A Conversation for Review of The Salmon of Doubt

Excellent!!!

Post 1

Demon Drawer

If was it wasn't for having to be at work I wouldn't have put it down having bought it this morning. smiley - smiley


Excellent!!!

Post 2

PaulBateman

Isn't there the argument that the reason none of this was published before was that he didn't want it published in the first place? Would he have wanted it published? And also is there an argument that the publishers are trying to cash on a commodity? Possibly to regain the the advance they gave him for the Salmon of Doubt in the first place which he spent on creating the Digital Village and ultimately this site?

Will I go and buy a copy of this book? Obviously.
Will I enjoy the book? Probably, in the same way I enjoyed Stephen Fry's paperweight.
Am I smiley - sheep? Baa.


Excellent!!!

Post 3

Demon Drawer

No some of it is published Newspaper articles and the like other bits are speaches he gave on interviews. But the piece the resistance is 11 chapters of a Dirk Gently novel which he had been working on since 1990 and which his editor has peiced to gether the best bits as they would have done anyway.


Excellent!!!

Post 4

Jamie

Also, as Jim Lynn pointed out, the article on tea-making is actually quite familiar - see A61345 (I didn't spot this in time to get a link into the article).

Ah, just checked, it is in there after all smiley - biggrin

They were discussing this on Newsnight Review last Friday and the opinion was pretty much as you suggest, DMS. Personally I think this only applies to the novel itself. If this had formed the greater part of the book then I would have agreed, but as there is so much other good stuff in there I don't think this is a problem.

Ironically, one of the pieces is an introduction to an unfinished P.G.Wodehouse book...


Excellent!!!

Post 5

Demon Drawer

I'm sure Chapter 12 will get written on here really soon. smiley - smiley


Excellent!!!

Post 6

Munchkin

Someone once said that DNA never liked anything that was published and always wanted to work on it a bit more. So that would make SoD (what an interesting accronym smiley - smiley) the ultimate DNA publication smiley - winkeye
Hmmm, think I'll buy it at the weekend.


Excellent!!!

Post 7

PaulBateman

I flicked through it the other day and recognised the Tea entry but alas no teapot animation!


Excellent!!!

Post 8

Mina

I wish I hadn't asked for this book for my birthday! I've got another 3 weeks to wait until I get to see it!

It sounds really good. smiley - smiley


Excellent!!!

Post 9

Munchkin

And now you've made me buy it! smiley - grr
Do like his letter to the Eagle though. smiley - smiley


Excellent!!!

Post 10

The Corrupt One

Just bought it over the weekend; it's a wonderful book... the US version has an introduction by Christopher Cerf instead of Stephen Fry, but otherwise I've been assured it's the same as the UK one. And it had quite a lot of things that I think have been seen more across the pond than they have here; it was nice to have all those articles put together in one place. smiley - smiley

Even though $25 *is* a bit more than I like to spend on an individual book... it was well worth it!


Oh My

Post 11

BonMot

I did enjoy every bit of the book. However, as I came to the last word in the last sentence of the story, I found myself with an uneasiness akin to walking into the kitchen, stopping, looking around wondering what it was I had come in there for. Although it was on a larger scale: As if I'd driven across the continent, wondering why I had come to Prague in the first place. Oh brother.


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