Friday, November 27, 2009

Day 355 - Contest Winners


I apologize for being so late on this. I was hit pretty hard by that November Noreaster storm a few weekends ago and I'm still trying to recover from it. (along with my postless blog lol)

So without further ado:


The winner of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick is...

Anna from Good Gone Girl


The winner of Kissing Games of the World by Sandi Kahn Shelton is...

Gwendolyn B. from A Sea of Books


& The winner of Everything Sucks by Hannah Friedman is...



Congrats to everyone!! And thanks to all that entered the giveaways. I've emailed you all and you have until December 2nd to respond back (for those that may be on vacation).

Day 355 - Friday Finds [17]


**Hosted by MizB, click here to see more Friday Finds

First off, I have to apologize to those out there who have wondered where I have been lately. A lot of stuff going on personally and I'm doing my best to get back to you all. Sad to say I've even let up on reading, not by choice mind you. I just don't feel like reading much anymore... Sad really. But I've been adding books like crazy...So I don't think all hope is lost.

I hope everyone had a great Holiday. I hope you'll stick with me as I work out the kinks in my life.

I usually add a lot of books on my TBR list throughout the week. This is just a small glimpse into the ones that were added on recently.

Please let me know your thoughts on a book you've read from the list. Or tell me about a good book you've found this week.


My finds this week:

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Day 347 - Playing House

Playing House
Fredrica Wagman

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: May 2006 (35th Anniversary Edition; Paperback)

Publisher: Zoland Books (Steerforth Press)

Pages: 176

My Rating: 1.5/5

Source: Copy provided by publisher


Synopsis [amazon.com]:

When Playing House appeared in 1973, Publishers Weekly hailed it, “A probing descent into madness that will fascinate the same audience that appreciated I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.” This nationally bestselling story of one woman’s struggle with the lasting effects of a childhood sexual relationship with her brother shocked American readers; it remains a literary work of enduring quality and value. In his foreword Philip Roth writes, “The traumatized child; the institutionalized wife; the haunting desire; the ghastly business of getting through the day – what is striking about Wagman’s treatment of these contemporary motifs is the voice of longing in which the heroine shamelessly confesses to the incestuous need that is at once her undoing and her only hope.”

Review:

I really thought I'd like this novel but I had such a hard time reading it. Incest is not a troubling subject matter for me to read about. But the layout of the story was very confusing for me. I realize it may very well be that way on purpose because of the nameless main character's state of mind. The effects of her sexual relationship with her brother consume her entire life. I appreciate the honesty in Wagman's writing but I found myself literally scratching my head after each page I read.

I did like the forward of PLAYING HOUSE. I'm not familar with Philip Roth or his work but I enjoyed reading his thoughts on the book. It did make me think I was going to enjoy it a lot more than I did, but that's okay. After reading other people's thoughts on this book I can see that the problem for me was my comprehension skills and not so much the writing. I just didn't see it the way others have but I do enjoy seeing what others have to say. It actually helps me better understand the novel.

It was tough for me to keep the sequence of events straight because of the fact the narrarator herself jumps around in her story-telling. It didn't really "read" like a book or anything I've ever read before and I suppose I was just WAY out of my comfort zone and therefore didn't enjoy it as much. I've read praise of PLAYING HOUSE and I'm glad there are readers that can appreciate the author's unique way of writing. I will be trying out her other books. I like the honesty and emotional feeling of her words and I hope to enjoy the other books more than this one.





Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Day 339 - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nigh-Time


The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Mark Haddon


Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: May 2004 (Trade Paperback)

Publisher: Vintage

Pages: 226

My Rating: 3.75/5

Source: From Paperbackswap.com


Synopsis [from randomhouse.com]:

Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow.
This improbable story of Christopher’s quest to investigate the suspicious death of a neighborhood dog makes for one of the most captivating, unusual, and widely heralded novels in recent years.

