Titles to Die For...

[Claire]

Have you ever badly wanted to read a book, just because the title was so good, so intriguing or so evocative?

"Zen and the Art of MotorCycle Maintenance" was a title I fell in love with, though the book itself left me mystified (if you want your very own copy of it, see right here! (http://www.bookgrouponline.com/forum/showthread.html?goto=newpost&t=483) :D )

"The Unbearable Lightness of Being" was another one,

So was, "Down and Out in Paris and London", and the one I've just seen elsewhere on this forum, "Never hit a Jellyfish with a Spade" too - no idea what it's about, but I want to read it, cos the title is so good!

Anyone else react like this sometimes or is it just me? Do the books themselves tend to live up to their titles or not?

[Slowreader]

yes, years ago I was attracted to 'Heart of Darkness' and 'Lord of the Flies' because of their names - this was probably because they sounded like Black Sabbath song titles!

You will not be surprised that both these classics more than lived up to their titles.

[Claire]

Hi, Slowreader,

I was given Heart Of Darkness as a present a few years ago - but haven't read it yet precisely because of the title....it just sounds so bleak and ominous. (I'm a bit of a coward, aren't I ;) )

[My Friend Jack]

Mmm, I'm thinking about this. I would say I'm more attracted to a book by its cover than the title. Apart from non-fiction works such as "The Stak-O-Wax Directory of American 45s in 5 Volumes," now that's a cracking title!

[Slowreader]

Hi, Slowreader,

I was given Heart Of Darkness as a present a few years ago - but haven't read it yet precisely because of the title....it just sounds so bleak and ominous. (I'm a bit of a coward, aren't I ;) )

Hi Claire

Yes it's all of that, but with a redeeming act of kindness at the end.

Coward? why? If its not your cup of tea, why invest the time?

[Opal]

I'm more attracted to a book by its cover than the title.

Same here! I'm a sucker for a pretty cover! :p

I like ones with covers that stand out, for exmple The Eldar Gods by David and Leigh Eddings. I have the hardback of this, and I like the blueness, and the way it stands out on my bookshelf! Its one of the reasons I was drawn to the Discworld books so much - the covers are hilarious!

Although I have to say, I was first drawn to Chocolat because of the title... :D

[Harriet]

I would say I'm more attracted to a book by its cover than the title.

Me three. I bought A Gathering Light 'cos it had such a pretty cover.....

[Claire]

Hi Claire
Coward? why? If its not your cup of tea, why invest the time?

Mmmm - good question....

I partly want to read it because of the friend who gave it to me. He was someone I talked a lot about books with - and if he thought it worth buying for me, I'm keen to know why.

Partly, it's a personality thing, I think. I hate the idea of not doing something for that reason. I'd rather face stuff that might be difficult or disturbing, rather than hide from it - don't know if that makes any sense, but there you go :confused:

[Slowreader]

Well its a fairly short read and guaranteed to make you think, so I'd guess you would find it rewarding. It is also a book which has been extensively analysed, which shows that it works on several levels. And there is still debate about aspects of its meaning.

Hope you enjoy it if you do decide to read.

The horror! The Horror! :)

[Deinonychus]

'Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test' - likely a pile of old hippy b******, though...

[Lulu]

'How to Win Friends And Influence People' has a perennial, does-what-it-says-on-the-tin kind of appeal, methinks.

[caldron]

'Tragically I was an Only Twin - The Complete Peter Cook'

[Rootytootytoo]

'Aberystwyth, mon amour', by mumblerhubarb

[Starry]

Although I have to say, I was first drawn to Chocolat because of the title...

I'm always drawn to books with chocolate in the title. I picked one up entitled "Slow Chocolate Autospy" the other day. Although with Chocolat I watched the film first and then read the book (but that's another thread...)


'Aberystwyth, mon amour', by mumblerhubarb

Oh yes, great book - Malcolm Pryce is the author I think. and I really want to read the follow-up "Last Tango in Aberystwyth"

Apart from Slow Chocolate Autopsy I also picked up The Lawnmower Celebrity because of the title, though both books are still on my shelf waiting to be read :(

[Jassie]

I'm always drawn to books with chocolate in the title. I picked one up entitled "Slow Chocolate Autospy" the other day. Although with Chocolat I watched the film first and then read the book (but that's another thread...) :(

....Have you tried 'Like Water for Chocolate' by Laura Esquivel? that's a wonderful magical book (also a film, which was good too)

[Claire]

"Batman can't fly" - turned out to be a very sad little book about a boy and his troubled mum. Worth reading.

[Starry]

....Have you tried 'Like Water for Chocolate' by Laura Esquivel? that's a wonderful magical book (also a film, which was good too)

Yes! I listened to that on audiobook a little while ago and liked it. Very evocative. I haven't seen the film though, in fact I didn't even know there was one. Will have to look out for it.

