The Revisioning of Ogden’s “The Wire”

This is probably one of the best blog posts I've read in awhile:

“When It’s Not Your Turn”: The Quintessentially Victorian Vision of Ogden’s “The Wire” 

by Sean Michael Robinson

There are few works of greater scope or structural genius than the series of fiction pieces by Horatio Bucklesby Ogden, collectively known as The Wire; yet for the most part, this Victorian masterpiece has been forgotten and ignored by scholars and popular culture alike.  Like his contemporary Charles Dickens, Ogden has, due to the rough and at times lurid nature of his material, been dismissed as a hack, despite significant endorsements of literary critics of the nineteenth century.  Unlike the corpus of Dickens, The Wire  failed to reach the critical mass of readers necessary to sustain interest over time, and thus runs the risk of falling into the obscurity of academia.  We come to you today to right that gross literary injustice. [keep reading]

Borders Liquidation Update

I stopped by the Greensboro, NC Borders this afternoon to see how the liquidation was faring (seeing as I'd not been to that part of town since the liquidation was announced over a month ago).


Unlike last visit, clearance and store closing signs were plastered in the windows, and final liquidation prices were marked on all of the fixtures ($100 tables, $60 bookshelves, $20 book stands, $200 book ladders). 


As I approached the front door, a large restaurant moving van was pulling away, undoubtedly cashing in on the cafe fixtures.


Clearance signs announced 50-70% off, with most literature marked at 60% off. YA books, Sci-fi, Mysteries, DVDs, CDs were marked at 50%, while Biographies and the lesser popular non-fiction were marked at 70% off.


Not surprisingly, the overall selection has winnowed down considerably, but foot traffic in the store was still quite high, and people were still leaving with stacks and stacks of books. Even I managed to snag a few straggling copies.


For the most part, customers were nice to the employees - although I can't say they were nice to other customers. Although, I guess it depended what section I found myself in. The children's, YA, and Sci-fi section were filled with smiling people (parents mostly - whom I'm sure were thrilled to buy their kids books at a discount).  


The Literature section was quite a different story however. Many people flat out refused to move from their staked out spot (and there were a lot of spots staked out. Initially, I thought there was some kind of contest going on - you know, some sort of book throw down, winner takes all). Several women deigned to acknowledge the presence of anyone else, planting their feet all the more firmly when someone dared walk by.


One woman got the pleasure of my armpit in her face, as an "excuse me" accompanied with eye contact, a smile, and a quick point to the book I wanted went unacknowledged. I also experienced a couple of rather rude gentlemen, whom I gave plenty of personal space & who very clearly saw me, simply walk right in front of me as I was reaching for a book - no apologies. In fact, they looked like they were going to hit me with their books for even daring to set foot in what was clearly "their section."  


Very strange behavior.


Thankfully, I made it out with nary a scratch.


No one knew for sure when the store would close down. The April deadline was a bit vague.  Still, there is plenty of stock and plenty of fixtures to be had (although I was bummed to see that all the chairs are gone).

In the Post: Philip Kerr

It's always nice when I walk out my front door and find a small, book-sized package leaning against the step. It just sort of makes my day. 


Today that book was Philip Kerr's newest Bernie Gunther novel, Field Gray (due out April 14th). I first became aware of Philip Kerr when I worked at the Longmont Library several years ago. Although, truth be told it was his children's books (written under P.B. Kerr) that snagged me.  When I found out he also wrote adult noir thrillers, well... I became a fan.  I started collecting his books without any knowledge of the fact that they're actually collectible - valuable even.  If ever you come across a first edition copy of March Violets - grab it! Don't even hesitate. Even remaindered or in near fine condition it's worth $75-$100. Although signed, it can fetch up to $500+.


It's hard to know, this day and age, how many copies of Field Gray will actually be printed (as opposed to digital downloads), but Kerr will be doing a National book tour for this one - so signed copies should be available at the cover price.


The book has garnered positive reviews from LA Times, NY Times, Boston Globe, Washington Post, Kirkus, Booklist... and a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult (April 14, 2011)
Language: English
List Price: $26.95
ISBN-10: 0399157417
ISBN-13: 978-0399157417



Also in the post recently:

Lisa Napoli's Radio Shangri-La
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Crown (February 8, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780307453020
ISBN-13: 978-0307453020

A successful journalist working for public radio in Los Angeles, Napoli hit a wall. Burned out and overwhelmed by regret, she wondered how to recharge her life. Enter a friend of a friend with connections to the tiny Himalayan country of Bhutan. In 2006, this Buddhist kingdom, long cocooned against the outside world, launched a new youth radio station, Kuzoo FM (kuzoo zampo means hello). Would Napoli like to volunteer as a consultant? So begins a love affair with a land unlike any other, a bond that lifts Napoli out of her blues and enriches the lives of the young people with whom she works. The stories of the wildly popular station are charming and gracefully revealing as Napoli shares her experiences of Bhutan's magnificent landscape, fiery cuisine, and openhanded daily life in a society that measures its achievements not with a Gross National Product but, rather, with Gross National Happiness. Napoli's engaging, keenly observed, and informative chronicle captures Bhutan midmetamorphosis as it transforms itself into a democracy and as media and the Internet redefine the Bhutanese concept of contentment. --Donna Seaman [Booklist]

S.J. Parris' Prophecy
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Doubleday (May 3, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385531303
ISBN-13: 978-0385531306

It is the year of the Great Conjunction, when the two most powerful planets, Jupiter and Saturn, align—an astrologi cal phenomenon that occurs once every thousand years and heralds the death of one age and the dawn of another. The streets of London are abuzz with predictions of horrific events to come, possibly even the death of Queen Elizabeth. 