Review:

This was a highly unusual read for me but something I really enjoyed. Christopher is a strange lad and his mystery/coming-of-age story is one that can definitely be described as unforgettable. After finding a a neighbor's dog killed, he becomes a detective and is determined to find out who killed Wellington. Along the way he finds out more than he bargained for about his family and the world he lives in while becoming a much more mature young man than when he started.

The story is told in an odd fashion, but one that will keep you turning page after page. Christopher is fifteen years old and attends a special school while living at home with his father. A guru at math, he often does math problems in his head to calm himself. Along with his fascination with prime numbers, he sees things in a very black and white scale. He's entirely honest and innocent and he interprets things logically and actually very literally since he's unable to determine if someone is being dishonest or devious.

Taking after one of his favorite books, THE HOUND OF BASKERVILLES by Sir Arthur Canan Doyle, he is determined to write a book about Wellington's murder, after he finds the killer of course. Things are never simple for anyone in life, and difficult things may be amplified for Christopher but he always seems to find ways around obstacles using the logic and skills he has gained from teachers and the world around him. Since he has a tough time with the concept of feelings, I found myself empathizing with not only him, but also his family, as he deals with fear and frustration in an entirely different way than most people.

Author Mark Haddon did a remarkable job created a unique character that was so easy to become attached to. Through his quirky writing and style, I can see many readers becoming invovled with Christopher's journey, and even experiencing the many ups and downs in his successes and failures in this story. I recommend everyone give this book a try, I promise it's unlike anything you've ever read before!


Day 339 - Q&A with Author Hannah Friedman & GIVEAWAY

CONTEST CLOSED


I'm super excited to post the interview I did with Hannah Friedman. Check out my review of her memoir EVERYTHING SUCKS!


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A lil background info before we go on:

Hannah Friedman (Peekskill, NY) is a recent Yale University graduate. She is the daughter of gold-record singer/songwriter Dean Friedman. An article titled, “When Your Friends Become the Enemy” about her experiences applying to an Ivy League University was published in Newsweek in 2004. Ms. Friedman is the winner of the Yale 2007 Playwright’s Festival, as well as the New York Television Festival’s 2008 “Flying Solo” Pilot Contest. Her pilot about transitioning from college student to author will debut at the Festival in September 2008.

Follow Hannah on Twitter. She is in the top 600 Twitter-ers in the world!

Visit Hannah’s website, and watch her videos HERE.


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Me: First off let me have my fan girl moment and say “OMG I TOTALLY LOVED YOU & YOUR BOOK!” *clears throat* OK now we can begin…

Hannah: I'm so flattered! Thank you :)

Me: Can you tell the lost souls out there who haven’t heard about your memoir what they can expect to read?

Hannah: You can expect to read all about going from the biggest outcast in school to the heights of social royalty all whilst juggling a monkey for an older sister and all of the regular growing-up grit that nobody ever dares talk about candidly... sexual experimentation, drugs, arrests, the absolute absurdity of SATs, non-vampire true love...

Me: How’s monkey-sis Amelia doing? (And how much do you hate being asked that question =)?)

Hannah: 1. She's doing great and 2. I guess I should be used to it by now. I've included an exclusive candid photo of Amelia enjoying some time at the beach a few weeks back.

Me: When did you decide to write a memoir of your life?

Hannah: When I realized that I had no job and no vendable skills and was about to move into my parent's basement post-college.

Me: Did any of your classmates or people you knew give you a tough time after your book came out? Or did they already know they would be featured in it?

Hannah: I think my parents were surprised by some of it, but always supportive. My grandmother, however, has yet to lay her hands on a copy and we're hoping it stays that way.

Me: What was the toughest thing about writing Everything Sucks?

Hannah: Just writing it. Often times I honestly didn't think I could finish it up until the day I handed it in. Writing always feels like an uphill battle because you have to be constantly innovating, editing, condensing... it's tough work when all you're used to doing is writing 5-7 page thesis papers for someone else!

Me: If you could go back and change one thing about the book, would you? If so, what would that be?

