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The Land of Laughs

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 2,450 ratings · 199 reviews

Have you ever loved a magical book above all others? Have you ever wished the magic were real? Welcome to The Land of Laughs. A novel about how terrifying that would be.

Schoolteacher Thomas Abbey, unsure son of a film star, doesn't know who he is or what he wants--in life, in love, or in his relationship with the strange and intense Saxony Gardner. What he knows is that in...more

Paperback, 256 pages

Published February 10th 2001 by Orb Books (first published 1980)

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Dec 18, 2009 karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-about-books-about-books, great-authors-no-one-reads, littry-fiction, table, great-until-the-end, favorites

jonathan carroll's books are like gourmet jellybeans. even his shittiest flavors are better than most regular jellybeans, and who doesn't like jellybeans? (alfonso claims that only white people eat jellybeans, which is untrue, but it's such an odd racial stereotype i feel compelled to add it here).

you know how there is some music that no matter what mood you are in, it just happens to be the right music?? jonathan carroll is like that for me. he's just...wonderful, like a new crush you can't sto...more jonathan carroll's books are like gourmet jellybeans. even his shittiest flavors are better than most regular jellybeans, and who doesn't like jellybeans? (alfonso claims that only white people eat jellybeans, which is untrue, but it's such an odd racial stereotype i feel compelled to add it here).

you know how there is some music that no matter what mood you are in, it just happens to be the right music?? jonathan carroll is like that for me. he's just...wonderful, like a new crush you can't stop gushing over. he's definitely a high fabulist, but in the best sense of the term. let's compare: better than graham joyce, more charming than millhauser, slightly less ambitious than robertson davies,but always always entertaining. i would name-drop alasdair gray, but so few people have read him, it's not even worth it. stop reading this review and go read lanark, already...

jonathan carroll can be summed up in two words: death and dogs.
not your gritty noir alsatians snarling over an abandoned corpse, but generally affable dogs involved in some way in a character's meditations or experiences with death and what comes next: bull terriers who are either sentient or symbolic, but are carroll's literary stamp as recognizable as any of lynch's recurring visual details/tics.

carroll has a few major themes; mostly ideas of life and death and karma and the afterlife and man's responsibilities to man and woman and ghosts and film. they are philosophical/moral/spiritual journey stories but in a playful, not didactic way. "spiritual journey" should in no way conjure up images of coelho, redfield, or martel. take those thoughts to go, please.

land of laughs is a really good introduction to jonathan carroll. the ending? shrug, not the best, in my opinion. but it honestly does not matter, because it's such an incredible story throughout. his endings are pretty consistently weak, but it almost becomes an adorable quirk, like when kids can't say "spaghetti" or something that people think it is cute when kids do.

at the end of the day, he is just a good storyteller, and like the opening credits for "amazing stories", isn't that the foundation our "littry appreciation" should be built upon?(less)

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May 04, 2012 Bill Kerwin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: weird-fiction

This cult classic--a bigger hit in Poland than in the author's native USA--is a strange novel, and a very interesting one. At the beginning, it seems to be a piece of realistic fiction, narrating the efforts of a high school English instructor in his 30's and his researcher-girlfriend to write the biography of a deceased children's book author they idolize. But when they get to the author's hometown, things get weirder and weirder--and the book itself gets stranger and stranger. Unlike many book...more

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Sep 24, 2009 tim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Five stars here. Five stars there. I'm shameless. Maybe it's because I'm impressed by almost anyone that can write this well (including so many of you GRers!). It could also be that I'm on a recent streak of really awesome books. Or maybe I don't feel the star-rating system means much one way or the other except to reinforce some deep-seated reward expectation at receiveing gold stars for a job well done.

Either way, this is my favorite Jonathan Carroll so far, by far. Subtle, sleight-of-hand tri...more

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Jan 21, 2009 Brent Legault rated it 2 of 5 stars

Here's what I think: it has a lot of "Boy, howdy!" dialogue. Sometimes the narration reads like an eager family newsletter and is infested with as many tired phrases. The plot and its "twists" are no more interesting or serpentine than an episode of The Twilight Zone or a Stephen King short story. Someone (An editor, perhaps. Did this book have an editor?) should have suggested that Carroll look up "elegant variation" in Fowler's. Much or most of his sentences are just careless, thoughtless, rus...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Saretta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biblioteca, language-ita, sfida-viaggiousa, fantasy, other-weird, sfida-xxsecolo

Il paese della pazze risate non è affatto un paese ma un libro, per la precisione un libro per bambini scritto da Marshall France, scrittore osannato dal protagonista del romanzo.
La ricerca di informazioni sullo France e il desiderio di diventarne il biografo porterà Thomas Abbey e Saxony Gardner a Galen, cittadina in cui lo scrittore è vissuto fino alla morte.
Il romanzo è divertente e ironico, parla del rapporto con i genitori che non ci sono più e di quello con le divinità crudeli che guidano...more

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Dec 19, 2008 Julia rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: lovers of fantasy, creative art

Recommended to Julia by: my daughter

Shelves: magical-realism

I'll end up with a slew of Carroll novels--this one came out in America in 1980, so is one of the early ones. Check out Carroll's website www.jonathancarroll.com . Neil Gaiman, who admires Carroll greatly, wrote an introduction for the website which says:

"Jonathan Carroll's a changer. He's one of the special ones, one of the few. He paints the world he sees. He opens a window you did not know was there and invites you to look through it. He gives you his eyes to see with, and he gives you the w...more

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Jun 15, 2013 Dana Jennings rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: slipstream

I loved this book. To supplant my review, I am including a portion of the introduction to his website, an introduction by Neil Gaiman.

