Piccadilly Jim / PG Wodehouse

Piccadilly Jim
by PG Wodehouse

humour

copyright 1918
read in April 2013

rated 9 / 10: really, really good

This is the all-American Wodehouse!

There's a brief visit to England. A few characters are English. The majority of this book is American... which is good...

There is no rough-tough American set against very proper English. There is a wide range of character types -- all American -- allowing Wodehouse to be more flexible with his stereotypes. Yes, stereotypes... that is a lot of the pleasure of Wodehouse books! But, dare I say it: less stereotypical stereotypes!

There is, however, the typical confusion... A character impersonating a character who is impersonating himself... With various others hiding behind the flimsiest of false identities. Plus girl meets boy and it looks as though they are doomed to a parting of the ways. You'll have to read the book yourself to see if that romantic conflict is ever resolved... :-)

Yes, it's Wodehouse at his best.

And that is a very enjoyable, laugh out loud, likeable best.

Brilliant!

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Problems ? Solved

Hot Water / P.G. Wodehouse

Hot Water
by P.G. Wodehouse

humour
copyright 1932
read in March 2013

rated 7 out of 10: well worth reading

Is this the American Wodehouse? Sure, it's set in France. There are a couple of English characters, some French... and mostly American. And the Americans are more than just the extremes of hero and villain...

Yet Hot Water is typically Wodehouse.

There is, for example, Mr Soup Slattery, safe-cracker. Reduced, by unfortunate circumstances, to stick-ups. Lots of muscle, very little brain. Yet when push comes to shove -- I like him :-)

In a Wodehouse book, nearly all of the characters are likeable. They may have their minor peccadilloes -- such as a tendency to live on other people's money -- but they are likeable. That is one of the great pleasures of reading Wodehouse!

There is also the clever use of words and the regular use of unreferenced quotes...

The lark is on the wing and the snail is crawling slowly across the thorn... I know I could place that... if only I knew my English poetry! I need to Google...

This book, I did read with the internet close by... So I learnt about Xenophon and his ten thousand. Bloomsbury authors. Macedoine. The Volstead Act. It's surprising how much of our language has fallen into disuse in just... eighty... years.

Hot Water can be read and enjoyed for its humour, it's characters, plot twists and overall sense of fun. It brings alive a -- possibly exaggerated -- sense of the Wodehouse world of the 1930s.

And underneath, is a depth of words, of life, of history. A whole host of common assumptions to add to our enjoyment of the book. Assumptions which have largely been lost, over the last eighty years.

Read, enjoy and -- if you want to -- discover the meaning of all the "current" references which are scattered throughout the book.

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Problems ? Solved

TopGear Drivers' Handbook / Richard Porter

TopGear Drivers' Handbook
by Richard Porter

humour

published 2011
read in March 2013

rated 6 out of 10: read to pass the time

Lots of fun, lots of chuckles, suitable for any fan of TopGear. Any fan who can read, anyway:-)

The Handbook is not a story, it's a collection of jokes. Some possibly new jokes, some old jokes, plenty of funny jokes.

What is missing is an overall theme.

Okay, it's a spoof of motoring handbooks. Yet it's not satirical -- just jokey. No clever digs at motoring associations, just a lot of absurdities. Many of which could as easily fit into, for example, a sporting club's handbook. Or a tourist guide. Or... any spoof on almost any topic.

There are plenty of car references. Really, though, it's just a collection of absurd humour. With no growth of the theme across the various sections.

Read a few sections, get a few chuckles, put the book down -- you will not have missed much. The Handbook offers a series of moderately funny sections. Cut to fit the motoring theme, otherwise unrelated.

Read, chuckle, move on.

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Problems ? Solved

Money for Nothing / P.G.Wodehouse

Money for Nothing
by P.G.Wodehouse

humour

copyright 1928
read in February 2013
rated 8 out of 10: really quite good

English country folk from upstairs and down, described with humour and affection. American con artists shown as cunning but not evil. Confusion, coincidences and -- surprisingly -- some almost cave-man action.

