August 05 2011
Abridgements
With Melbourne Writers Festival looming – check out the programme and you’ll find my two emcee events – the season feels right to dabble in the library. Our goal is to build a shortlist of authors, shortened by the intials of their respective books. This year’s keynote, say, is Jonathan Franzen, who for this diversion would appear as Jonathan Ranzen, the initial of his latest novel, Freedom, being lopped. Closer to home, Thea Astley – my Clayton’s aunt – might be Hea Stley (The Acolyte).
See if you can solve this next bunch, where the removed letters keep their sequence with the literary title in question. And then try to stump us with your own. (The pick may end up as an extended puzzle in Victorian Writers mag – a longer shortened shortlist.)
- William Sakespeare
- Christos Iolkas
- Josep Cnra
- Kae Grenvile
- Michael Conney
- Mave Binhy
- Orris Leitzman
- Anon Hekhv
Feel free to blab titles in the Comments. And extend the list, if you can!
Comments
Sam — 05 August at 08:54AM
Some more:
9: Gham Greee
10: Marha Ries
Boniface — 05 August at 09:16AM
1. Hamlet
3. Heart of Darkness
5. Lincoln Lawyer
8. The Cherry Orchard
Sam — 05 August at 09:21AM
2: The Slap
4: The Lieutenan
7: Misery Guts
11: Ikens
12: Ldous Uxley
Em — 05 August at 12:51PM
DA - long-time fan, recent blog convert, first-time contributor. Thanks for the brain food.
13. Jan Austen
14. Picia Cornwell
15. Leo Tolsto
16. D.H. Lwence
17. Greme Base
One Wheel — 05 August at 01:29PM
6. Evening Class
13. Emma
14. All That Remains
15. Youth
RobT — 05 August at 01:48PM
Saving iPhone!
One Wheel — 05 August at 04:25PM
16. Aaron's Rod
17. Animalia
Some from my own bookcase:
18. Cornela Funke
19. Louis Sacar
20. Stepheie Eyer
21. Isab Allende
Mr X — 05 August at 04:42PM
20 New Moon
21 Eva Luna
One Wheel — 05 August at 05:56PM
This topic could also be expanded by something along these lines:
-1. Mrris Gleizma (3)
-2. Bian Jacqu (3)
These two authors are Morris Gleitzman and Brian Jacques. The number in the brackets refers to the number of different book's title's initials you need to take away. For example with Morris you take away 'Once', 'Then' and 'Now' (miracously in order) and Brian has 'Redwall', 'Eulalia' and 'Salamandastron'.
Two more children's authors:
-3. Maggie Tievater (2)
-4. Rober Muhmoe (2)
DA — 05 August at 09:18PM
Interesting variation, One Wheel. Of course another twist is to supply the title with the author's initials omitted:
22 The Child In Te
23 The Gthring
23 The Fift Woan
PS - welcome Em. Great to see your byline in the mix, with a schmokin' shortlist too.
Criseyde — 06 August at 09:53AM
22 Ian McEwan
23 Anne Enright
24 Henning Mankel (renumbered, a comfort to see that sometimes DA is a little disordered too)
One Wheel — 06 August at 10:39AM
25. Jodi Icoul
Criseyde — 06 August at 02:13PM
25 Plain Truth.
This is turning out to be a bit like Gypsydom in June, only the journey is down Reads Well Travelled. Do cookbooks count?
26 Imon Winhester (The) _ (of) _
a great read for word nuts.
Sam — 06 August at 03:34PM
27: Naio Arsh
Criseyde — 06 August at 08:46PM
Sam, that was a challenge. There were several Naomi Marsh/es, who wrote history of football, baseball and other things.
But it's gotta be,
27 Ngaoio Marsh - Grave Mistake
Has anyone read The Surgeon of Crowthorne, my 26, and the incredible story of collaboration from the inside of an asylum for the O.E.D?
Criseyde — 06 August at 08:49PM
27 that's Ngaio
Sam — 06 August at 09:32PM
No mistake there Criseyde - did you work out #10, also a favourite crime writer... Haven't read #26, sounds interesting though.
Em — 06 August at 09:43PM
Criseyde, I own a very battered, dog-eared copy of The Surgeon of Crowthorne. An old favourite that never gets old.
28. Dean Konz
29. Theodor Us Geisel
Criseyde — 07 August at 08:03AM
Sam, we seem to have leap-frogged over your 9 and 10. Interesting journey down Wiki Lane.
9 Rumour at Nightfall, repudiated by GG and never republished.
10 The Grave Maurice by Martha Grimes, named after a pub as were several of her novels.
Do I get the smiley stamp for homework?
Criseyde — 07 August at 08:16AM
Em, Have been culling lately but not that one. How they put the OED together before computers! with decades of isolated obsession.
Your 28 and 29 pose a challenge with Germanic names...
Criseyde — 07 August at 09:32AM
28 Odd Thomas, currently being made into a movie.
29 aka Dr Seuss, Scrambled Eggs Super!
Sam — 07 August at 10:36AM
Criseyed - yes, I was hoping for The Heart of the Matter, but it didn't work! Martha Grimes has two that fit - Matha Grims/Rainbow's End.