August 12, 2009

Review: Book: the Sequel

Book: the Sequel; First Lines From the Classics of the Future by Inventive Imposters
Edited by Clive Priddle

There was a big stir at BEA this year about a scheme to publish a book within just hours. People around the world submitted first lines of imagined sequels to already existing books. Editing, printing, jacket design, binding, and sale of the book took place right at the Perseus Books booth at BEA. ARCs in all different forms, print, audio book and e-book, were distributed. So it seems fitting that this book of firsts (and seconds, hardi-har-har) should be my first excursion into the world of e-books.

"Ishmael? Shmishmael! I was big, I was white, and the ocean was mine."
—From Moby Dick II: The Reckoning
(sequel to Moby Dick by Herman Melville)
Peter Knutson

There are 12 different parts according to a theme with such titles as Plunging Into Politics, As I Lay Undead and Dying, and A Truth Universally Acknowledged. There are a dozen or so quotes within each section, some references that I've not heard of but most from well-known classics and modern titles.

"In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. 'Whenever you feel like criticizing the government," he told me, "just remember that all the taxpayers in this land
haven't had the bailouts that you've had.'"
—From The Great Bailout
(sequel to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald)
Anonymous

For this type of book the e-book format was fine but I don't think I'd want to read an entire novel like that. But I liked the concept and I enjoyed the diversity of the quotes and subject matters. There was something for every taste.

One word Review:
Fun

3 comments:

Zibilee said...

I just won a copy of this, and I think it looks really interesting. I am not sure if I will "get" it all, because there are some huge holes in my reading background, but I am going to give it a good try. It's funny, my husband picked it up off the couch and wandered chuckling around the house with it last night. When he finally gave it back, he said "oh, you'll love this!", so we'll see. It seems this review is pretty timely for me!

Lezlie said...

This looks like fun!

Lezlie

bermudaonion said...

This looks like a book I'd have to take in small doses.