Hannah: Very excellent question! Hrm... I definitely don't think it's "done." But it seems that most artists feel that way about their work- that there just comes a point where you have to let it go and have its own life, no matter how imperfect you might think it is. If I started this book over now, or 5 years from now, it would look completely different. But I think that's okay. The book captures a unique perspective because of its unique lens, and no matter how much my inner-editor of today would like to change things that I did last year, I don't think any art would remain intact if artists didn't undergo some form of creative abandonment to allow themselves to move on. Which doesn't mean there won't be more to come... we're talking about the movie rights at the moment, and I have lots of fun adaptations in mind for the screenplay.

Me: What was the one thing you desperately wanted to be when you were a little girl? (Other than a hilarious, accomplished Yale-grad and published author, just to name a few)

Hannah: Probably more than anything I wanted to be a cat in the musical Cats. I drew a whole re-imagined ending where the cat who goes up in the tire at the end actually comes back down as an adorable kitten: Me! Me dressed as an adorable kitten hovering above a Broadway stage on a giant car tire. Don't ask me why... but I really wanted that.

Me: What’s next on your agenda?

Hannah: Screenplays, TV pilots, another book, and a host of funny Youtube songs that you're invited to check out here: youtube.com/writinghannah

Me: Any book out there currently winning your attention? Or one coming out soon that you’re looking forward to reading?

Hannah: I got to meet Judy Blume last week at an anti-censorship performance in her honor, so I've actually been re-reading some of her classics and having a wonderful time! Those and the Discworld series by Terry Pratchet. Love them!

Me: Anything you’d like to add =)

Hannah: Even when things really suck, there is infinite potential for them to really un-suck. Have faith in yourself because you're your own best advocate. And always make time to laugh!!

Me: Thank you so much for taking the time out to stop by and chat with me Hannah. And thanks again for the opportunity to read your book. I had a blast!

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Hannah has generously offered a copy of EVERYTHING SUCKS to one lucky winner.

To enter:

-Comment that you'd like the book and PLEASE leave your email address. (I'm afraid I won't be counting your entry if you fail to do so, sorry)

For Extra Entries:

+2-Become a follower/subscriber!! (If you already are one, hugs to you, let me know and you get these!)
+1-Comment on my review! (<---- click the link)
+1-Follow me on twitter!! (Button located on my right sidebar - please leave your @name so I can verify)
+1-Link back to this giveaway. (Must provide link!)


= Total # of possible entries: 6

Giveaway ends November 25th and the winner will be announced the following day on the 26th. US ONLY PLEASE.

Day 339 - Waiting on Wednesday [36]


from penguin.com:

In the sweeping tradition of The English Patient, Janice Y.K. Lee's debut novel is a tale of love and betrayal set in war-torn Hong Kong. In 1942, Englishman Will Truesdale falls headlong into a passionate relationship with Trudy Liang, a beautiful Eurasian socialite. But their affair is soon threatened by the invasion of the Japanese as World War II overwhelms their part of the world. Ten years later, Claire Pendleton comes to Hong Kong to work as a piano teacher and also begins a fateful affair. As the threads of this spellbinding novel intertwine, impossible choices emerge-between love and safety, courage and survival, the present, and above all, the past.


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Reason: I love the sound of this. I'm not big on fiction that is based around wars for some reason but the dynamic relationships sound interesting. And I'm just dieing to know what the present and past in this novel have to do with each other.

Cover Discussion: I actually don't like how thin the cover model appears to be. But I do love (1) the color of her dress, (2) her hairstyle, and (3) the design on the bottom of the cover.



The Piano Teacher will be released November 17th!




What are you waiting on this week?
To see more books that are being waited for click
here.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Day 338 - Legacy Winner

The winner of LEGACY by Cayla Kluver is ...


