Time Life issues condensed novels under the heading
Book Digest. The ones I've seen usually contain four works each. Temporarily out of interesting titles to read, I decided to try
Prussian Blue, a thriller by Tom Hyman. According to its page at Amazon, the original hardcover edition is 448 pages. The condensed version is 157. I suspect there are more lines per page in the latter but, even so, one may assume the novel has been cut more than half. Since I'm almost always disappointed with such fare and think they're way too long, I didn't mind. The plot involves an author of non-fiction who's doing a book on the current head of the CIA, who isn't pleased. The body count slowly builds. There are fun twists along the way. The novel's best aspect is its variety. It offers more than the requisite violence that dominates many modern works. The title refers to a painting. Since it hardly figures into this version, I assume there's more about it in the original novel. As is the case with so many thrillers, my interest wanes along the way. This one begins to strain credulity at about the midpoint. Since the cover boasts that the four books included are/were best sellers, I was surprised to find only one review of
Prussian Blue at Amazon, that of a former student of the author's writing course, who rated it four on a scale of five. I rate the condensed version 2.5. I'm not motivated to seek out the original. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Hyman is not prolific. Since the early '80's he has published six novels and a 2002 work of non-fiction about a New Hampshire village, his last book. At least two are listed as "by Vernon Tom Hyman." Since he doesn't have a website or a profile at Wiki or Amazon, I don't know if he's still living. To my dismay, I was unable to find any sales figures on his works.
Prussian Blue is not in top 200 for 1991 at Goodreads. It seems he's had a modest career, one those of us at the bottom of the literary totem poll would love to have. As for any of my novels appearing in condensed form - as remote a prospect as there ever was - I can't see myself agreeing to it.
According to
Yahoo's Odd News, a South Carolina supermarket engaged in censorship on a cake honoring a graduate. Here's the gist, edited by yours truly: Despite an explanation of the key phrase in writing by the customer, a proud mom with keen foresight, whoever filled out the inscription substituted three hyphens for a word the store's computer flagged as naughty. It was supposed to have read: "Congrats Jacob! Summa Cum Laude Class of 2018." The victim's $70 was refunded and she was also given a gift card - and the family has a fun story to tell for years to come. Of course, a pic has been posted on the web:
Today's session of the floating book shop started with a bang, as Jimmy arrived as I was setting up the display. He bought a combination of 15 CD's & DVD's and five works of non-fiction. My thanks, and also to the woman who used to be a doctor in the Soviet Union, who purchased a novel in Russian, and to Stu, who selected one in the
Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith. Out of work for years, Stu suddenly has a choice: a job in security, for which he just earned a license, or one at an Amazon location in Jersey, which pays much better. Best of luck, sir.
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