In a bookstore universe of bland and homogenised writers and fictions, the world that words from Carroll's fountain pen is as cool, as fine and as magical as a new lover, or cool water in the desert. Things matter. You can fall in love with his women, or his men, worry when they hurt, hate them when they betray or fall short, rejoice when they steal a moment of ma...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Smcleish rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally published on my blog here in March 2001.

The narrator of The Land of Laughs is a young English teacher, unhappy at his job, who has been obsessed with children's author Marshall France since he was a boy. Thomas Abbey requests leave of absence from his school to write a biography of France, with the help of a young woman he meets in a bookshop when both want to buy a rare France volume. They have to travel to Galen, Missouri, where France lived for most of his life, and persuade his da...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Keith Harvey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thomas Abbey, a schoolteacher, who says he doesn't know what a gerund is, decides to quit teaching and write a biography of his favorite writer, Marshall France, a writer of children's tales, who died at forty-four. France is his obsession and this obsession forms the impetus of the novel, Carroll's first, published in 1980.

Obsession, by a reader, for a writer is a prevalent device in modern literature. Recent examples include Roberto Bolano's 2666 and Lev Grossman's The Magicians. However, in t...more Thomas Abbey, a schoolteacher, who says he doesn't know what a gerund is, decides to quit teaching and write a biography of his favorite writer, Marshall France, a writer of children's tales, who died at forty-four. France is his obsession and this obsession forms the impetus of the novel, Carroll's first, published in 1980.

Obsession, by a reader, for a writer is a prevalent device in modern literature. Recent examples include Roberto Bolano's 2666 and Lev Grossman's The Magicians. However, in this novel, obsession and writing combine to create a fantasy world, where the artist is the creator and the puppet-master. In fact, puppets and manipulation are major tropes in the work, where France, the demi-urge, created and orchestrated not only the fictional lives of his creations but even the citizens of his hometown of Galen, Missouri.

The novel begins with Abbey's finding a rare copy of France's The Green Dog's Sorrow. However, the fly in the ointment is that someone else has already purchased the book, placed it on hold until she can raise the requisite cash. Thus begins the meeting of Saxony Gardner and Thomas Abbey and the first steps of the incredible tale of The Land of Laughs.

Saxony collects and carves marionettes and reads the novels of Marshall France; whereas, Abbey collects masks and reads Marshall France. He is also the son of the very famous actor, Stephen Abbey, who died in a tragic airplane crash. Soon after their meeting, it becomes apparent that Thomas needs Saxony's ability as a researcher and editor and she needs his creative ability, his power to create descriptions that bring the subject alive. Together, they leave their home in Connecticut and drive cross country to Galen, Missouri. During the trip they fall in love.

Carroll's description of their romance is very realistic; and, although Thomas is a bit of "dick," I found the scenes between Sax and Thomas believable and realistic. This was made more poignant to me because I had just finished reading three novels by Douglas Kennedy and two by Jim Butcher, who both seem incapable of writing a believable love scene.

Once the two reach Galen, realty begins to immediately warp into a world, less than real, a world perhaps more literary than literal. Galen seems to be ruled by Anna France, Marshall's daughter, who unexpectedly takes a real interest in Thomas. She accepts him as her father's potential biographer and sets a task for him to complete: write the first chapter of the biography.

Carroll's novel, although surreal, seems based on reality. Part of this stems from his use of the first person. Somewhat like Borges, the weirder things become the more realistic and prosaic the language.Ultimately, The Land of Laughs is meta-fiction. It is a book about writing and the creative process. It is also a book about readers, who even after the death of their favorite authors, continue to generate creative energy that enlivens the works and characters of their beloved stories. (less)

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Jun 09, 2012 Kristopher Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

A friend recommended this cult classic to me, and I read it without reading anything regarding the plot. I'm glad. This book takes some amazing, creative turns, even if as a whole I didn't quite fall in love with it.

An English teacher obsessed with the work of children's book author Marshall France journeys to that author's hometown to unearth details for a biography. The narrative tone is likable enough, if slightly square for a book that is at times delightfully weird. On the balance, though,...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Scott Foley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Land of Laughs was actually recommended to me based on my love of Paul Auster by someone I've never met. Though I was totally unfamiliar with Jonathan Carroll, I'm always on the hunt for new (to me) authors, so I figured I'd give him a shot!

Land of Laughs is about a man named Thomas Abbey, a bored English teacher and son of a famous deceased actor. He decides to take some time off work to write a biography on his favorite children's author, Marshall France. After meeting a woman named Saxony Gar...more Land of Laughs was actually recommended to me based on my love of Paul Auster by someone I've never met. Though I was totally unfamiliar with Jonathan Carroll, I'm always on the hunt for new (to me) authors, so I figured I'd give him a shot!