Shawna from


Congrats! I hope you enjoy the book!! Thank you to those who entered =)
[I've already received your email and I'll be getting the book out to you soon]

Day 338 - Teaser Tuesday [34]

Teaser Tuesdays asks you to:







-Grab your current read
-Let the book fall open to a random page.
-Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12
-You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
-Please avoid spoilers!





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" 'I tried to turn on your television, but your vast array of remote controls stymied me. You obviously buy the same brand for each device to make it impossible for visitors to control your environment, and then you take narcissistic pleasure in being called to rescue them, infantilizing them and making of yourself a heroic figure.' " (42)


Monday, November 09, 2009

Day 337 - It's Monday!


It's Monday! What are you reading this week?, hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog, is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.



Books Gobbled Last Week:
The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time :: Mark Haddon (Review coming soon)
Playing House :: Fredrica Wagman (Review & Giveaway coming soon)


Gobbling Down This Week:
The Recipe Club :: Andrea Israel & Nancy Garfinkel
The Song is You :: Arthur Phillips




**Sidenote(s)/FYI**
-Seems I'm reading a good amount of books but having trouble getting the reviews out, I apologize for that.
-Hope everyone is doing good and getting ready for Thanksgiving =)


Day 337 - Win Kissing Games of the World

CONTEST CLOSED


Here's your chance to win a new copy of Kissing Games of the World by Sandi Kahn Shelton provided by Crown Publishing.


To Enter:

-Comment that you'd like the book and PLEASE leave your email address. (I'm afraid I won't be counting your entry if you fail to do so, sorry)


For Extra Entries:


+2- Become a follower/subscriber!! (If you already are one, hugs to you, let me know and you get these!)
+1- Comment on my review! (<---- click the link) +1- Follow me on twitter!! (Button located on my right sidebar - please leave your @name so I can verify)
+1- Link back to this giveaway. (Must provide link!)

=Total # of possible entries: 6


Giveaway ends November 23rd and the winner will be announced the following day on the 24th. US Only please.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Day 336 - Book Arrivals



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From Contests/Giveaways & Misc:

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters :: Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters
(Received for review)

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters expands the original text of the beloved Jane Austen novel with all-new scenes of giant lobsters, rampaging octopi, two-headed sea serpents, and other biological monstrosities.
As our story opens, the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her romantic sister Marianne is courted by both the handsome Willoughby and the hideous man-monster Colonel Brandon.
Can the Dashwood sisters triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love? Or will they fall prey to the tentacles that are forever snapping at their heels? It's survival of the fittest and only the swiftest swimmers will find true love!


Daughter of the Flames :: Zoe Marriott
(Thanks Chantele!!)

Zahira is a young woman of the conquered Rua people, their country occupied by another, very different culture - the Sedorne. Zahira is an orphan and has been raised to despise and distrust the occupying population, as well as to be a devout follower of the native religion. But everything changes for Zahira when her home and foster family are destroyed and she finds out some shocking truths about her heritage and real family. Realizing that it is up to her to do something about the violence and upheaval that are tearing her country apart, she must learn to accept her Sedorne origins and try to bridge the gap between the warring cultures. But when her own people suspect her of treachery for her ideas - especially after she saves the life of a Sedorne nobleman and begins to fall in love - the epic task ahead of her seems insurmountable...

Viola in Reel Life :: Adriana Trigiani
(Thanks Cindy!!)
I'm marooned. Abandoned. Left to rot in boarding school . . . Viola doesn't want to go to boarding school, but somehow she ends up at an all-girls school in South Bend, Indiana, far, far away from her home in Brooklyn, New York. Now Viola is stuck for a whole year in the sherbet-colored sweater capital of the world. Ick. There's no way Viola's going to survive the year - especially since she has to replace her best friend Andrew with three new roommates who, disturbingly, actually seem to like it there. She resorts to viewing the world (and hiding) behind the lens of her video camera. Boarding school, though, and her roommates and even the Midwest are nothing like she thought they would be, and soon Viola realizes she may be in for the most incredible year of her life. But first she has to put the camera down and let the world in.

