"S." by Doug Dorst And JJ Abrams

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Runner 5

Runner 5

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I'm sure it's probably been mentioned on here, but the book "S." is seriously one of the most amazing non-King books that I've ever read. If you've never seen it, it's hard to explain. It's basically a facsimile of a very old book (the thing even SMELLS old...it's amazing!). You read the old novel, but at the same time, you're reading a story in the margins, where two college students are writing to each other about the secret identity of the old book's author. Inside the book are a bunch of physical items (photos, newspaper clippings, maps, etc) that add to the atmosphere and mystery of the story. Everything about this book is amazing. If any of you have ever read "House Of Leaves", I would compare it to that experimental style. It's definitely worth a read. Here's a little video promo for it:

 
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GNTLGNT

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
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...this sounds fascinating, and I read several write-ups about the novel just now-but I'm afraid there's to much "busyness" in the effort to make it a coherent and enjoyable read....I want to be able to slip between the pages of a novel and let the author carry my imagination away-playing Sherlock Holmes while I try to read, defeats the effort of relaxation...having said that-I may get a copy, and try it "one of these days", just because of it relative uniqueness...the only other "similar" attempt is Pale Fire written in 1962 by Vladimir Nabokov....
 
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kingricefan

kingricefan

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Jul 11, 2006
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GNTLGNT said:
...this sounds fascinating, and I read several write-ups about the novel just now-but I'm afraid there's to much "busyness" in the effort to make it a coherent and enjoyable read....I want to be able to slip between the pages of a novel and let the author carry my imagination away-playing Sherlock Holmes while I try to read, defeats the effort of relaxation...having said that-I may get a copy, and try it "one of these days", just because of it relative uniqueness...the only other "similar" attempt is Pale Fire written in 1962 by Vladimir Nabokov....
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I wonder if one can read the 'original' book, then go back and read the margin writings?
 
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skimom2

skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
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Runner 5 said:
If you do read it, please let me know what you think, ok? :)
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I sure will. For books with unusual formatting, I like to make sure I have time to really absorb them. I have a book sitting in my review pile right now that's like that: part robotics manual, part diary, with sections of narrative interspersed that are supposed to tie it all together into a coherent storyline. I attempted it while also researching and writing articles for another publication, and failed miserably. It wasn't fair to judge the book or author with impressions formed while I was distracted, so I set it aside until I have time to properly devote to the story. :)
 
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Dana Jean

Dana Jean

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THank you for the recommend. I got this book and it is gorgeous. Just really pretty stuff. Old library book feel, love the inserts. Just amazing.

Edited to add: This does remind me of Bev Vincent's book about Stephen King with the inserted items. (WHich they totally ruined the book when they reprinted and didn't add the physical elements to it.) So glad I got one of the originals.
 
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GNTLGNT

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
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Dana Jean said:
THank you for the recommend. I got this book and it is gorgeous. Just really pretty stuff. Old library book feel, love the inserts. Just amazing.

Edited to add: This does remind me of Bev Vincent's book about Stephen King with the inserted items. (WHich they totally ruined the book when they reprinted and didn't add the physical elements to it.) So glad I got one of the originals.
Click to expand...
...which book of Bev's is that?....I plead more ignorance than normal....
 
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Runner 5

Runner 5

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Sep 21, 2015
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It *is* a very challenging book to read. But when I got the book, I was afraid that the old novel itself would just be "padding", but it was actually a GREAT read! One thing that makes the margin-reading even tougher was something that I didn't realize until about halfway through the book...the different colors of ink represent different time frames when the boy and girl and writing to each other.
 
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EMARX

EMARX

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I've checked it out a few times but something has always scared me off. Not sure what that is though. There is one novel which was similar and I thought it was amazing. The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet, by Reif Larsen.
 
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Dana Jean

Dana Jean

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MadBoJangles said:
I finally bought myself a copy of this.
It now sits patiently on my tbr pile with House of Leaves, really want to read them soon but a little bit daunted by them too (sounds odd I know).
Got a few McCammon and Simmons books to get through first, but...soon! :D
Click to expand...

I have this one in my TBR pile also. Let us know what you think when you read it.
 
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