Land of Laughs is about a man named Thomas Abbey, a bored English teacher and son of a famous deceased actor. He decides to take some time off work to write a biography on his favorite children's author, Marshall France. After meeting a woman named Saxony Garder--another France fan--Thomas and Sax go to Galen, Missouri, to visit France's home and supposedly uncooperative daughter, Anna. Thomas is amazed when Anna is both cordial and encouraging with the biography, but she has her own agenda, one that involves incredible secrets about the citizenry of Galen and Marshall France himself!

Carroll wrote a fast-paced, deeply engaging novel for the first two-thirds of the book. His characterization was both realistic and mesmerizing. I saw so much of myself in Thomas, and I think many of you would as well. I assume Thomas' "everyman" appeal is by design. Saxony, an unlikable character at first, slowly grows on us as Carroll expertly peels layer after layer from her. Anna is mysterious and charismatic, and we can't help but be drawn to her. Carroll's solid narrative and dialogue refused allowing me to put the book down, for I couldn't resist the story of these three characters!

Then things get weird, and that's quite a statement from someone like me.

I can handle the fantasy element of the book, no problem. What bothered me, though, was Carroll's total departure from what made the first two-thirds of the book so utterly wonderful. He turns his back on all the nuance and care that won me over and propels the plot front and center at the expense of those characters into which he put such thought. The last third of the book becomes all about the "big finale," a finale that left me unimpressed and unsatisfied.

I enjoy fantasy, especially when it looks to be handled with such literary precision, but Carroll disappointed me when he abandoned those aspects of his writing that could have made me a life-long fan. I do recommend Land of Laughs for the touching and thought-provoking first two-thirds because it really is the work of a very talented man. The last third, well, you might as well finish it at that point and formulate your own opinion on the matter. (less)

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Dec 14, 2011 Rita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-contemporary, genre-slipstream, my-love-slash-hate-shelf

The Land of Laughs is a tricky book.

I thought it was pretty close to perfect, until the last ten pages or so; I walked away from the ending dissatisfied -- distressed, even -- and am still trying to work out whether it was a failure on the level of expectation or of writing. Was I thrown because I assumed the narrative would follow traditional, comforting fantasy logic? Or did Jonathan Carroll just write a careless, pulpy, trainwrecky ending?

The novel starts out full of nostalgia and metafiction...more The Land of Laughs is a tricky book.

I thought it was pretty close to perfect, until the last ten pages or so; I walked away from the ending dissatisfied -- distressed, even -- and am still trying to work out whether it was a failure on the level of expectation or of writing. Was I thrown because I assumed the narrative would follow traditional, comforting fantasy logic? Or did Jonathan Carroll just write a careless, pulpy, trainwrecky ending?

The novel starts out full of nostalgia and metafiction. Two very odd people, Thomas (narrator) and Saxony (love interest; firey, tactless, vulnerable, stubborn, and adorable!) are drawn together by a mutual obsession with Marshall France, author of the whimsical children's books they fell in love with and never quite let go of. The plot unfolds quickly and engagingly. Thomas and Saxony become involved, and involved in a project to write France's biography. They end up in Galen, France's hometown, meeting his daughter and the people he used to live amongst. And then things get really fucking weird, shifting the emphasis to the "magical" half of "magical realism."

There's a lot of fun in the middle section of the book, and wonder, and exploration of the magical power of words. Without spoiling anything, I'll say -- the shiny surface of the town disintegrates. Think Disney on psychoactive drugs. Pay close attention to the cracks, Reader, and don't make the mistake of expecting a traditional happy ending, like I did; Carroll is much more subversive than that.

There's no doubt that he's good. Carroll writes with a light, sweet touch which I really enjoy, especially after my recent binge on too much ponderous postmodern stuff. He carries the narrative with a concise mixture of smart dialogue and internal narration, and leaves the boring bits out, so scenes come through like little detailed pictures in sharp, bright colours. The book's actually written in first person -- but in a personable, colloquial sort of first person, which makes it feel as if the narrator's a good conversationalist who's chatting with you.

I will read Jonathan Carroll again. I might even read this book again. But I'll probably skip the last ten pages.

(less)

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Sep 05, 2011 Marta rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-literature, my-bookshelf, favourites

Mój pierwszy kontakt z prozą Jonathana Carrolla miał miejsce przeszło siedem lat temu. Do późnych godzin nocnych i z wypiekami na twarzy zagłębiałam się w „Krainę Chichów”, by zaraz po zakończeniu lektury zaliczyć ją w poczet ulubionych książek. Kiedy sięgałam po nią ponownie, zastanawiałam się przede wszystkim nad tym, jak udało jej się przetrwać próbę czasu i czy za drugim razem będzie w stanie zachwycić mnie równie mocno.

By nie trzymać nikogo w niepewności – „Kraina Chichów” nadal okupuje zas...more Mój pierwszy kontakt z prozą Jonathana Carrolla miał miejsce przeszło siedem lat temu. Do późnych godzin nocnych i z wypiekami na twarzy zagłębiałam się w „Krainę Chichów”, by zaraz po zakończeniu lektury zaliczyć ją w poczet ulubionych książek. Kiedy sięgałam po nią ponownie, zastanawiałam się przede wszystkim nad tym, jak udało jej się przetrwać próbę czasu i czy za drugim razem będzie w stanie zachwycić mnie równie mocno.