Rising Shadow :: Jacquelyn Wheeler
(Book one in the Soterians series)
(Received for review)

Ashlyn Woods just transferred to one of the most beautiful campuses on the west coast, where she can't wait to start her life over as a normal college student. But her plans take an unexpected turn when she discovers that she is a Soterian: a person who develops amazing powers when the balance of good and evil shifts too far in evil's favor. Soon she and the other Soterians are studying martial arts and learning to use their powers to prevent California from being plunged into chaos. But they quickly discover that they're up against a much more dangerous enemy than they anticipated. And when Ashlyn meets Kai, a devastatingly gorgeous guitar player, she realizes she must sacrifice more than she ever imagined.

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HAPPY READING EVERYONE!!

Day 336 - The Sari Shop Widow Winner


The winner The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bantwal is ...


Andrea from



Congrats!! I've emailed you already and you have until Wednesday, November 11th to email me back. Thanks to everyone who entered =)

Day 336 - Kissing Games of the World

Kissing Games of the World
Sandi Kahn Shelton

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: November 10, 2009

Pages: 336

My Rating: 4/5

Source: Provided by publisher


Synopsis [from bn.com]:

If there’s one point that Jamie McClintock and Nate Goddard can agree upon, it’s that love is overrated. Jamie doesn’t have time for it. Nate doesn’t need it. And they certainly don’t want it from each other.

Jamie, a struggling free-spirited artist, is a devoted single mother who hasn’t been in a serious relationship since her boyfriend abandoned her after their son was born. Nate, a charismatic jet-setting salesman, is widowed and estranged from his father and five-year-old son, Christopher. Jamie would rather glue glitter to pinecones than go out on a date. Nate spends most of his nights wooing his clients. Then one afternoon Nate’s father drops dead of a heart attack. In that moment, their highly guarded worlds collide.

When Nate shows up at his childhood home to settle the estate and reclaim his son, he discovers that Jamie has been living in the Connecticut farmhouse as his father’s roommate. Mistrustful of each other’s motives, Nate and Jamie bicker about everything from children’s nicknames to Jamie’s fashion choices to Nate’s home renovation methods. It doesn’t help that Christopher prefers Jamie to his absentee father.

But after the funeral, Nate and Jamie begin to see each other in a more forgiving light. Nate, traveling to sales conferences all over the country with a sullen Christopher in tow, learns he can’t breeze his way through single parenthood. Jamie, who has moved back in with her sister, wonders at the wisdom of her unconventional choices as a woman with a child to support. And both begin to realize they don’t know as much about love as they thought.Still wounded by past heartbreak and sorrow, can they learn to trust each other and open their hearts?


Review:

KISSING GAMES OF THE WORLD is filled with unique and unforgettable characters. and Shelton's writing is different than anything I've read before. She doesn't do anything especially different, its just the reading experience wasn't typical for me, which is a good thing in this case. It's a "butting-of-the-heads" type of romance, with life-long lessons intertwined within the pages.

Nate Goddard returns home to reclaim his son and settle his father's estate after Harris' untimely death. It's there he meets his father's housemate, Jamie McClintock. Jamie is a somewhat struggling artist who is entirely devoted to her asthmatic son Arley. Those who were closest to Harris know of his handsome devilish ways with the ladies despite his old age. Not many people are really going for the image that Jamie and him were just housemates.

Jamie knows the truth though, and despite a quite incriminating scene when Harris dies she sticks to her guns about how she and Harris were strictly friends, although they were close. Jamie cared about Harris and his grandson Christopher. In the year that she and her son have stayed with Harris, they have all gotten quite close.

Nate is a smooth charismatic guy with a past he'd soon like to forget. Family troubles galore seems to be his speciality. But he rushes home to reclaim Christopher after finding out about Harris' death. He's sure the five-year-old will warm up to him quickly, along with the idea of traveling around the country to business meetings and riding airplanes all the time. It's a guy thing surely! He's even got a step-mom lined up for him. Sure Nate my not see her for weeks at a time. But they could be one big, if not sometimes cold, family, right?

