What Is the What writes: "Over the course of many years, Dave and I have collaborated to tell my story... I told [him] what I knew and what I could remember, and from that material he created this work of art." The book is typical of Eggers' style: blending non-fictional and fictional elements into a non-fiction novel or memoir. By classifying the book a novel, Eggers says, he freed himself to re-create conversations, streamline complex relationships, add relevant detail and manipulate time and space in helpful ways—all while maintaining the essential truthfulness of the storytelling. However, not all critics were impressed. Lee Siegel sees
The President Is Missing (novel) positive, arguing that "The President Is Missing" "maximizes its potency and fulfills its mission". James O'Sullivan published an analysis in "The Guardian" which uses stylometry to show that the novel was primarily written by Patterson. In a rare negative review, Will Gompertz of the BBC gave the novel 1 out of 5 stars, calling it "predictable, dull and uninteresting". The book topped "The New York Times" Best Seller list by the June 24 edition. Alfred A. Knopf announced that the book sold 250,000 copies in all formats during its first week. Nielsen Bookscan, which represents around 85 percent of print