[Grammath]

'How to Win Friends And Influence People' has a perennial, does-what-it-says-on-the-tin kind of appeal, methinks.

Even better is Toby Young's "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People".

I find zany titles the most eyecatching. The king IMO is sci-fi author Philip K. Dick - "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?", "Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said", "The Transmigration of Timothy Archer", "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch" and many, many more hat just make you go EH????? :)

Some of Tom Wolfe's other titles are great too - "Radical Chic & Mau Mauing the Flak Catchers" and "The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine Flake Streamline Baby" spring to mind.

[Bobby T]

'The Crimson Petal and The White' - Michel Faber

[Hilary]

I need to read that one about the dog in the night time or whatever it's called, cos the title is so intriguing. But I heard an interview on radio 4 where they said everyone thought that, so I'm not being terribly original. But it's still on my 'to read' list, even so.

[megustaleer]

I was attracted by the title of 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'; by John Berendt: By the title and admittedly also by all the talk about the book when it was first published! I found it well worth reading...almost unbelievable, but supposedly true.

[Bluesyard]

Hello Claire. What was your initial buzz from 'Motorcycle'?

During stops and starts and rest breaks....I read my copy
traveling across the USA from New Jersey to California. It
was long age...but the book's tone and attraction still
register...thoughts of Lenny Bruce...always come to mind.
Anyway, keep reading.

Bluesyard

[Claire]

Hi Bluesyard,

It's a while since I read it, and I don't have that clear a memory of it....but my overwhelming feeling at the end was "Huh???? :confused: " I had a strong sense that it was a really profound and thought-provoking book - but that all the profoundness and stuff had completely flown over the top of my head :o

Oh well!



I need to read that one about the dog in the night time or whatever it's called, cos the title is so intriguing. But I heard an interview on radio 4 where they said everyone thought that, so I'm not being terribly original. But it's still on my 'to read' list, even so.

Borrow it from me, m'dear! It's well worth reading :)

[sebastian melmoth]

Despite his terse writing style, Ernest Hemingway was renowned for his lyrical titles...Across The River & Into The Trees, The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell To Arms, Islands In The Stream, The Snows Of Kilimanjaro etc.
My own particular favourite is Tom Robbins. Who could ever improve on such intriguing titles as Still Life With Woodpecker, Half Asleep In Frog Pyjamas, Another Roadside Attraction, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues and Jitterbug Perfume?!

[Colinj]

IT by Stephen King just to see how a book could be written with just two letters in the title.

The Hobbit Just to see what the fuss wa all about.

[Mad Dog and Glory]

Despite his terse writing style, Ernest Hemingway was renowned for his lyrical titles...Across The River & Into The Trees, The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell To Arms, Islands In The Stream, The Snows Of Kilimanjaro etc.
My own particular favourite is Tom Robbins. Who could ever improve on such intriguing titles as Still Life With Woodpecker, Half Asleep In Frog Pyjamas, Another Roadside Attraction, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues and Jitterbug Perfume?!

I can think of no other writer with titles better than Ernest Hemingway's. They are so evocative, and summon up so much power and resonance, they almost don't need the stories that go with them. A lot of the short stories have the best titles: I love A Clean Well-Lighted Place, Hills Like White Elephants, Big Two-Hearted River, The Short Happy Life Of Francis Macomber and Men Without Women (the title of his 1927 collection).

The stories are pretty good too!

[Grammath]

I'll second that! :D

[Bookworm348]

I was drawn to 'if nobody speaks of remarkable things' by Jon McGregor because of it's title. The cover is appealing as well and that is normally what attracts me to a book. 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven' also got me with the title (well there is nothing but that on the cover!)

[Kel]

I was drawn to 'The Dud Avocado' by Elaine Dundy because of the title. It was a really good book, I highly recommend it!

[belinda]

It was the title that grabbed me as well and then I really enjoyed it. Read a couple of her other novels but didn't like them as much

[Kel]

The ony other one I have read is 'Life Itself!' which I also enjoyed. Will have to give the rest a try one day.

[ckqd]

i had to endure weeks before i finally got to buy "The 5 people you meet in Heaven" and "Where Rainbows End".. Sheer torture :p

[Adrian]

Attack! Books (http://members.lycos.co.uk/attackbooks/authors_markmanning.html) do the best titles:

Vatican Bloodbath (The 500 year long struggle between the Vatican and the Royal Family for control of the world's drug trade is about to reach a thrilling and unutterably bloody climax)

Get Your Cock Out, by Mark Manning (aka Zodiac Mindwarp)

And and my favourite book title of all time:

Tits-Out Teenage Terror Totty ("Obtain permission from whoever pays your psychiatric hospital bills before reading this book" The Face)

[zara-x]

Although I have to say, I was first drawn to Chocolat because of the title... :D

Now come on....I think I speak on behalf of all the women when I say we were really drawn to Chocolat because we knew Johnny Depp was in the film. ;)