Altough the two of them couldn't be more terrible together, they develop and grow into characters that seem to be made for each other towards the end of the book. I found myself hating them both at times and then warming up to them soon after that. Nate and Jamie are just so real and written so well. Nate is hard-headed, stubborn, and completely broken inside. Jamie is lost at times yet so strong-willed. Even the children depicted so well that some readers may know children just like them.

I thoroughly enjoyed KISSING GAMES OF THE WORLD. It was funny at times yet filled with sad moments that were all wrapped up in clarity and a well-written storytelling style. I'll be checking out more of Sandi Kahn Shelton's work and encourage you to do the same.

**Be sure to stay tuned for your chance to win a brand-spanking new copy of KISSING GAMES OF THE WORLD just in time for it's release on Tuesday!

Day 336 - Win Hush, Hush

CONTEST CLOSED


I'm giving away my ARC of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick!

To Enter:

-Comment that you'd like the book and PLEASE leave your email address. (I'm afraid I won't be counting your entry if you fail to do so, sorry)



For Extra Entries:

+2-Become a follower/subscriber!! (If you already are one, hugs to you, let me know and you get these!)
+1-Comment on my review! (<---- click the link)
+1-Follow me on twitter!! (Button located on my right sidebar - please leave your @name so I can verify)
+1-Link back to this giveaway. (Must provide link!)

=Total # of possible entries: 6

Giveaway ends November 22nd and the winner will be announced the following day on the 23rd. Only US entries please.

Saturday, November 07, 2009

Day 335 - Jane Is My Co-Pilot



I haven't read any novel by Jane Austen yet but I have them all on my TBR list. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters (along with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) kinda made me curious when I first started seeing them around blogland, but not really enough to go out and pick it up. Besides, I wanted to read the originals first. But I was offered a review copy of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters...and I couldn't pass it up. I can always read the original later =)


So keep on scrolling to read a guest post by "co-author" Ben H. Winters. I hope you all enjoy it!!



Have you read the zombie version of Pride and Prejudice? Does it differ greatly from the original? Worth reading or no...?



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The blurb:

From the publisher of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies comes a new tale of romance, heartbreak, and tentacled mayhem.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters expands the original text of the beloved Jane Austen novel with all-new scenes of giant lobsters, rampaging octopi, two-headed sea serpents, and other biological monstrosities. As our story opens, the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her romantic sister Marianne is courted by both the handsome Willoughby and the hideous man-monster Colonel Brandon. Can the Dashwood sisters triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love? Or will they fall prey to the tentacles that are forever snapping at their heels? This masterful portrait of Regency England blends Jane Austen’s biting social commentary with ultraviolent depictions of sea monsters biting. It’s survival of the fittest—and only the swiftest swimmers will find true love!


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Jane is my Co-Pilot: The Fine Art of Making Sense and Sensibility Totally Ridiculous
By Ben H. Winters

Since writing Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, I've gotten a ton of feedback about how nice it is that I've made Jane Austen appealing to certain readers -- meaning readers who previously suffered a persistent allergy to The Classics. I am complimented for taking the prim and decorous Jane Austen and making her, A) really violent, and B) really funny.
The first compliment I will gladly accept. Over the decades since Sense and Sensibility first appeared, it has been noted by scholars and casual readers alike that the book is sorely lacking in shipwrecks, shark attacks, and vividly described decapitations. I believe it was the poet and critic Thomas Chatterton who admired the novel's careful plotting and social critique, but lamented the total absence of vengeful ghost pirates.