By nie trzymać nikogo w niepewności – „Kraina Chichów” nadal okupuje zaszczytne miejsce wśród tych książek, którymi chętnie obdarowywałabym każdego, kto wygląda na potencjalnego miłośnika literackiego kunsztu Carrolla. Wciąż uważam także, że to najlepsza powieść tego pisarza ze wszystkich poznanych przeze mnie do tej pory. Ostatecznie utwierdziłam się również w przekonaniu, że nic tak nie pociąga mnie w literaturze XX wieku, jak realizm magiczny.

Przedstawiona historia jest na pozór zwyczajna – oto mamy mężczyznę, Tomasza Abbeya, nauczyciela angielskiego w przeciętnym liceum. Zafascynowany twórczością nieżyjącego już Marshalla France’a, autora książek dla dzieci, postanawia napisać jego biografię. Wraz ze spotkaną przypadkowo kobietą, również miłośniczką prozy France’a, udaje się do Gallen, niewielkiego miasteczka, w którym literat spędził ostatnie lata swojego życia. Gallen ma jednak swoje tajemnice, a rola biografa może okazać się bardziej odpowiedzialnym zadaniem, niż ktokolwiek wcześniej śmiał przypuszczać.

Kiedy zastanawiam się, co takiego przyciąga mnie do tej powieści, to odpowiedź może być tylko jedna – magia. I nie chodzi tu o jarmarczne sztuczki rodem z literatury fantastycznej, a o urok świata przedstawionego, w którym to, co całkowicie rzeczywiste, idealnie splata się z wizjami rodem ze snów. Zaś snom tym bliżej do koszmarów niż przyjemnych marzeń sennych. Jest to zabieg charakterystyczny dla prozy Carrolla; „Kraina Chichów” wywołuje pewnego rodzaju niepokój, niepewność, co też czai się na następnej stronie. Ubarwienie realnego świata jedynie kapką elementów nadprzyrodzonych sprawia, że bez wahania wierzy się w to, co zostało zapisane, a narastające poczucie lęku przenika z kart książki do rzeczywistości czytelnika.

„Kraina Chichów” kupiła mnie także swym przewodnim motywem, za który uznaję rozważania na temat kreowania świata za pomocą literatury oraz zmagania z procesem twórczym. Czy pisarz ponosi odpowiedzialność za to, co tworzy? Gdzie kończą się granice swobody literackiej? Kiedy zabawa w twórcę przekracza dopuszczalne granice, a czerpanie inspiracji z życia i otaczających nas osób staje się zbyt daleko posunięte? I wreszcie – czy poprzez swoje dzieła pisarz jest w stanie zachować nieśmiertelność? Pytania te nabierają innego wymiaru po dotarciu do ostatniej strony powieści.

„Czytanie książki jest, przynajmniej dla mnie, jak podróż po świecie drugiego człowieka. Jeżeli książka jest dobra, czytelnik czuje się w niej jak u siebie, a jednocześnie intryguje go, co mu się tam przydarzy, co znajdzie za następnym zakrętem”[1] – stwierdza główny bohater, początkujący pisarz. Mogę bez wahania podpisać się pod tą myślą. Co więcej, każda podróż po świecie Jonathana Carrolla to przeżycie niezwykłe i niezmiernie ekscytujące – nigdy bowiem nie wiadomo, co czyhać będzie za tym następnym zakrętem. I to nawet wówczas, gdy czyta się „Krainę Chichów” po raz kolejny.

[1] Carroll, Jonathan „Kraina Chichów”; 2010: Dom Wydawniczy Rebis, Wydanie V, str. 92

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Zarówno tę recenzję, jak i wiele innych tekstów znajdziecie na moim blogu: http://oceansoul.byethost22.com/ Serdecznie zapraszam!(less)

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Feb 05, 2011 Jeremy Allan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: modern-fiction

I had a difficult time getting invested in this novel, and not because it was a recommendation from my father (hi Dad!). In The Land of Laughs, Jonathan Carroll takes some immediate risks by making it clear early on that the world in which this book is set will not fit neatly as a substitute for the world we live in, though it seems close in many ways. As such, you might liken it to Magical Realism. This is a difficult way to begin a story when faced with a reader who begins every novel with a s...more I had a difficult time getting invested in this novel, and not because it was a recommendation from my father (hi Dad!). In The Land of Laughs, Jonathan Carroll takes some immediate risks by making it clear early on that the world in which this book is set will not fit neatly as a substitute for the world we live in, though it seems close in many ways. As such, you might liken it to Magical Realism. This is a difficult way to begin a story when faced with a reader who begins every novel with a small dose of resistance (almost always, I resist). Done well, the small surreal moments, the minor magical happenings, can woo the reader into complete acceptance—mishandled and it can throw the reader out of the story and into the role of a critic.

This is not to say that Carroll mishandles. But it took me more time than I expected to accept the reality of this novel, to attach myself to its characters, and to stop thinking about Carroll himself. When I finally succeeding in getting into the narrative, it was much more rewarding. It helps that the narrator of the story, Thomas Abbey, is almost as skeptical about the world he inhabits as I was. Though he remains something of a wimp, a milquetoast, he becomes a bit like the skeptical reader's compatriot in disbelief; even when he starts to accept the strangeness of his environment, you continue to feel his hesitation that any of it is real. In fact, I think it is the intention of the narrative to have us turn the final page still unsure of whether what occurred really did occur at all.

