false 129940 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 129940 2 125151 12 2003 Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From total:18|5:1|4:5|3:7|2:4|1:1| 18 55 30 3 74715 3.44 48 9 70027951 1791369 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 3 0 false Sun Sep 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Sep 04 07:22:22 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 06 08:35:36 -0700 2009 78382454 1000623 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 5 0 false Mon Nov 30 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 19 19:14:15 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 30 09:41:47 -0800 2009 24078942 34875 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 3 0 false Mon Jun 30 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Jun 09 12:58:54 -0700 2008 Mon Jun 30 15:31:07 -0700 2008 73641423 1534273 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 0 0 false Tue Oct 06 11:30:59 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 06 11:30:59 -0700 2009 71802615 1120278 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 3 0 false Sat Sep 19 14:39:09 -0700 2009 Sat Sep 19 14:39:09 -0700 2009 70249072 2706702 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 0 0 false Sun Sep 06 09:21:15 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 06 09:21:15 -0700 2009 69510589 2468851 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 0 0 false Sun Aug 30 19:59:16 -0700 2009 Fri Sep 04 16:06:41 -0700 2009 68699972 2660901 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 4 0 false Mon Aug 24 10:53:20 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 24 10:53:20 -0700 2009 67699827 2634146 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 0 0 false Sun Aug 16 23:35:11 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 16 23:35:11 -0700 2009 65465905 856072 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 0 0 false Wed Jul 29 17:06:41 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 29 17:06:41 -0700 2009 64469425 1648226 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 0 0 false Tue Jul 21 21:34:04 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 21 21:34:04 -0700 2009 63183883 1040361 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 4 0 false Sun Jul 12 14:39:21 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 12 14:39:21 -0700 2009 62964193 1039955 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 4 0 false Thu Mar 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 10 16:01:25 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 10 16:02:06 -0700 2009 60587554 2312240 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 2 0 false Tue Jun 23 18:26:13 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 21 20:34:49 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 23 18:26:13 -0700 2009 57366190 2354003 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 4 0 false Sat Jun 13 22:41:37 -0700 2009 Tue May 26 08:47:15 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 13 22:41:37 -0700 2009 50429599 725183 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 0 0 false Wed Mar 25 13:13:36 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 30 13:00:08 -0700 2009 46766613 2046893 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 0 0 false Wed Feb 18 11:31:49 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 18 11:31:49 -0800 2009 44938448 1930575 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 0 0 false Sat Jan 31 06:28:21 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 31 06:28:21 -0800 2009 36102348 1650927 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 1 0 false Fri Oct 24 09:35:17 -0700 2008 Fri Oct 24 09:35:17 -0700 2008 32439274 1443227 129940 0393051811 9780393051810 3 <![CDATA[Madame Bovary, C'est Moi: The Great Characters of Literature and Where They Came From]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297m/129940.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171990297s/129940.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129940.Madame_Bovary_C_est_Moi_The_Great_Characters_of_Literature_and_Where_They_Came_From 3.06 18 A delightful compendium of wit and information, this book takes us on a casual stroll through literary history as the world's most successful writers sought just the right name, or just the right tone, or just the right prop, for the hero or heroine of their works.

How did Nero Wolfe in Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout end up with the name of a Roman emperor? Was Tolstoy's Anna Karenina based on a real person? Why was Hercule Poirot, the great inspector in the mysteries of Agatha Christie, a Belgian rather than a Frenchman? Why was Long John Silver missing a foot? Under what circumstances did J. R. R. Tolkien conceive of a "hobbit"?

In this charming collection of anecdotes, we are taken to the very heart of the mystery of literary creation. For as Virginia Woolf once wrote, "If the characters are real the novel will have a chance." 30 line drawings.

]]> 2003 0 0 false Tue Sep 09 09:57:54 -0700 2008 Wed Sep 10 03:26:31 -0700 2008 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=129940