Yes, this is vintage Wodehouse. (Is there any other form of Wodehouse?!)

It struck me as I read the eminently satisfactory conclusion, that the world of Wodehouse is a little more fixed than I would expect in a more modern novel.

Sure, the various problems are all resolved. Yet there is no shifting of the relative positions of the characters. If one is a Lord at the start then one is a Lord at the end. There is no chance that a pauper will turn out to be a Prince who was exchanged as a baby. Case in point...

The hero begins the story as the obvious person who should inherit the estate. The actual heir has no interest in managing the history and the economics of a rich country estate. And at the end of the book -- there is no change.

The hero will continue to manage the estate. The heir will eventually inherit and continue his disinterest. There is not even the hint of the possibility of a change.

And there is not even the slightest hint of any jealousy on the part of the hero. He will continue to manage and protect the estate, on behalf of its owner.

A glowing, rosy world.

A Wodehouse world to be enjoyed.

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Problems ? Solved

A Damsel in Distress / P.G. Wodehouse

A Damsel in Distress
by P.G. Wodehouse

humour
first published 1919
read in February 2013

rated as 9 out of 10: really, really good

Wodehouse at his very best :-)  Yes, at his very best, smiley-face :-)  I have just reread the last couple of chapters -- and am smiling again :-)

What an enjoyable romp! What a likeable lot of characters! Well, there is one cad -- an absolute bounder -- but he only appears for long enough to guarantee the happy ending :-)

One aspect of Damsel that is also in other books -- but that is very clear in this book -- is that Wodehouse is writing for an American audience.

The setting is England. The characters are English, upper crust and basic filling. A few Americans are thrown into the mix, with the requirement that they fit well into Society.

Yet there are regular comparisons to America. Comparisons to help the American reader appreciate the English-ness of the setting and the characters.

Oh... and there's a Limerick... About a man from Chicago named Young... Read it and laugh :-)  And note that he's from Chicago.

This book is the best Wodehouse that I have read for a while.

The others were fun. Damsel in Distress is absolutely joyous.

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Problems ? Solved

The Crime Wave at Blandings / P.G. Wodehouse

The Crime Wave at Blandings
by P.G. Wodehouse

humour... of course!

copyright 1937
read in January 2013
rated 9 out of 10: really, really good

A lighthearted romp through the world of Wodehouse. A delightful short story...

Short story?!

Yes, this "book" is just one short story. One of fifty "mini modern classics", according to the publisher. A publishing rip-off, according to this reviewer.

Still, it was a gift, so I didn't pay. It's by Wodehouse, so it's great fun. But you may prefer to look for the earlier editions -- as an omnibus of short stories -- where you get a lot more stories for your money.

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Problems ? Solved

Big Money / P.G. Wodehouse

Big Money
by P.G. Wodehouse

humour
copyright 1931
read in January 2013

rating 8 /10: really quite good

Wodehouse at his best :-)

I was surprised when the girl became engaged early in the story... Of course she was engaged to the "wrong" man. So there was plenty more confusion as the couples sorted themselves out.

There is also the need for money... Even at a double wedding the bally vicar will want to be paid twice...

Love is most definitely in the air but Big Money is the central theme. And all is resolved by the end.

Big Money is set in London -- and in London's outer suburbs. Outer?! Seven miles from the centre, very much on the outer as far as Society is concerned!

The English characters are distinguished by their Class. The Americans are a mixed bunch, with money not able to disguise their lack of class. Except, of course, for the girls. Who are sweet and beautiful and openly honest.

A pleasantly gilded romp in a golden, gilded and base metal cross-section of an eccentric and thoroughly enjoyable world.

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Problems ? Solved

The Adventures of Sally / P.G. Wodehouse

The Adventures of Sally
by P.G. Wodehouse

humour
written in 1922
read in December 2012

rated 7 /10: well worth reading

Before I read this book I expected to write, Another great book by Wodehouse... What else can I say.

I mean, I've read enough Wodehouse to know the style: charming, light, warm.

Yet Sally is different...

