be available in bookstores on May 31st.
