Most of us have grown so accustomed to classical works of novelists being regarded as the epitome of literary excellence that we become unaware of the problematic aspects of these stories. Even the most beautifully written and well-arranged prose can suffer under the bitter scrutiny of critical minds. For these enduring works of literature that have lasted decades or even centuries, their initial response were not always positive. Here is a collection of some of the harshest and most scathing commentaries well-known authors have received. The titles mentioned are not listed in any particular order. 1. Catch-22 by Joseph …
Howard Kaminsky, former president and publisher of Warner Books, Random House, and Hearst, passed away on Friday, August 26. He was 77-years-old. His daughter, Jessica Kaminsky, informed the New York Times that the cause was a heart attack. Born in Brooklyn, Kaminsky joined the publishing industry in the early 1960s. In 1984, he became the publisher and chief executive of Random House’s trade department. Though he was soon succeeded by Robert Bernstein in 1987, he quickly resurfaced through Hearst. During this period, some well-known authors under their corporation included Elmore Leonard, E.L. Doctorow, Gore Vidal, and David Halberstam. After their unit experienced a …
A steamroller has destroyed the hard drive containing Terry Pratchett’s incomplete novels, as instructed by the late author prior to his passing. According to the Guardian, Pratchett’s hard drive containing up to 10 novels was crushed with a vintage John Fowler & Co steamroller named Lord Jericho at the Great Dorset Steam Fair. Sir Terence David John Pratchett, famous for his fantasy novels and comical works, died in March 2015 due to Alzheimer’s disease. He was best known for his Discworld series of 41 novels, the last of which was published in August 2015, five months after his death. …
After a modern upgrade, Mark Twain’s family farmhouse in Connecticut is now up for sale for $1.85 million. Located at Redding, Connecticut, this property sits next to Stormfield, which is the farm where Twain himself had resided for two years before his death in 1910. Image courtesy of Today via Virtual203 Born as Samuel Langhorne Clemens, the author and his wife had four children. His youngest daughter, Jean, suffered from epilepsy. In order to ensure that she was properly taken care of, Clemens purchased the property and named Jean’s Farm. The current owners who had purchased the property in 2013 are now looking …
This September, Random House will release Mark Twain’s never before published fairy tale titled The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine. According to Buzzfeed, this previously unfinished children’s tale has been completed by author Philip Stead and illustrator Erin Stead. Illustrated with soft water colors, vivid scenes of Twain’s imagined universe are depicted with unequal strokes to create a dreamlike bookish escape for children aged 8-12. It was 1897 in Paris when Mark Twain’s two daughters begged their father for a good story. Twain began to tell the story of Johnny. Although Twain continued to write down notes on the story every now and …