The Adventures of Sally is set largely in America rather than England. The characters are mostly American. And not every character is likeable!

There is the boxer who enjoys hitting his opponents. There is the money man who is a fool for his woman. His woman, who is her own woman and a fool.

The first fiance turns out to be a self-centred, self-pitying incompetent. The second fiance -- despite being an Englishman -- is an unpleasant snob.

I am surprised!

Perhaps it's because the book is set in America... a melting pot of races, people and classes. Whereas Bertie Wooster and his friends live in splendid upper-class English isolation.

Perhaps the characters of Sally were based on observation of actual Americans... Wodehouse did live in America for most of his life. And, as a corollary, the Wodehouse England may have been based on youthful memories and rose-tinted imagination...

For whatever reason, this book includes several characters who may be actively disliked. Which is unusual -- in my limited readings of Wodehouse.

Is this really unusual? Or is my Wodehouse experience too limited...

I look forward to reading more books by P.G. Wodehouse. I know that I will enjoy them. And I am interested to see if I will meet more of these definitely dislikeable Americans.

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Problems ? Solved

A Hat Full of Sky / Terry Pratchett

A Hat Full of Sky

Terry Pratchett

category: fantasy, humour, subadult

published 2004

read in August 2012

rated 8 out of 10, really quite good

note: Review written on a tablet PC, with limited knowledge of how to edit!

... then updated on a "real" PC !

A "young adult" book... Which means that anyone can enjoy it. And I did.

There is a very strong message running through this book: Be good, be nice. And, perhaps, Be yourself.

Can a book be "good" when the author hammers the reader with such a strong message?

Well, yes.

In Broken Angels, Richard Morgan provides a message to the reader. A warning, as much as a message. The message made me think. Which is not such a bad thing.

Pratchett's message is less subtle but more positive. Delivered with humour rather than violence. Both messages are -- in my opinion -- worth delivering. Both messages add depth to the story... something beyond the basic characters and plot. Each message targets its book's intended audience.

Okay, Pratchett does go a little over the top, occasionally. Not (necessarily) with the message. With the fairytale mysticism behind the story. All part of the fairytale story :-)

Abandon cynicism. Enjoy the book. Pratchett at his breakneck and humorous best.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting.  For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

PissWeakly: the Index

Good Omens / Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

Good Omens

category: fantasy, authors:

Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

original copyright 1990

read in March 2012 (and before, possibly...)

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10

There's a hint, in this book, of Pratchett's "not so good" Discworld books. The ones where he lays it on just a bit too thick. I've read only one Gaiman book (that I can remember) and I found it to be rather stupid.

The best part of Good Omens is the series of authors' notes at the end.

Easy to see why it's a cult book, though: it makes fun of the underlying stupidity of bible stories. Create Earth, create humanity, allow free will then destroy everything in a pointless battle of Armageddon... Angels and demons are, well, angels and angels with a different point of view... Heaven and Hell are enormous, unthinking bureaucracies...

Then, after all this, there is still an ineffable god-being who -- possibly -- knows and plans all. A bit of a let down, after all the fallibility of the visible cast of natural and supernatural characters.

An enjoyable romp. Lots of good laughs, mostly of the they're-no-different-to-us variety. A rather weak, not-really-deus ex machina twist at the end. Perhaps a good book for those who believe in God, doubt the basics of religion... and see humanity as the pinnacle of creation.

The authors' notes at the end are the best bit of Good Omens.

As an insight into the authors, interesting. As an description of the approach to shared authorship, entertaining. As an explanation of the non-stop humour, the characters of the children, and an implied explanation of the somewhat haphazard approach to the climax... very good.

If you're a religious cynic, it appeals: as a cynical -- or perhaps ironic? -- view of biblical ideas. A cult book for people who wish to challenge the ideas that were accepted doctrine as they grew up. If you don't care, it has less impact: if you don't care about the ideas, you don't care about challenging the ideas.

Still, it's a very funny book.

