Zina Rohan's Blog, page 12
October 6, 2010
Publishing Blues
It's all getting very difficult. Has any other author had this problem recently? Publishers at the moment will no longer consider advances for NON-fiction proposals with synposis and chapters. They want full manuscript only - author bears the cost. It makes embarking on a project impracticable. After all, there's no guarantee they'd take the finished book anyway. Boo.
October 2, 2010
The Small Book responses
A reading group in Peterborough (UK) sent me their reader responses to The Small Book. As Follows:
"All agreed that this was an intense read.
Most felt it was a slow start - the first quarter of the book - but then it really took off and they had to keep reading. The style took a bit of getting used to with its dense narrative.
The detail and the research that has gone into the book is fascinating. All members of the group felt they had learned a lot about the communist party during the War.
There was a great deal of discussion about the execution of 'deserters' in the First World War, the way society treated their families (and the families of conscientious objectors) and whether this was completely unacceptable, or if we are imposing a modern judgement on a situation that is now so far removed from our current day military situations.
There was also a lot of discussion about whether some secrets should be left unsaid - or should they be revealed at the very start of a relationship? It gave an insight into the devastating impact on people forced to be part of a firing squad - perhaps not a subject often thought about.
The characters grew as the story developed and the mystery built up like pieces of a jigsaw being placed.
A few readers felt the jumping around between narrators and generations was a bit confusing.
One reader needed to re-read the beginning as she was a bit perplexed by the ending and had to go back to make the connection. However another said he knew that the execution scene would come back to tie in at the end so was ready for it.
A couple of readers said it was very well written, and they were drawn straight into the story.
Some readers found it difficult not to compare it to 'The Officer's Daughter' as that was such a favourite with the group. But all agreed 'The Small Book' was very different in both style and language, and the general consensus was that it is a good read in its own right.
Overall the group scored this novel highly and the majority really enjoyed it."
What do you think?
"All agreed that this was an intense read.
Most felt it was a slow start - the first quarter of the book - but then it really took off and they had to keep reading. The style took a bit of getting used to with its dense narrative.
The detail and the research that has gone into the book is fascinating. All members of the group felt they had learned a lot about the communist party during the War.
There was a great deal of discussion about the execution of 'deserters' in the First World War, the way society treated their families (and the families of conscientious objectors) and whether this was completely unacceptable, or if we are imposing a modern judgement on a situation that is now so far removed from our current day military situations.
There was also a lot of discussion about whether some secrets should be left unsaid - or should they be revealed at the very start of a relationship? It gave an insight into the devastating impact on people forced to be part of a firing squad - perhaps not a subject often thought about.
The characters grew as the story developed and the mystery built up like pieces of a jigsaw being placed.
A few readers felt the jumping around between narrators and generations was a bit confusing.
One reader needed to re-read the beginning as she was a bit perplexed by the ending and had to go back to make the connection. However another said he knew that the execution scene would come back to tie in at the end so was ready for it.
A couple of readers said it was very well written, and they were drawn straight into the story.
Some readers found it difficult not to compare it to 'The Officer's Daughter' as that was such a favourite with the group. But all agreed 'The Small Book' was very different in both style and language, and the general consensus was that it is a good read in its own right.
Overall the group scored this novel highly and the majority really enjoyed it."
What do you think?
