The Book of Other People Summary and Reviews

The Book of Other People

The Book of Other People
List Price: $15.00
Our Price: $6.91
You Save: $8.09 (54%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


or

Book Summary Information

Editor: Zadie Smith
Introduction: Zadie Smith
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-01-02
ISBN: 0143038184
Number of pages: 287
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)

Book Reviews of The Book of Other People

Book Review: A Book for other people
Summary: 4 Stars

The premise behind this anthology is simple. A group of contemporary authors having fun, each contributing a short story about a fictional character, with proceeds going to a named charity - 826 New York. This charity is dedicated to helping children develop their creative and expository writing skills.

There are 23 contributing authors, from the United States, England, Ireland, Haiti and further afield, and the vastly different stories showcase their different styles of character development and description. Editor Zadie Smith is herself the author of three books, and also contributes a story for this anthology.

I thought that some of the stories were absolutely brilliant, but quite frankly, I didn't understand quite a few of them, and one or two were way beyond my limited comprehension skills. I have no doubt that fans of great literature will enjoy this book more than I did, but it's only fair that I warn the casual reader that it isn't always easy sailing.

The first story, "Judith Castle" by David Mitchell of the UK is by far my favorite - a tale of love and loss that certainly isn't all it appears to be at the beginning of the story. This one belongs in my "brilliant" category. There are also two stories done in graphic format, and some that aren't about human characters.

For the sake of simplicity, I list below the stories in two categories - "Stories for Everybody" and "Stories for the Literati"

Stories for Everybody:
1. Judith Castle, by David Mitchell
2. Justin M. Damiano, by Daniel Clowes
3. Gideon, by ZZ Packer
4. Hanwell Snr, by Zadie Smith
5. J. Johnson, by Nick Hornsby & Posy Simmonds
6. Lélé, by Edwidge Danticat
7. The Liar, by Aleksandar Hemon
8. Judge Gladys Parks-Schultz, by Heidi Julavits
9. Soliel, by Vendela Vida
10. Roy Spivey, by Miranda July
11. Cindy Stubenstock, by A. M. Homes
12. Theo, by Dave Eggers

Stories for the Literati:
1. Frank, by A.L. Kennedy
2. Gordon, by Andrew O'Hagan
3. Jordan Wellington Lint, by C. Ware
4. Magda Mandela, by Hari Kunzru
5. The Monster, by Toby Litt
6. Nigora, by Adam Thirlwell
7. Puppy, by George Saunders
8. Rhoda, by Jonathan Safran Foer
9. Perkus Tooth, by Jonathan Lethem
10. Donal Webster, by Colm Tóibín
11. Newton Wicks, by Andrew Sean Greer

I would recommend this book to students of literature, who will enjoy analyzing each author's method of character development, and to people far more literate than myself. I also applaud the editor for organizing this project for a good cause.



Amanda Richards, March 16, 2008

Essays Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Essays Books
Shaking a Leg: Collected Journalism and Writings ImageShaking a Leg: Collected Journalism and Writings
by Angela Carter
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 1998-12-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $20.66
Price in other shops: $39.00
Minerva Louise (Picture Lions) ImageMinerva Louise (Picture Lions)
by Janet Morgan Stoeke
Picture Lions; Published: 1989-09-21; Paperback; Book
White Dynamite and Curly Kidd ImageWhite Dynamite and Curly Kidd
by Bill Martin, John Archambault
Collins; Published: 1988-08; Hardcover; Book
max's christmas Imagemax's christmas
by rosemary wells
Dial; Published: 1986; Hardcover; Book
Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book ImageLost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book
by Walker Percy
Farrar, Straus and Giroux; Published: 1983-06-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $66.99
Shadow Lines: Educational Edition, with Critical Essays by A N Kaul, Suvir Kaul, Meenakshi Mukherjee & Rajesewari Sunder rajan ImageShadow Lines: Educational Edition, with Critical Essays by A N Kaul, Suvir Kaul, Meenakshi Mukherjee & Rajesewari Sunder rajan
by Amitav Ghosh
South Asia Books/Oxford Univ Press, India; Published: 1998-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $29.17
The Book of Other People ImageThe Book of Other People
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2008-01-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.91
Price in other shops: $15.00
Walden and Civil Disobedience (Penguin American Library) ImageWalden and Civil Disobedience (Penguin American Library)
by Henry David Thoreau
Penguin Classics; Published: 1983-08-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.62
Price in other shops: $12.00
The Portable Machiavelli ImageThe Portable Machiavelli
by Niccolo Machiavelli
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 1979-01-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.35
Price in other shops: $20.00
Essays of E.B. White ImageEssays of E.B. White
by E. B. White
Joanna Cotler Books; Published: 1978-10-19; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $298.24
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Learning to Love You More ImageLearning to Love You More
by Harrell Fletcher, Miranda July
Prestel USA; Published: 2007-09-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.99
Price in other shops: $19.95
Interpreter of Maladies ImageInterpreter of Maladies
by Jhumpa Lahiri
Mariner Books; Published: 1999-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.32
Price in other shops: $14.95
Old School ImageOld School
by Tobias Wolff
Vintage; Published: 2004-08-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.70
Price in other shops: $14.00
No One Belongs Here More Than You: Stories ImageNo One Belongs Here More Than You: Stories
by Miranda July
Scribner; Published: 2008-05-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.92
Price in other shops: $14.00
It Chooses You ImageIt Chooses You
by Miranda July
McSweeney's, Irregulars; Published: 2011-11-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.46
Price in other shops: $24.00
The Autograph Man ImageThe Autograph Man
by Zadie Smith
Vintage; Published: 2003-06-17; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.12
Price in other shops: $15.95
Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays ImageChanging My Mind: Occasional Essays
by Zadie Smith
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2010-10-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.69
Price in other shops: $16.00
On Beauty ImageOn Beauty
by Zadie Smith
Penguin Books; Published: 2006-08-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.98
Price in other shops: $15.00
White Teeth: A Novel ImageWhite Teeth: A Novel
by Zadie Smith
Vintage; Published: 2001-06-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.92
Price in other shops: $15.95
Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays ImageChanging My Mind: Occasional Essays
by Zadie Smith
Penguin Press HC, The; Published: 2009-11-12; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.42
Price in other shops: $26.95