Monday, March 2, 2015

List #51: Great Books, Terrible Titles, Part 3



The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

Why the book is great: Once again, David Mitchell writes gorgeously about interesting people and places.

Why the title is terrible: If they can't say it, they're much less likely to buy it.


The Way We Are, Margaret Visser

Why the book is great: Visser's brief essays explore the meanings behind the everyday (jeans, Santa Claus, showers, blushing).

Why the title is terrible: Despite the titular similarity, this is not even sort of related to that Streisand movie (The Way We Were) or that Trollope novel (The Way We Live Now).



Welcome to My Planet (Where English Is Sometimes Spoken), Shannon Olson (Rec. #338)

Why the book is great: Adulthood is difficult and strange, and Olson is very funny about it.

Why the title is terrible: That subtitle, omigod, the shame of it. The sequel, by the way, has a much better title (and a much better cover): Children of God Go Bowling (Rec. #93).


MVP of List #51: Deborah Crombie
(Rec. #55) (FSoM #9) (Rec. #358)

Why the books are great: I really, really love Crombie's series about detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James. Rich characterizations, detailed attention to setting, carefully sustained momentum --- these are all excellently done.

Why the titles are terrible: The titles are all so vaguely melancholy that it is generally impossible to associate any one of them with a particular plot, even immediately after reading.

Some egregious examples:
All Shall Be Well
A Finer End
Now May You Weep
Where Memories Lie
The Sound of Broken Glass (surely it should be The Sound of Breaking Glass??)


No comments:

Post a Comment