Sunday, 17 February 2008

Brief Encounters

The Carbon Copy and I spent the day in sunny Worcestershire, walking around our old haunts (we moved from Worcestershire 2.5 years ago) and generally wallowing in a bit of nostalgia and climbing Bredon Hill, our local hill. More on that soon, but will tantalise you with the fact that 'Bre' means hill; 'don' means hill; of course 'Hill' means hill. And thus Bredon Hill means hill-hill-hill. Just in case you couldn't tell at a first glance.

Following on from yesterday, I thought it might be amusing to think up some 8 word book reviews. Well, more synopses. If that. But it's quite fun - try and work out which books they are, or leave your own 8 word book synopses in the comments! Who said it isn't sophisticated here?

1) She bought flowers; had party (someone else died).

2) Does he love her or previous wife? Oh!

3) Struggling writer; poor girls; rich Americans - all sorted!

4) Matchmaker gets it wrong, then marries her brother.

5) Plain governess ousts madwoman from the attic... eventually.

6) Kill or not? Fakes mad, goes mad, dies.

7) Man makes up old lady; she appears: chaos!

8) Some Irish people wander around for a day.

9) Hot air balloon accident; stalker; some awkward situations.

10) Someone's always watching. Anarchy... but then the rats...
Posted by StuckInABook at 22:06

18 comments:

  1. Anonymous17 February 2008 at 23:58

    I'm not too great at this - but, think I have a couple:
    1 - The Hours
    7 - Miss Hargreaves
    nancy b t

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sibylle18 February 2008 at 07:05

    1. Mrs Dalloway
    2. I'm pretty sure that one's a Persephone I've read recently but I can't remember which one ( very useful ! )
    3. I Capture the Castle
    4. Emma ( well, Knightley isn't her brother but they've known each other for so long )
    5. Jane Eyre
    8. I thought about Dubliners but it's not for a day ( at least I don't think so )
    9. Enduring Love
    10. I know it's not it but it fits the plot of Endgame by Beckett perfectly.

    It was fun !
    Sibylle

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous18 February 2008 at 07:54

    2. Rebecca? Vera?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous18 February 2008 at 08:48

    2 definitely Rebecca. 7 Hamlet? 8 Ulysses? 10 1984?
    I think this is the latest thing. Ruth on Crafty People did something similar yesterday. Maybe this is the future of book reviewing? Great discipline, great for focusing the mind.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Angela Young18 February 2008 at 08:59

    1 Mrs Dalloway
    2 Rebecca
    3 Little Women ? I Capture the Castle ?
    4 Emma ?
    5 Jane Eyre
    6 Macbeth ?
    7 no idea at all ... not Winter's Tale ? or Pygmalion ? - but neither of those women were old ... ?
    8 Ulysses
    9 Enduring love
    10 1984 ? Lord of the Flies ?

    Certainly got me thinking! And I have to admit to knowing 9 was two words, one that began with E and that it was by Ian McEwan, but failing to wrest the title from my memory. And then I saw Sybille's reply and there it was. (Thanks, Sybille.)

    ReplyDelete
  6. wormauld18 February 2008 at 13:00

    1 Mrs dalloway
    5 Jane Eyre
    8. Ulysses
    shall have to think about the others but a good quizz.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous18 February 2008 at 15:29

    1 Mrs dalloway
    2 Rebecca
    3 I capture the Castle
    4 Emma (he was her brother-in-law - often referred to as brother and 'not so much brother and sister' as to be inappropriate to dance together)
    5 Jane Eyre
    6 Hamlet
    7 Miss Hargreaves
    8 Ulysses
    9 ?
    10 1984
    OVW

    ReplyDelete
  8. StuckInABook18 February 2008 at 16:04

    Well done everyone - anyone got any to suggest themselves?

    Yes, Emma didn't *technically* marry her brother, that was my little tease. One of my finals essays was on Austen's heroines marrying fraternal figures rather than romantic ones...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Tara18 February 2008 at 17:15

    I only got a few of these, but what a good idea!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous18 February 2008 at 21:33

    You asked for a few in return. here goes:

    1. Liverpool foundling ruins Yorkshire family. Ghosts stride hills.
    2.Hungry orphan. Steals watch. Avoids gallows. Finds granddad.
    3. Caribbean lady goes mad before her English attic.

    Catherine

    ReplyDelete
  11. Angela Young19 February 2008 at 08:51

    1 Wuthering Heights ?
    2 Oliver Twist
    3 The Wide Sargasso Sea

    This could become addictive ... .

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous19 February 2008 at 23:01

    I guess the idea is to not give away the plotline to people yet to read the book, but still cover all the bases. Tricky.

    Obstacles precluding couple's love. Lots of dancing. Love.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Angela Young19 February 2008 at 23:49

    Would that be Price and Prejudice, Colin?

    ReplyDelete
  14. StuckInABook21 February 2008 at 15:44

    You're right, Angela, but I suspect Colin was also teasing, as he always claims this is the plot to every Jane Austen novel... despite having only read three, I might add. Tsk!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous21 February 2008 at 21:28

    Hang on, was 10) really 1984? I don't really remember the rats. Why's that?

    I got all of these apart from 8) and 10), which I don't think shows my literary knowledge so much as my knowledge of your literary knowledge. Worrying.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous21 February 2008 at 21:29

    PS Kudos to Colin ;o)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous22 February 2008 at 00:11

    Mel - Winston's biggest fear was rats, so that's what Room 101 contained.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous23 February 2008 at 21:47

    Ohhhh yes, so it was - I'd forgotten all about that. Goodness I read that a long time ago..

    ReplyDelete

I've now moved to www.stuckinabook.com, and all my old posts are over there too - do come and say hello :)

I probably won't see your comment here, I'm afraid, but all my archive posts can also be found at www.stuckinabook.com.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)