Mostly.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

PissWeakly: the Index

Snuff / Terry Pratchett

Snuff

category: fantasy, author:

Terry Pratchett

book 39 of Discworld
original copyright 2011

read in March 2012

Agamedes' opinion: 7 out of 10: well worth reading

Goodness me, I must have missed a few episodes of Discworld! Commander Vimes is now almost superhuman... Certainly treated as superhuman by all who deal with him. And he converses with mysterious supernatural powers who are able to give evidence of evil-doing...

In the style of several later(?) Discworld books, Snuff also lays on the social commentary, just a bit too thick. Well, far too thick. Earlier books seemed to show, this book tells you of the less-than-perfect ways of the world.

That said, Snuff is still an enjoyable book. Not the best of the series. Not the worst, either.

If you're a Discworld fan, Snuff will continue your addiction.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

PissWeakly: the Index

The Colour of Magic & The Light Fantastic / Terry Pratchett

The Colour of Magic & The Light Fantastic
(graphic novels)

category: fantasy, humour, author:

Terry Pratchett

illustrated by Steven Ross

book 1 & 2 of Discworld
original copyright 1991/92

read in December 2011 & January 2012

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10: read to pass the time

This is a "graphic novel" -- a comic book -- version of two Discworld books. I've reviewed The Colour of Magic as a text novel. And I've read the text original of The Light Fantastic, before I began these reviews.

How does the graphic compare to the text?

Poorly.

The story of Colour suffers from what I shall now name as, the Rincewind effect: a loser, with the entire world out to get him. This effect detracts from the humour. It makes it hard to enjoy reading, when you know that there will not be a happy ending for the hero... That's my view... I'm a softie.

Fantastic seems to almost be going the same way... but it is not!

In my review of Magic, a reader posted a comment:

=Tamar May 25, 2011 09:03 AM
Don't ignore The Light Fantastic.
Rincewind develops significantly in that book, #2 in the series, immediately after The Colour of Magic.

And Tamar is absolutely correct ! Thank you !

For a while, in Fantastic, Rincewind looks as though he is going to finish a poor last. Yet he is able to beat the odds. Not only that -- Rincewind takes positive steps, and succeeds!

What a pleasure to read :-) And, having read the comic version, I now remember reading the text original. And having the same pang of pleasure, as the hero tries -- and wins.

So my rating for The Light Fantastic would be, 08: really quite good.

Except that this is the graphic version.

The graphic novel has captured a lot of the original humour and excitement. A lot has also been lost. If you have trouble following a Pratchett novel -- the graphic version is even more confusing.

Discworld books tend to have a lot of threads of action. Apparently unrelated. Finally, in the last few pages, they all come together.

These graphic versions have a more unified plot. But with holes. Holes due largely to the constraints of space and the graphic format. Within these constraints, the adaptation works well.

As a coherent story, I prefer the text novels.

And the illustrations are disappointing...

Complex, fun, detailed... Just too realistic.

The human characters are human. Okay, that sounds fine. But I somehow expect them to be more than human. I can't explain it better than that. And I certainly could not draw it myself! But I find that the realism of the characters somehow does not fit with the fuzzy images in my own mind.

And then there's Twoflower, the tourist.

Look, in the books he's clearly Chinese. Or, at least, the Discworld equivalent.

Big glasses do not make Chinese.

Is the illustrator trying to be politically correct? Or am I missing something...

Twoflower-the-standard-Caucasian-but-with-glasses-and-a-big-hat... just does not work. It's more of the too-real-to-be-true illustration in the book.

Ah well.

It was worth seeing how Discworld translates to a graphic novel. Last week I enjoyed Going Postal translated to a tv movie. (Sorry, the link is to a review of the book, not the movie.)

The movie worked. The graphic novel... well... read the book.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

PissWeakly: the Index

Unseen Academicals / Terry Pratchett

Unseen Academicals

category: fantasy, humour, author:

Terry Pratchett

book 37 of Discworld
original copyright 2009

read in December 2011

Agamedes' opinion: 8 out of 10: really quite good

Yet another Discworld book... Many of the same old characters... Still a lot of fun!