Accordingly, at the end of the novel I found myself with some contradictory feelings. Carroll impressed me with the richness of his imagination, but seemed to struggle when it came time to be convincing. He wrote with flair that was often exciting, but at other times he seemed to lose track of what he was doing in the narrative. He reminded me very much of Neil Gaiman, whose blurb graces the back of the book, and who has both amazed and disappointed me as a writer. Gaiman floored me with his boundless imagination in The Sandman graphic novels, as well as his incredible aptitude for voice. On the other hand, when he settled into standard prose in Anansi Boys, I felt myself unconvinced, faced with what felt like an unrealized world, and sometimes disconcerted by what almost appeared like clumsiness. In some ways, I think these feelings, especially when connected to fiction in any way fantastic, are the long curse I live with after falling in love with Tolkein at an early age.

The point is this, I think—I am a difficult audience when it comes to imaginative realities in fiction (or perhaps just all the time), and The Land of Laughs requires a certain generosity from its readers in order for its delights to reveal themselves. So I may not be the most generous reader! In that case I can recommend this book to those who can enter a novel with less resistance, with more ability to suspend disbelief, and who look forward to having the rules disrupted! In this last regard, I do look forward to it, but it takes some heavy skills in writerly persuasion to get me there. I'm glad to have pushed myself to have found comfort in the narrative and seen some of Carroll's vision, but I always prefer not to have to push myself; I prefer to have the author manipulate me despite myself. (This applies to my last review, of My Ántonia—Willa Cather absolutely took apart my resistance to pioneer narratives, so that I was completely hers by the end of the first paragraph!)

Hmm. Maybe I'm more like Carroll's citizens of the town of Galen, Missouri, than I thought? We're a tough crowd.(less)

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Feb 01, 2011 Tancredi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: statunitensi, surreale

Il romanzo d'esordio che ha fatto conoscere il genio di Jonathan Carroll al mondo intero. O quasi.
C'è già tutto, di Carroll, tutti gli ingredienti fondamentali del suo particolarissimo stile. E' un trionfo di surreale ed ironia. Soprattutto questa, che rende il libro un po' diverso dalle altre opere di Carroll (soprattutto dal "Sestetto"), spesso più cupe e horror.
La storia è originalissima, fresca, innovativa, assolutamente imprevedibile, fino alle ultime battute.
E' una storia molto particolare...more

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Jan 08, 2011 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 26, 2012 Teri Nolan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I nearly gave this novel fives stars - it was so close! The omission of that fifth star was purely based on dialogue. The story was five star, the narrative was five star, but sometimes (not all of the time) the dialogue did not flow naturally, like real conversation. It's a cleverly written book, very enjoyable and holds your attention in that delectable way the best stories do. Land of Laughs was written in 1980 and published in 1982, which was really fun because reading the story reminded me...more

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Apr 05, 2009 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: slipstream

The Land of Laughs is the subtle sort of slipstream novel where something just itches at your brain; you know things aren't on the level but it's impossible to place precisely what until quite a ways in. Carroll imbues his characters with quirks and humanity. The ending was not one that I would have ever guessed. A very pleasant surprise of a book that shouldn't have sat in my cupboard for as long as it did.

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Nov 16, 2010 Barry rated it 4 of 5 stars

A great little book, and an interesting new author for me. After reading Land of Laughs I felt like I had just finished a great short story, yet it was book length. Like a short story it had limited number of characters, one main plot line with little sub-plotting, and a denouement of a few sentences that, though somewhat expected, was the final twist. Like a novel, though, it examined relationships, family issues, and some philosophical questions thrown in, but all without being ponderous or co...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Simon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-masterworks, horror

The blurb on the cover described this as "A unique mixture of humour and horror", but for me it didn't really fall into either category. Like his other novel I have read, Voice of Our Shadow, it feels only like a straight fiction story until over half way through. There are only the subtlest of hints before then that something is not quite right. Then the bomb drops and we find ourselves in the realms of fantasy.

Written in the first person perspective, this is the story of a disillusioned school...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Autumn Doughton rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have Neil Gaiman to thank for a lot of things: Neverwhere, The Sandman, Bod Owens, White German Shepherds, and now I can add Jonathan Carroll to the list. Gaiman wrote about Mr. Carroll a few weeks ago on his blog and I think it went something like, "Jonathan Carroll is made of awesome so do yourself a favor and give him a try." In fact, whatever was stated, I got the impression that Neil Gaiman was in awe of Carroll and fuck me, but if Neil Gaiman is impressed by someone's writing then it's s...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Craig Nickerson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-dark

This was Jonathan Carroll's first novel, the only one of his books that I've read. Based on this I'll be reading others. The Land Of Laughs came highly recommended by a friend and after reading it I wondered how in Hell I’d never heard of it before. It’s a dark fantasy which starts out as a whimsical, romantic adventure which becomes increasingly eerie and sinister as the novel progresses. It has a terrific hook which comes later on and balances its' alternate moods very well.

Thomas Abbey is the...more This was Jonathan Carroll's first novel, the only one of his books that I've read. Based on this I'll be reading others. The Land Of Laughs came highly recommended by a friend and after reading it I wondered how in Hell I’d never heard of it before. It’s a dark fantasy which starts out as a whimsical, romantic adventure which becomes increasingly eerie and sinister as the novel progresses. It has a terrific hook which comes later on and balances its' alternate moods very well.

Thomas Abbey is the son of a deceased movie star grinding away at a teaching job that he's grown sick of. His social life is nearly non-existent and he suspects that the women he dates are more interested in his famous father. While this may be true, his problem also has much to do with the fact that he is aimless, selfish and more than a little strange. His two great passions in life are his exotic collection of masks and an obsession with an author of children's novels, Marshall France.

France was a popular writer who inspired an enthusiastic following. He was also a recluse who hid away in the small town of Galen, Missouri and died at the age of 44 of a heart attack. Little is known about France but it is Thomas' dream to write the man's biography. Thomas comes across a used copy of one of France's rare books only to find that it has already been sold. He waits around the shop to buy it off the woman it's been promised to and soon meets Saxony Gardener. She is just as obsessed with Marshall France as Thomas is and just as strange, her thing being marionettes. While not exactly love at first sight, this does spark a romance and the two travel to Galen in order to do research for the biography. This may not be easy as they'll need the cooperation of France's devoted daughter Anna and the odd and secretive people of Galen.

The romance between Thomas and Saxony is founded on just the right combination of infatuation and irritation to make it believable. The initial meet cute set up is undermined with enough drab reality to make it plausible. Carroll builds both characters from a tool box of quirks and tics that lend specificity to each of them. His two protagonists share a passion that is infectious and both possess an awkwardness and vulnerability that make them endearing.

Of course the passion they share is primarily for Marshall France and his books. Carroll captures the excitement a true enthusiast feels when engaged in some way with the object of their devotion. He describes the sort of fascination which would lead one to exclaim "that is where the great man wrote such and such, sitting in that very chair!" Initially the effect is engaging, as the novel moves on though it becomes cloying. No character in the novel views Marshall France and his novels as anything other than sheer genius, and his presence is inescapable. Given the direction The Land Of Laughs ends up going I suspect the effect is intentional. There is a strong theme of fathers overshadowing their children.

That Carroll chose to make Marshall France an author of children's fantasy novels rather than say, detective stories or contemporary adult literature is appropriate in at least two ways. Thomas and Saxony both first encounter his work while they are children going through difficult times. The nature of their obsession is grounded in a regressive comfort, a means to escape reality. This fits into their character arcs. Another good reason is that the language of these books can evoke a haunting and magical quality like nothing else (I always liked the Wind in the Willows chapter title and Pink Floyd album title "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn"). A few carefully chosen names and phrases such as "Green Dog's Sorrow", "The Queen of Oil", "Moon Jester" attributed to France lend some weight to the assertion that he was a magical genius. Even his name is well chosen, it sounds authentic. I will note though that Bluebeard was a Marshal of France, just an observation.

Thomas needs to convince Anna that he is worthy of writing her father's biography in order to gain access to diaries and notes and so forth. This is the main plot thread which is engaging in its own right, but then the novel goes off in another direction that I can't discuss for fear of spoiling it. This would be the eerie and sinister part. Once established, this portion raises some interesting philosophic questions before placing the protagonists in jeopardy and concluding with some impact.
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Jul 14, 2012 Eustachio rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: statunitensi, romanzi, ebook

Ce l'ho fatta! Ho trovato un libro di Jonathan Carroll che mi sia davvero piaciuto!
Chi l'avrebbe mai detto che sarei dovuto tornare al romanzo d'esordio per trovare un libro né con troppa carne al fuoco (Il mare di legno) né troppo poco surreale per i miei gusti (Ciao Pauline!)?
Nonostante appena sono entrati in gioco l'autore misterioso e i libri introvabili abbia alzato gli occhi al cielo (una versione anni '80 de L'ombra del vento e Che fine ha fatto Mr Y. era l'ultima cosa che mi andava di le...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Josh Steiner rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a wonderful surprise. However, I am rather upset that I've just now learned about an author whose first book was published some thirty damn years ago. How have I missed out on Jonathan Carroll for so long?

Carroll builds the world in The Land of Laughs with a sharp, colorful voice that elicits a subtle immersion and interaction with the complexities of our memories. That Carroll can alter the tone of the story without a moments notice and not make everything a jumbled mess is a testament...more

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May 25, 2009 Patrick rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book about ten years ago and it is a very beautifully written horror about a town touched by the magic of a children book author, Marshall France. It is like Disneyland on acid and there people might actually fly and talk to animals that might talk back. (That is after being driven insane enough to sit in corners and pull out their teeth with pliers.)

The town itself and the characters are painted with such subtle and luxurious details with white bull terriors with all too human gri...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Ashley Butler rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: have

Spoiler review.

This book left me feeling weird and like wtf? The three stars are for the writing, which was fine and flowed well. The story, however, was just off.
It starts off with Thomas and Saxony, two fanatics of children's author Marshall France. I understand that they were supposed to be quirky loners, but they both came off as mentally challenged to me. They visit the author's hometown which turns out to have many secrets. This book had so much potential with that. I liked how France's b...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Shazza Maddog rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I actually read this book because of a recommendation Neil Gaiman made - this novel was the first audio book his studio did. To say that it's a peculiar story is being...polite, almost.

Thomas Abbey is the son of the famous actor, Stephen Abbey, who died, along with Thomas's siblings, in an accident. Thomas is fascinated by a deceased children's author, Marshall France, who lived in a small town, Galen, Missouri. Actually, obsessed might be a better word for how Thomas feels about France's works...more I actually read this book because of a recommendation Neil Gaiman made - this novel was the first audio book his studio did. To say that it's a peculiar story is being...polite, almost.

Thomas Abbey is the son of the famous actor, Stephen Abbey, who died, along with Thomas's siblings, in an accident. Thomas is fascinated by a deceased children's author, Marshall France, who lived in a small town, Galen, Missouri. Actually, obsessed might be a better word for how Thomas feels about France's works. He happens into a book store and finds one he doesn't have in his collection for sale - Peach Shadows - at a used bookstore. Sadly, the book has already been purchased by a woman, Saxony Gardner, but the seller lets Thomas read the book until Saxony arrives. Thomas offers to pay $100 if she'll sell him the book - which she eventually agrees to, but only if Thomas lets her copy the book at the Xerox place. Thomas can pick up the book from her place later that night.

This is the start of a relationship between Thomas and Saxony, and because of their mutual obsession with France, Thomas decides to try to write his biography. He meets with David Louis, France's editor, who tells Thomas about the peculiar way that Anna France, Marshall's daughter, acted when he was visiting, and how Anna doesn't want anyone to write a biography. Still, he doesn't discourage Thomas from going, and Saxony, now his lover and his research monkey, go to Galen.

Galen appears to be your average small town. They're welcomed, more or less, when they arrive, though when the townspeople find out that Thomas is there to write a biography, the tone of the people change - Thomas feels very much as if he's on the stand for what he wants to do. Anna France is there that day, and meets them, and she's pretty much Thomas's dream woman - and seems to be toying with him and Saxony about the idea of the biography being written.

The story begins taking some weird turns when Thomas sees the face of Krang, one of France's characters, almost like a mask on one of the townspeople. The white bull terrier who lives in the rental house with Saxony, Thomas and Goosey (who owns the house) speaks. A little boy gets hit by a car outside said house, and all that anyone can ask Thomas - who witnessed the accident - is whether or not the boy was happy before he was hit by the car.

A somewhat nightmarish story, The Land of Laughs sucked me in with the gorgeous descriptions. Anna and Thomas both lost their fathers young, and have a connection. Saxony and Thomas have connections with their love of France, their love of each other, and their own peculiarities. The townspeople are readily identifiable from each other and the overlaying weirdness kept me alternately intrigued and somewhat horrified.

This is a rather weird urban fantasy/horror, sneaky in its implications. (less)

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Jul 07, 2012 Shawn Sosnowski rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jonathan Carroll creates novels of surrealism, fantasy and depth. I have become an enormous fan of his work and this book is of no exception. Carroll sweeps you up into the world of a children's author whose fantasy worlds have actually become reality. I won't say more as it will create spoilers. As per usual, I found myself totally involved in the world that he created and I would share my joy and exhilaration of the novel with my wife who would just shake her head in confusion. That is what i...more

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May 08, 2013 Maciek rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2013, reviewed

Jonathan Carroll is a writer whose name I have been hearing over the years, but whose fiction I've never tried. An American living in Vienna for many years, he has developed a quiet but steadfast cult following - much like the city itself, with its with its unlimited supply of quiet coffee houses - the famous Viennese cafés, described by UNESCO as places "where time and space are consumed, but only the coffee is found on the bill". Legend has it that soldiers from the Polish-Habsburg army found...more Jonathan Carroll is a writer whose name I have been hearing over the years, but whose fiction I've never tried. An American living in Vienna for many years, he has developed a quiet but steadfast cult following - much like the city itself, with its with its unlimited supply of quiet coffee houses - the famous Viennese cafés, described by UNESCO as places "where time and space are consumed, but only the coffee is found on the bill". Legend has it that soldiers from the Polish-Habsburg army found sacks full of strange beans while liberating Vienna from the Turks in the 1600's. They initially wanted to burn them as they thought that they were camel food, but Polish king Jan III Sobieski gave them to one of his officers, who recognized what they were and soon started the first coffee house. Many Viennese cafés hang the picture of the officer - whose name was Jan Franciszek Kulczycki - in their windows.

The Land of Laughs is Carroll's debut novel, published in 1980. It's both a fan favorite and a cult classic, having been reprinted by Orion Books in 2000 as the ninth volume of their Fantasy Masterworks series. The Orion edition brough it back to print, as it has fallen out of it for a number of years, and became a reason for despair for many Carroll fans who couldn't get their hands on their favorite author's debut, which grew in value and expectations. Of course now the age of digital publishing has largely eliminated such problems, as the Kindle immortalized hundreds of thousands of volumes which would otherwise share the same fate - which is both a blessing and a curse: the blessing being an eternal digital life of novels, with readers not fearing that their favorites will go out of print and that they will be unable to read them, as there is no print to speak of - but also a curse, resulting decreasing sales of paper books made of trees in favor of their Kindle counterparts made of ones and zeroes. I fear for independent mom-and-pop book stores going out of business, places where you could walk in and browse the books and talk with the owners about them. I would very much miss such places, as I would miss the paper book - with its smell and feel and history. Most of my books come from second hand, and I always wonder about the previous readers and owners. Where did they get it? How did they like it? What was the book's journey before it reached my part of the world? Sometimes readers would inscribe short notes on the book, a dedication to someone they gave it to - and I wonder, what made that person to give it away?

