Guy Portman's Blog, page 29

Absurd Literary-Related Trivia

This week’s post is devoted to 13 absurd literary-related facts. Here goes:

In 1931 the governor of Hunan, China banned Alice in Wonderland because he believed animals should not be using human language.

None of the 3 best-known tales of the Arabian Nights are contained in the Arabian Nights. Aladdin, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and the Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor were all later additions.

Victor T. Cheney is the author of Castration: The Advantages and the Disadvantages.

Winnie-t...

15 Curious Literary Terms

This week’s post is dedicated to curious literary terms that might be of interest to my fellow authors and readers. They are presented in alphabetical order.

Bibliognost — a person who has a comprehensive knowledge of books and bibliography.

Bibliosmia — a fetishism, which entails the compulsion to smell books, particularly old books.

Bibliotaph — people who hide their book collections. These obsessive types often fear their books being ‘borrowed’ by others and not returned.

Boghandler — Dani...

Bizarre Books II

Back in June I wrote a blog post about bizarre books. This is the second instalment. As with Part 1I have added pithy/fictitious comments below each.

If God Loves Me Why Can’t I Get My Locker Open

Because you forgot the key.

How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found

Would you trust the author to make you disappear when he can’t spell disappear?

How to Abandon Ship

Brimming with helpfultips from Argentine sailors.

Is God In Your Bedroom?

Well he’s not behind the door or in the war...

7 Satirical Novels

As followers of this blog know I am an avid fan of satire. My second novel, Necropolis, is a satirical black comedy about a psychopath who works for the burials and cemeteries department in his local council. I am planning to release more satirical works in the not too distant future.

In addition to my writing efforts I have read numerous books that could be described assatirical.This week’s post is dedicated to 7 of them.

Satire definition: theuseofirony,sarcasm,ridicule,orthelike,inexposing...

My Peruvian Culinary Tour

Last week I wrote about my recent trip to Cotahuasi Canyon in Peru. Today’s post isdedicated to my Peruvian culinary experiences.

Ceviche is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of Peru. The seafood is cooked not by heat but by the acidity of the lime/lemon juice it is soaked in.The acid changes the structure of the proteins in the fish, essentially “cooking” it. Ceviche was the first meal I ate in Peru. See below.

There are numerous other seafood dishes including chicharron de cama...

Cotahuasi Canyon

This week we take a sojourn from the usual literary-related theme. As I have recently returned from Peru I am dedicating this post to my travels there.

After visiting Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu I was in dire need of a break from poncho clad tourists, so I headed to the remote Cotahuasi Canyon. The canyon is a 9 hour bus journey from the southern city of Arequipa.

Any fatigue was forgotten on arrival.

Below is a picture of me posing beside a cactus.

Travelling to different parts of theca...

26 Quotes about Books, Reading and Writing

I like quotes by famous authors so much that I Tweet one everyday, 365 days a year at @GuyPortman. Here are 26 memorable author quotes, many of which are humorous.

Never judge a book by its movie. – J.W. Eagan

Few things in life seem more sexy than a banned book. – Chuck Palahniuk

I have only ever read one book in my life, and that is White Fang. It’s so frightfully good I’ve never bothered to read another. – Nancy Mitford

This Is Not a Novel To Be Tossed Aside Lightly. It Should Be Thrown wi...

10 Recent & Contemporary Literary Satirists

Last week’s post was devoted to history’s great literary satirists. Today we focus on more recent and contemporary satirists. They are presented in chronological order.

George Orwell
(June 25th 1903 – January 21st 1950)

George Orwell was vehemently opposed to totalitarianism. He used political satire to criticise Stalin’s rule in his allegorical novella, Animal Farm. Stalin’s representative in the book is the pig Napoleon. Orwell’s dystopian novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, is a satirical politic...

Great Satirists Part II

Last week’s post was devoted to history’s great literary satirists. Today we focus on more recent and contemporary satirists. They are presented in chronological order.

George Orwell
(June 25th 1903 – January 21st 1950)

George Orwell was vehemently opposed to totalitarianism. He used political satire to criticise Stalin’s rule in his allegorical novella, Animal Farm. Stalin’s representative in the book is the pig Napoleon. Orwell’s dystopian novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, is a satirical politic...

10 Great Satirists from History

This week sees a return to the list style format that made this blog famous quite popular. Here are 10 great literary satirists from history. They are presented in chronological order:

Aristophanes (444 B.C. – 385 B.C.)

Ancient Athenian playwright Aristophanes’ plays are still performed to this day. Respected and feared for his comic wit and scathing satire, he was merciless in his mockery of religious figures, politicians and poets. His victims included such influential figures as Euripides,...