But I can't take credit for making Jane Austen funny. As is well known by passionate fans of Austen -- I have yet to meet any other kind -- the old girl has always been funny. Take for example Mr. and Mrs. Palmer, a set of secondary characters in Sense and Sensibility. The periodic appearances of the Palmers comprise what any comedy writer will recognize as a running gag. Mrs. Palmer is chatty and trivial, while Mr. Palmer (a delightful Hugh Laurie in the Ang Lee version) is gruff and unaffectionate. What Mrs. Palmer labels "droll," the reader -- along with Elinor, our sensible heroine -- recognizes as plain distaste for his wife, her friends, and everybody else in the universe. Every time those Palmers show up, we know we're in for the next variation on the same great gag.

Note that Austen doesn't do to the Palmers what Charles Dickens would: Exaggerate their core traits to the point of absurdity. (Also, she doesn't name them something like Mr. and Mrs. Featherwit). The Palmers are funny, but they're plausible, and their primary function in the book is to provide not laughs, but a corrective to Marianne's rosy ideal of married life. So Austen makes them funny, but not ridiculous.

Making them ridiculous was my job. When the Palmers appear in my monsterfied Sensibility, I give Mr. Palmer's drollery a murky, weird-tales back story, part of the preposterously elaborate foreshadowing of my H.P. Lovecraft-inspired denouement.

I play the same game, of comically amplifying what's already there, in varying ways throughout the book. Colonel Brandon, stiff and formal and middle-aged, becomes a stiff and formal and middle-aged man-monster. Genial Sir John becomes genial adventurer/explorer Sir John. Had Austen made all her characters ridiculous in that Dickensian way, if she had been the kind of writer who is forever winking at her readers, my book would be (as they say in improv comedy) a hat on a hat. But because Sense and Sensibility is so eloquent and restrained, Sea Monsters gets to go way over the top.

This is true even on the simple level of vocabulary. Austen's precise early-19th century diction is the textual equivalent of Eustace Tilly, the top-hatted, monocled figure from the cover of the New Yorker: Her writing simply oozes good taste. The trick was to appropriate that ever-so-tasteful and old-timey Austenian style to describe things she never would have:

In the profound silence that followed, their ears were filled with a low thrashing sound, as the corpse of the bosun's mate was noisily consumed by devil fish. At length the captain drew upon his pipe, and spoke again. "Let us only pray that this is the worst such abomination you encounter in this benighted land; for such is but a minnow, when compared to the Devonshire Fang-Beast."

"The . . . what?"

Even more fun to play with than Austen's eloquent vocabulary is her universe of enforced emotional rectitude. The Dashwood sisters live in a world where one's feelings are not blurted out -- or, at least, they're not meant to be, as sensible Elinor is continually reminding sensitive Marianne. It's a constant struggle to keep one's emotions hidden beneath the surface; all I did was literalize that metaphor in the most preposterous way, by adding deadly and dangerous monsters which appear literally from beneath the surface.

There was one factor above all that made Sense and Sensibility such a fun comic foil, and that is the place the book holds in the cultural firmament. One question I've heard a lot (or read a lot, as it's the sort of thing that comes up on blog comment-threads), is "Why didn't you do Persuasion? That's the Austen book that actually takes place on the water!"

The answer is simply that Persuasion, unlike Sense and Sensibility or Pride and Prejudice, may be a great book, but it is not a Great Book. It has not gathered around itself the unmistakable stink of importance.

Sense and Sensibility, on the other hand, stands in the literary tradition as Margaret Dumont stands before Groucho Marx, as the Chairman of the Reception Committee in Duck Soup: Prim and proper and radiating worthiness -- just waiting, in other words, for someone to hit it with a pie.

©2009 Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters, authors of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters



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Author Bio:


Ben H. Winters, coauthor of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, is a writer based in Brooklyn.

For more information please visit http://www.benhwinters.com/ and http://www.quirkclassics.com/

Friday, November 06, 2009

Day 334 - Friday Finds [16]


**Hosted by MizB, click here to see more Friday Finds

I usually add a lot of books on my TBR list throughout the week. This is just a small glimpse into the ones that were added on recently.

Please let me know your thoughts on a book you've read from the list. Or tell me about a good book you've found this week.



My Finds This Week:









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