Blast from the Past

I feel bad for republishing something I have already done, but I am bogged down by homework, at least until the end of this week (Spring Break!!!). Not finding a lot of time to read or write much beyond the stuff with a deadline. So I am going with a blast from the past in order to stick with my once a week goal. 


So, here is an old book review from my other blog. This was a great literary exploration, and I am proud of the insights I came up with. 


Blast from the past: Sunday, December 12, 2010


My Date with Mr. Darcy... Wait what??


As I often do at various times in my life, I read a book this week. And it was such an interesting experience, I thought I would blog about it. So here is my story, or rather, My Date with Mr. Darcy.


Strolling through the fiction book section at Hastings, I discovered that they have some rather cheap books. Mainly because they are used. But, being a college student with a lame job, cheap is good! Excitement rolling through my veins, I found a book entitled My Date With Mr. Darcy (if you haven't already guessed). I thought "Hey, this looks good. Looks like something I might enjoy, right?". So I bought it. $6.49.


Driving home, I was excited. It has been awhile since I bought a new book. Being as poor as I am, rereading books is kind of my thing. But here I was! A NEW (used) book! Oh the joy!


When I did get home, I looked up the book on  Goodreads, just because, well, I was curious. This website has tons of reader reviews for every book imaginable. Its amazing.


So there I was, reading the reviews for this new book I just bought. And there I was, having my hopes being completely crushed. Every single review just tore this book to pieces, saying that it was terrible, a waste of time, no way in H-E- double hockey sticks was it ever going to be a good book. And most of the comments about the book were about the terrible writing. And thats when I knew I was going to hate it too. As a wannabe writer, I value good writing, and I like to think that I can recognize terrible writing.


NOW what was I going to do?? I owned this book and apparently it was a terrible one... All of my enthusiasm for reading it was gone. I had just spent part of my pitifully small paycheck on a book that I was likely going to hate... oh boy...


But, out of sheer stubbornness probably, I decided to try it anyway. I mean, really? It was published, wasn't it? How bad can it be, right?


Wrong. Horribly wrong. The book was TERRIBLE! I was ashamed that it was EVER published! I mean, I am only a freshman in college, with absolutely no experience in the area, but I knew that this book should never have been published...


The huge problem was, well, CHEESE. It was extremely cheesy. Although, to be fair, the whole PLOT was destined to be cheesy. But in my opinion, a good writer has to be able to take a cheesy, clichéd plot idea and make it work. At least, that is MY goal. Because I do tend to have cheesy plot ideas...


But really, Alexandra Potter really didn't get that concept. For the first 30 pages at least, we had to hear all about how her heroine, Emily Albright, just ADORED Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Jane Austen's dreamboat character from Pride and Prejudice. It was rather pathetic. She had actually given up on dating men. From now on, she was going to stick with men in her beloved books. "I mean, why cant I go on a date with Mr. Darcy?" she says. Seriously, there is hopeless romantic, then there is just plain hopeless.


And, something I just HAVE to mention is the poor word choice. Namely, the cuss words, and other vulgar words. I mean really?? I might be a little biased because I was raised to know that cuss words shouldn't be used, that they are just too vulgar. But, in my opinion, they DO NOT belong in books. Okay, maybe the dialog, but certainly not the narration! Cuss words were just oozing off of the pages of this book. It got to the point that whenever I would see one, not in the dialog, I would mentally take it out, and you know what? The sentence worked SO MUCH better! It actually made it flow better, and it almost made the book actually worth reading. 


Also, while still on the subject of word choice, I hate the word 'OK'. Shouldn't it be 'okay'? I don't know. Thats just one of my pet peeves. And this book was full of 'OK's...


But, despite all of this, I kept reading. I don't like not finishing a book. I HAVE to finish it. So I trugded on. And you wont believe what happened. 


I have this theory. (Flashes of Mandy Moore in Chasing Liberty are going through my head. Her and her theories) I think that when inspiration for a story comes to a person, they have it all thought out perfectly as a result. They know exactly how the story is going to go, or going to end up. I think of Stephenie Meyer in this theory. She has said that her idea for her international sensation, Twilight, came in a dream. But her dream was just one or two scenes. She had to fill in the rest with her waking imagination. And, despite what other people say, I thought she did a very good job. Her story works out very nicely. (Although, I do admit that Twilight will probably never be a literary great)


It almost seems as if Alexandra Potter had a similar inspirational process (although I have no idea if it came in a dream). When she thought up the idea for this book, I am sure she knew just how it went, as far as the main story goes. But, in order to turn it into a novel, she had to fill in the rest. She had to introduce it. Thats where she went wrong. It seems, as I am reading it, she didn't put as much thought into the fill-ins. So that is why it, well, sucks. 


But, to refer back to the inspiration process, the part that she thought up first was probably impeccable. It completely and totally worked. 


Which is why, as I kept reading, I started to admire this author as a genuinely good writer. And it was because I had gotten to the 'dream' part of the book. The part that the author obviously had thought out to the very last detail. Her sentences started to flow better. I was amazed. I was actually starting to like this book. And, I am excited to say, she took some scenes, which I just knew had to be so cheesy that I would outwardly cringe, she took them and made them, how shall I say it? Brilliant! Somehow, she was able to take these 'cringe-able' scenes and make them really work. I cant quite place how, but they just worked. I really don't know how else to put it. 


And her theme turned out to be my favorite part. I thought that it would be a rather humdrum and shabby one. But it really made sense. And I really liked it. It thought that, miraculously, it was very well supported by her entire plot, although, while reading it, I was totally at a loss as to how it would be any good. 


Needless to say, I was very surprised. Finishing the book at about 1 am, I laid it down and thought "Wow. I actually liked that book." Funny how that worked out.


I have learned a really valuable lesson here. And it is "put as much effort into the fill-ins as you do into the heart of the story". Also, cuss words just do not belong in books. 


I was thinking, when I read the reviews online, that I would sell the book back to Hastings, and at least get some of my money back. But now I have changed my mind. I am going to keep it as an example of this lesson. It will be my go- to book when I am attempting to get rid of cheese.


I am still in awe of how good that book turned out to be. So that is why I am here, blogging about it. This story may not be one of intense excitement or one that will make me an instant internet star (one of my ambitions in life), but it has helped me to gain a slightly new perspective on the world of fiction. 


I found this on Goodreads. (told you I liked it) it is a review of a book: 
       "You know that bit at the beginning of Amadeus, where Salieri has composed this very uninspired little march, which he and the Emperor play for Mozart? Then Mozart sits down at the keyboard and says, hm, that's not quite right, is it? And he messes around with it for a couple of minutes, until he's suddenly transformed it into "Here's farewell to the games with the girls" from The Marriage of Figaro. "


Well, this is what I want to do with this book. the bad parts anyway. :) But I wont cause that is rather illegal. You know, copyright and all that.




Now, once I finish this blog, I get to study for an English final. At this thought, I am having my own fantasies about being in the world of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Now who is the hopeless romantic? Oh boy... ;) 


Wishing I could be in 19th Century Britain, yours,


Amanda In (21st Century) Logan.
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Funny, how I am working on an English paper, and back then I was studying for an English final. Well, I am an English major after all. English, English, English!