Actually, there are more new characters than old. At least, more story built around the new characters. Which is good. For a while, Discworld seemed to be in a bit of a slump, with familiar characters -- admittedly in new adventures -- but acting largely as expected.

Going Postal was an earlier return to form... Well, a return to a new start, with many new characters... Anyway... Going Postal has been made into a movie. Perhaps (I think to myself) because Going Postal has a story which can stand alone.

Unseen Academicals can also stand alone.

Yes, there are several well known wizards of Unseen University. Ridcully's character has become somewhat more realistic, Ponder Stibbons has developed his career and the Dean has changed jobs. Rincewind has a cameo role -- in his usual put-upon style -- but he is now accepted as a regular staff member of UU. The wizards have more depth to their characters.

The non-academic staff of UU has also made an appearance. Many of these characters are new. (To me, anyway. Perhaps they did appear in books that I have not yet read?) These newly-revealed people -- plus a few from outside UU -- play the key roles in Academicals.

The writing style has also changed.

I complained about the hopeless loser role of Rincewind in The Colour of Magic. Now the characters are strong... almost super strong. Nutt the dribbler (see below) is -- to not give too much away -- more than he seems. As he develops his self-confidence, he becomes almost unstoppable... Perhaps even unstoppable, forget the "almost".

Other characters also assert themselves. Which adds up to a totally unbelievable story which is all, perfectly... believable. Believable, that is, given the inherent magic of a world which rides on the backs of elephants which stand on a rather large turtle.

So the characters assert themselves. Far more than in earlier books. The magic is more visible. Even if it is restricted in order to avoid full-on magic wars. And the social commentary is more direct.

The social commentary is hard and direct. Which is fine because it does not in any way detract from the entertainment. In Monstrous Regiment (from memory; I read it long before I began these reviews) the satire is slathered on with a trowel. Hammered home with a sledge hammer. This is not a problem with Academicals.

The satire is strong but not intrusive. The message that everyone deserves to be treated fairly is... well... perhaps slathered on a bit thickly. Yet it does not detract from the fun of the story.

And the societal activity which is the target of this book? It's football... Or soccer, to some.

Which brings me back to Nutt the dribbler.

How do you get those wax candles with the spooky shapes of dribbled wax down the side? You hire a candle dribbler, of course! Which links nicely -- perhaps subtly -- I almost missed it :-) -- to the theme of the book. Which is soccer.

An excellent book in an excellent series. With no-one cast as a hopeless loser. Unless he really deserves it...

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

PissWeakly: the Index

Colony / Rob Grant

Colony

category: science fiction, humour, author:

Rob Grant

original copyright 2000,
read in Jul 2011

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10

There on the cover is this book's big selling point: Rob Grant, co-creator of Red Dwarf. The cover picture -- on my copy! -- is of a head which looks a lot like Arnold Rimmer. A head with a sneer. A head in a bottle.

Not sure if this is all positive or negative...

Arnold Rimmer is the best actor in Red Dwarf. He is quite a good character. One of the show's failings is that it too often leaves Rimmer as an idiotic loser with no saving graces.

Was Colony going to be a story of an idiotic loser with no redeeming graces? Yuk :-(

The Colour of Magic [and] Sourcery / Terry Pratchett

The Colour of Magic

and

Sourcery

category: fantasy, author:

Terry Pratchett

books 1 and 5 of Discworld
original copyright 1983 & 1988,
read in April 2011 (and before, in about 2009)

Agamedes' opinion: 6 and 8 out of 10

What can you say about The Colour of Magic? This is the first ever Discworld book: funny, clever, imaginative... And yet...

The Colour of Magic has the strengths of later Discworld books -- and the weaknesses. More particularly, one weakness: Rincewind the loser.

It is very difficult to enjoy a book about a loser. What is there to enjoy -- other than the suffering of the "hero"?! It may be funny. It is also uncomfortably painful.

On the other hand, there are the puns, the outrageous characters, the ridiculous rip-offs of stereotypical situations... Pure Discworld though still learning.

Read it to enjoy it. More importantly, read Colour for its place in Discworld history.

Then read Sourcery for pure enjoyment...

Why is Sourcery better that Colour?

Hogfather / Terry Pratchett

Hogfather

category: fantasy, humour, author:

Terry Pratchett

book 20 of Discworld
original copyright 1996,
read in April 2011 (and before, several times)

Agamedes' opinion: 8 out of 10

Interesting. A book about childhood and children's beliefs. With a vicious killer and more death than the average novel. Unexpected?

Not really. Pratchett is writing about children. And pointing out that blood and violence are a natural part of childhood. Though death itself is never seen, by the children.

Death with a capital D is, however, a key character in this book. In Discworld books Death is a regular character. He does his essential work and he does it well. So who better than Death to stand in for the jolly fat man who says Ho, Ho, Ho as he distributes presents to all the little children?

Yet another very twisted tale of the Discworld. Overdrawn characters, complex plot and pointed social satire. Enough familiar themes to satisfy fans, plus new themes to keep the story fresh. Laced with enormous amounts of humour and puns.

If you like Discworld books -- or enjoy reading humour -- this is a good book. What more can I say? Other than a short discourse on Death...

The Golf Omnibus / P.G. Wodehouse

The Golf Omnibus

category: humour, collection, author:

P.G. Wodehouse

original copyright 1916 on,
read in January 2011

Agamedes' opinion: 7 out of 10

A most enjoyable book: Light, funny, guaranteed happy endings...

Who would have thought there could be so many angles on the game of golf? Who would have thought there is any humour at all, in the game of golf!

Running Hot / Nick Lethbridge

Running Hot
... and POD Publishing

category: science fiction, humour, author:

Nick Lethbridge

original copyright 2010,
read in December 2010 (and before, quite a few times)

Agamedes' opinion: 7 out of 10

Less a novel, more a short story. The first published fiction from a promising author. Running Hot could be the start of an exciting new career.

Could this reviewer suffer from bias? Could it be that the author is too willing to provide a positive review for his own work? Read the book and find out :-) Spend less than one US dollar (the minimum price that could be set) and there may be more books to follow!

Online Publication

It was an interesting exercise in online publishing... Over several days, Agamedes examined the offerings of three, very different publishers.

Lulu

Lulu has a huge range of books for sale and a huge range of self-publishing options.

Unfortunately, the range of offerings makes it difficult to find a simple process. Admittedly, I'm currently suffering from very slow internet response times. This made it very difficult to try and retry various possibilities. Loading to Lulu is currently on hold -- until my response time is back to normal.

Nevertheless, the Lulu process is far more complex than the website claims. There are large gaps in explanations. The extensive support and help information is too disorganised to be of much help for a first-time publisher.

I received an error message -- possibly an indirect result of slow internet response; I may have missed some vital instruction. But the error message did not tell me what error had been detected!

An email arrives. "We're sorry but we've encountered a problem..." No indication of the type of problem. No help at all, other than to tell me that I failed.

On the other hand:

Lulu offers a wide range of printed publications: books, calendars, photo albums, all different sizes and shapes. And, almost as an afterthought, ebooks. The emphasis is on POD (print on demand) hardcopy. Much of the support documentation would (probably) make more sense to an expert in format, layout and printing.

For the "pure" author -- a person with words and ideas but no publishing experience -- Lulu is very complex. On the other hand, Lulu offers plenty of for-a-price expertise, in all the essential areas past the initial committing of words to paper.

Lulu offers free-up-front POD publishing for those willing to start with a struggle. Plus expertise at a cost. I started with Lulu because a published author named it and uses it. I will go back to Lulu -- to try again, with faster internet response! -- to prepare a hardcopy. For vanity, for friends, perhaps even for sale.

Smashwords

In just a few hours, I had a ebook ready for publication on Smashwords. Just a short story (Running Hot) but a complete novel would have taken not much longer.

If ebooks are the way of the future then Smashwords is a good way to get there.