I hope that you'll excuse this longish introduction, which I felt was appropriate for Carroll's novel, which also deals with books. It's narrated in the first person by Thomas Abbey, a man famous for being the son of his father - a famous actor. Thomas is a man stuck in a limbo - he teaches English in a prep school in Connecticut and feels that his life is as interesting as watching grass grow. Desperate for a change, Thomas decides to do something which is interesting to him - write a biography of his favorite writer, the late Marshall France. France wrote children's books which Thomas loved when growing up, and remained very much interested in. Although France was renowned for his imaginative and unique work, almost nothing is known about his personal life. Motivated by curiosity about France's life and staleness of his own, Thomas sets out on an ambitious project which will take him to the small midwestern town of Galen, Missouri, where France was born and lived. He will be accompanied by Saxony Gardner, a fellow France-fanatic whom he met by chance in a bookstore while shopping for a rare book by his idol. With their combined efforts they hope to convinve France's surviving daughter, Anna, into letting them her write father's biography. To their surprise, Anna welcomes them warmly and find her excited about their proposal - even eager to have the biography written as soon as possible. But it won't be long before Thomas and Saxony will discover that in Galen not everything is what it seems.

Carrol doesn't hesitate to use all the tropes: a troubled male protagonist and a female sidekick, a mysterious woman and a town with its own secrets, and the last but not least - books full of wonder. Who could resist such a mix? Beginning The Land of Laughs feels like sitting down to relax in an old and comfortable armchair - a personal favorite, creaky and wobbly but still very relaxing. But in Carroll's case the armchair is filled with holes, and its arm rests dangle dangerously, threatening to fall apart at any moment.

Published in 1980, the book is charmingly dated with having no contemporary technology which we grew so used to - forget about cell phones, personal computers, iPads and Facebook. To do his research Thomas has to go to a library, and actually browse through huge volumes. But the sheer fact that he was so obsessed with a writer's work and never in all these years developed any interest in learning anything about his life seems wildly implausible - even if he had no Google. (imagine if he had a Kindle - so many problems solved! But then you can't hit anybody on the head with a Kindle. Well, you can, but the thing is so light and thin that it'd break in two and would feel like a mosquito bite, so what would be the point?).
I did not find any of the characters likable, and found Thomas to be
unsympathetic, ungrateful and boring. None of the characters was paricularly interesting and all of them were very undeveloped - especially both women. Anna is presented as little more than a mysterious minx, and Saxony never rises above the label of the devoted nerd. There's a ton of sex scenes in this book which it really could have done without, which made it seem as if they were the only reason for inclusion of two female characters. This smelled strongly for sexism, even for an 80's fantasy novel. Perhaps the biggest flaw is that along with technical aspects the plot itself has dated - after so many versions of a similar story done in film, television and literature I did not find any of the developments particularly surprising, and the sudden and unsatisfying end left me feeling let down.

The Land of Laughs was praised by Neil Gaiman, who also chose it as his selection for Audible. Pat Conroy has described Jonathan Carroll as a "cult waiting to happen", and it has happened indeed - but I would never have guessed it from this rather weak and predictable debut. I do not understand why Orion books chose it as a representation of a Fantasy Masterwork, and why it's considered a cult classic - it reads more like a clunky creative writing assignment commisioned to a young writer, fresh out of college. The plot is largely predictable, the characters and their relationships shallow, and the sudden resolution lets any tiny amount of suspense swoosh away quickly like air from a punctured balloon. Perhaps his later novels are better - I sure hope so - but only in the eighties could anyone begin a longlasting career with an effort like this.

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Apr 24, 2012 Scott Callaway rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, horror, favorites, science-fiction

At the time of writing this review, I have literally just finished reading The Land of Laughs about 60 seconds ago, and my stomach feels like it is twisted into knots.

What an amazingly succulent treat this story was! I am basically going to be gushing about this book, but holy sweet Lord in heaven I think I'm in love. I was hooked from the start and I grew to care about the characters, even if they did at times piss me off. The storytelling was fantastic and right till the end I relished every w...more

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About Jonathan Carroll

Jonathan Carroll (b. 1949) is an award-winning American author of modern fantasy and slipstream novels. His debut book, The Land of Laughs (1980), tells the story of a children’s author whose imagination has left the printed page and begun to influence reality. The book introduced several hallmarks of Carroll’s writing, including talking animals and worlds that straddle the thin line between reali...more

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Quotes from The Land of Laughs

“Reading a book, for me at least, is like traveling in someone else's world. If it's a good book, then you feel comfortable and yet anxious to see what's going to happen to you there, what'll be around the next corner. But if it's a lousy book, then it's like going through Secaucus, New Jersey -- it smells and you wish you weren't there, but since you've started the trip, you roll up the windows and breathe through your mouth until you're done.” — 15 people liked it

“The questions are the danger.
Leave them alone and they sleep.
Ask them, awake them, and more than you
know will begin to rise.” — 1 person liked it

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