When several of the queen’s maids of honor are found dead, rumors of black magic abound. Elizabeth calls upon her personal astrologer, John Dee, and Giordano Bruno to solve the crimes. While Dee turns to a mysterious medium claiming knowledge of the murders, Bruno fears that some thing far more sinister is at work. But even as the climate of fear at the palace intensifies, the queen refuses to believe that the killer could be someone within her own court. 

Bruno must play a dangerous game: can he allow the plot to progress far enough to give the queen the proof she needs without putting her, England, or his own life in danger? 

In this utterly gripping and gorgeously written novel, S. J. Parris has proven herself the new master of the historical thriller. [Product Description]

Pre Order New Signed Henning Mankel from Book Passage

I got an email this morning from Book Passage announcing their upcoming signed editions, including The Troubled Man By Henning Mankell (Hardcover) $26.95

-- the much-anticipated return of Mankell's brilliant, brooding detective, Kurt Wallander, whose character was adapted into a PBS television series starring Kenneth Branagh. Henning Mankell's novels have been translated into forty languages and have sold more than thirty million copies worldwide. He is the first winner of the Ripper Award (the new European prize for crime fiction) and has also received the Glass Key and Golden Dagger awards. Mankell divides his time between Sweden and Mozambique. // Available in mid-April  [Book Passage]

The Laggard's Bench

I do apologize for my lack of posting this month. It's not that I've not had anything to post about - quite the contrary. But when one is being overwhelmed with news, bits of information, and certain life expectations, it is sometimes best to simply to tuck your head and run for cover.


It seems that many aspects of the physical world, the corporate world, and, well, my world are in tumult. All seem a bit inane when compared to greater events, but all add to that sense of tumult. 


That said, I am still scouring for books & still looking at what might make good collectibles.  Some of the other blogs/sites I'm reading right now (& thought you might like):

• Books to Furnish a Room
• Fiction Prediction
• Hyraxia

Bricks & Mortars

Now that news about Borders Bankruptcy has gotten a bit stale (even with announcements declaring they'll be out of Chapter 11 by summertime), I'm noticing articles popping up that are predicting the fall of the next big brick & mortar, Barnes & Noble.  Even though it's faring better than Borders, analysts are now saying it won't have much choice but to follow in Borders footsteps, declaring that B&Ns only saving grace is the Nook (well, that and better management).


The problem is, Borders is currently beating B&N in sales by offering their liquidation clearance. Even with the number of coupons flooding the market, it's hard to beat the mentality of a clearance sale (even though most of the B&N coupons provide a deeper discount than the Borders clearance prices). Follow that up with a 4.9% drop in overall sales, and people start to get worried. Stock prices start to drop even further.


Last year, Barnes & Noble declared that it would be going in a new, more digital, direction - reducing the footprint of its Brick and Mortar stores - adding eBooks and toys.  This seemed like a strong plan to keep the chain afloat.  Except, just before they announced this, they added to their total number of stores by taking on Riggio's B&N College stores. Good deal for Riggio, but can B&N survive that amount of debt and maintain that amount of physical space at a time when eBook sales continue to soar, and physical book sales continue to drop?  That's the $596M question, I suppose.


Hmm...Barnes & Noble Kills Dividend [WSJ; feb 22, 2011]
Barnes & Noble Stock Dips [Galleycat; Mar 15, 2011]
Barnes & Noble Stock Hits New Low [WSJ; Mar 16, 2011]
Borders' Chapter 11 bankruptsy boosts Barnes & Noble, right? Wrong. [Annarbor.com; Mar 16, 2011]

Limited Edition Books on eBay

I'm not one to shop on eBay all that often. I simply don't trust the market place. BUT every so often there are some great buys from reputable dealers.


Right now, Subterranean Press has some of their overstock / warehouse finds listed at below list price. So you may want to scoot over and check out their Subpress eBay store.


Books of note:

• Peter Straub, Skylark [signed]: $30
• Dan Simmons, Black Hills [signed]: $45
• China Miéville, Kraken [signed]: $50
• Ray Bradbury, Long After Midnight [signed]: $60
• Neal Stephenson, Zodiac [signed]: $75

There are also many listed at or below $30, and just a few above the $100 level.

Top Selling [Signed] Books for February on Abe.com

As reported by AbeBooks.com and Shelf-Awareness:


The bestselling signed books last month:

1. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell
2. The Alchemist by Paolo Bacigalupi
3. West of Here by Jonathan Evison
4. Known and Unknown: A Memoir by Donald Rumsfeld
5. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
6. Pat Nixon: The Untold Story by Julie Nixon Eisenhower
7. The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie
8. The Empty Family by Colm Tóibín
9. Decision Points by George W. Bush
10. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss