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When blogging in Another Place recently I mentioned the blurb writers’ habit of characterizing books in terms of other books. It quickly became apparent that this could be turned into a parlour game.
For example, which book might be described as “Charlotte’s Web meets The Lord of the Flies”?
Animal Farm
Or “Death of a Salesman meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”?
The Chocolate War
I think we can all agree that this is the funnest thing since Tetris, but it’s not the kind of game one can play on one’s own. So, partly in honour of the return of I’m Sorry I haven’t a Clue, partly for the sheer anarchic hell of it, but mostly as yet another displacement activity, who wants to play Guess the Literary Progeny?
All contributions welcome.
For example, which book might be described as “Charlotte’s Web meets The Lord of the Flies”?
Animal Farm
Or “Death of a Salesman meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”?
The Chocolate War
I think we can all agree that this is the funnest thing since Tetris, but it’s not the kind of game one can play on one’s own. So, partly in honour of the return of I’m Sorry I haven’t a Clue, partly for the sheer anarchic hell of it, but mostly as yet another displacement activity, who wants to play Guess the Literary Progeny?
All contributions welcome.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-06-16 12:17 pm (UTC)My all-time favorite of these is:
"In the tradition of The Lord of the Rings, Siddhartha, and Watership Down."
(no subject)
Date: 2009-06-16 12:21 pm (UTC)But no, real blurbs are very welcome but made-up ones are equally so.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-06-16 01:35 pm (UTC)I can't make these up. I am unable to warp my brain into the kind of shallowness that would think of Charlotte Web in connection with Animal Farm just because they both take place on farms with sapient animals.
In fact my entire life has been devoted to avoiding the, "Oh, if you like The Lord of the Rings you'll love [insert name of tedious, sloppy trilogy with endless mighty-thewed heroes bopping each other over the head here]" type of thinking. I'm too bitter about this even to make a game of it.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-06-16 03:38 pm (UTC)