I found Smashwords via a link from Lulu... A series of helpful posts in response to authors' questions; one post lead to the poster's own website... Social marketing :-)

One of the best features of Smashwords is -- there is an easy-to-follow guide to publication! Download the Style Guide, follow it from beginning to end, publish online.

Most of the style guide is an explanation of how to format your document for an ebook. (Essentially, clear all formatting and keep it simple.) Add a cover, load text and cover, publish.

It really is -- almost -- that simple. It did take me a few tries to correct some strange formats, in text that I had to add at the last minute, beyond the story itself. The corrections and republishing were simple and the process was easy to follow.

As an ebook publisher, Smashbooks encourages simplicity. No need to lay out text to fit a physical page. Format all text to be free-flowing and flexible. The website process -- and the instructions -- are are simple as the ebook format.

I will return to Smashwords for future ebooks. I expect that the process will be even simpler, the second time around.

Xlibris

I spent just a short time with Xlibris. There is an Australian office, an Australian presence, I always like to try local.

It took a while to find out just what Xlibris is offering.

The website is very strong on marketing... By that I mean, lots of promises of success but the actual product takes a while to identify. I was especially annoyed when I was asked to provide full name and contact details -- in the expectation of getting a guide sent to me -- and the guide was just a download from the website.

Still, the guide did clear up what Xlibris offers: pure vanity publishing.

Nothing -- as far as I can tell -- is free, with Xlibris. They are selling proofreading, formatting, marketing... all the services which a professional author requires. But the author pays for it all.

Nothing wrong with that. Plenty of books are overlooked and ignored by publishing houses, books which deserve to be published. It would be nice, however, to have a clear(er) statement of services on the website.

Having entered my contact details, I had a phone call the next day. The caller was friendly, I was friendly, I received more information via email. Xlibris services are not what I want.

Summary

If you want a lot of help -- at a professional level -- Xlibris and Lulu both offer comprehensive services, at a price. Lulu also offers DIY publishing, for those with the time and inclination to struggle through a very steep learning curve. For pure ebook publishing, Smashbooks is quick and easy.

And I have no idea whatsoever about the market reach of any of those sites.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

The Timewaster Diaries / Robert Popper (as Robin Cooper)

The Timewaster Diaries

category: humour, author:

Robert Popper (as Robin Cooper)

book 3 of Timewaster
original copyright 2007,
read in December 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 5 out of 10

Take a lot of lightweight cliches. Mix with cliche characters. Believe that the cliche stupid hero is actually funny. Serve as a Timewaster.

The hero invents all sorts of things. These could be cliche clever and working, a la Doc in Back to the Future. Or they could be ridiculous and not working, a la Timewaster. I find that this perpetual and unadmitted failure is sad rather than funny.

The hero fails to fix the bathroom door. Until the day when he is trapped in the bathroom so finally gets round to it. Sad and thoughtless. And cliched.

The hero lies to his wife about his efforts to clear a bird from the attic. Sad and thoughtless and stupid. And cliched. Seinfeld, for example, is about people whose first and automatic response to trouble is to lie about it.

The hero has been fired for writing thousands of letters using employer resources during work time. Sad and thoughtless and stupid and dishonest.

Then there's the Simpsons cliche: The hero is sad, stupid, mean, thoughtless and dishonest -- but his wife loves him, despite all his faults.

It's an easy book to read. It provides lightweight entertainment. Just don't think to closely about the underlying pathos.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

Young Einstein / movie

Young Einstein

category: movie, humour, starring (etc):

Yahoo Serious, etc

released in 1988,
watched in 1989

Agamedes' opinion: 8 out of 10

Never heard of Yahoo Serious? Nor had anyone else, when this movie was first released. Not that we've heard much of him since, either...

Young Einstein is an enormous amount of fun. Splitting the beer atom, indeed! Good Australian humour plus some great music and occasional social commentary. A great effort with an entertaining new (then) star.

Watch the movie -- but avoid the rather awful Ned Kelly follow-up. Einstein worked. Keep the good memories...

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.