American author Jonathan Franzen has decided to give a thief who stole his glasses at a book launch in London his freedom.
The novelist declined to press charges after his glasses were swiped at the launch party on Monday for his acclaimed new novel, Freedom.
Franzen's British publisher, 4th Estate, last night confirmed the story which first appeared in The Bookseller magazine's website.
The thieves crashed the party, claiming to work for a publisher. One then grabbed Franzen's spectacles while the other gave him a note asking for $100,000 for their return.
The note read: "$100,000 - Your glasses are yours again!"
The pair then fled the scene.
One of the men was captured by police after he jumped into the Serpentine, a 28-acre lake in Hyde Park.
The 27-year-old suspect was released after the glasses were recovered.
Franzen declined to press charges.
Franzen's novel was hastily reprinted over the weekend after the publishers discovered the first 50,000 copies contained a number of typographical errors.
Freedom was published with around 50 punctuation and spelling mistakes after a typesetter sent the incorrect edition from their computer.
Franzen (51), received critical acclaim for his 2001 novel The Corrections. It sold nearly three million copies and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.