Fiction_L Archives And the name of that book is..... Dates: 12/9/04,2:24 PM  through  12/9/04,4:47 PM  (3 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2011-current     2009-2010     2004-2008    1995-2003    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to December 2004 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: "Susan Henricks" <[removed]@stout.dubuque.lib.ia.us>
REC'D: 12/9/04, 2:24 PM

Does anyone recognize the book which is described below? Actually, the
patron did such a good job describing it... and with such longing ..
that I thought I'd just copy and paste it for all of you. I am unable
to answer the patron though... it doesn't ring a bell with me....

any ideas? Thanks in advance for any help.

Susan
Carnegie-Stout Public Library, Dubuque, IA


"About 20 years ago I started reading a thick, sumptuous novel, didn't
get back to it, lost the book for a while on my mother's crowded attic
and then lost the book forever when her house was sold after her death.
I loved that book! I've been looking for it ever since, but I can't
recall the title.

The story was told entirely in dialogue, and had either the names of
the two characters or the first letters of their names, followed by a
colon, to introduce their passages of speech.

The book had no dust jacket (I think I got it at one of those used
bookstores) and its cloth binding was red. It had raggedy-edged paper. I
even remember the typestyle though I don't know what it's called ...
it's that tall kind, with the letters that look like stovepipes and have
very pronounced serifs.

About the story itself I don't recall details, except that a lot
"happened" in the dialogue. It was very rich in its description; for
some reason I want to say "almost French," though I have no clear memory
of the novel being by a French author.

Maybe someone has that very book on his/her shelf and can solve this
riddle so I might be reunited with my book before the lights go out."

FROM: David Wright <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 12/9/04, 4:36 PM

There are a fair number of novels written
entirely in dialogue, but I'm having a hard time
coming up with older titles that match the
question.

William Gaddis' 'Carpenter's Gothic' came out 20
years back. Do the names Billy and Bibb ring a
bell for the reader? Or his 'JR' might be
another possibility.

Manuael Puig's 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' is
another possibility.

Ivy Compton-Burnett's stuff is often almost
entirely dialogue, such as "Manservant and
Maidservant."

dw

--- Susan Henricks
<[removed]@stout.dubuque.lib.ia.us> wrote:

> Does anyone recognize the book which is
> described below? Actually, the
> patron did such a good job describing it... and
> with such longing ..
> that I thought I'd just copy and paste it for
> all of you. I am unable
> to answer the patron though... it doesn't
> ring a bell with me....
>
> any ideas? Thanks in advance for any help.
>
> Susan
> Carnegie-Stout Public Library, Dubuque, IA
>
>
> "About 20 years ago I started reading a thick,
> sumptuous novel, didn't
> get back to it, lost the book for a while on my
> mother's crowded attic
> and then lost the book forever when her house
> was sold after her death.
> I loved that book! I've been looking for it
> ever since, but I can't
> recall the title.
>
> The story was told entirely in dialogue, and
> had either the names of
> the two characters or the first letters of
> their names, followed by a
> colon, to introduce their passages of speech.
>
> The book had no dust jacket (I think I got it
> at one of those used
> bookstores) and its cloth binding was red. It
> had raggedy-edged paper. I
> even remember the typestyle though I don't know
> what it's called ...
> it's that tall kind, with the letters that look
> like stovepipes and have
> very pronounced serifs.
>
> About the story itself I don't recall details,
> except that a lot
> "happened" in the dialogue. It was very rich in
> its description; for
> some reason I want to say "almost French,"
> though I have no clear memory
> of the novel being by a French author.
>
> Maybe someone has that very book on his/her
> shelf and can solve this
> riddle so I might be reunited with my book
> before the lights go out."
>
>
......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the
> archives?
> Everything Fiction_L:
> http://fictionl.webrary.org
>
>

=====
David Wright - Seattle Public Library Fiction Dept.

"Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity."
-G.K. Chesterton


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FROM: David Wright <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 12/9/04, 4:47 PM

PS - (every 6 months or so I make this request) -
please include some telling detail in your
subject lines, everyone. It helps us to what to
read, and helps keep the archives tidy and
searchable. (eg. 'Novel in Dialogue' would have
been good for this).

Thanks!
David Wright

--- Susan Henricks
<[removed]@stout.dubuque.lib.ia.us> wrote:

> Does anyone recognize the book which is
> described below? Actually, the
> patron did such a good job describing it... and
> with such longing ..
> that I thought I'd just copy and paste it for
> all of you. I am unable
> to answer the patron though... it doesn't
> ring a bell with me....
>
> any ideas? Thanks in advance for any help.
>
> Susan
> Carnegie-Stout Public Library, Dubuque, IA
>
>
> "About 20 years ago I started reading a thick,
> sumptuous novel, didn't
> get back to it, lost the book for a while on my
> mother's crowded attic
> and then lost the book forever when her house
> was sold after her death.
> I loved that book! I've been looking for it
> ever since, but I can't
> recall the title.
>
> The story was told entirely in dialogue, and
> had either the names of
> the two characters or the first letters of
> their names, followed by a
> colon, to introduce their passages of speech.
>
> The book had no dust jacket (I think I got it
> at one of those used
> bookstores) and its cloth binding was red. It
> had raggedy-edged paper. I
> even remember the typestyle though I don't know
> what it's called ...
> it's that tall kind, with the letters that look
> like stovepipes and have
> very pronounced serifs.
>
> About the story itself I don't recall details,
> except that a lot
> "happened" in the dialogue. It was very rich in
> its description; for
> some reason I want to say "almost French,"
> though I have no clear memory
> of the novel being by a French author.
>
> Maybe someone has that very book on his/her
> shelf and can solve this
> riddle so I might be reunited with my book
> before the lights go out."
>
>
......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the
> archives?
> Everything Fiction_L:
> http://fictionl.webrary.org
>
>

=====
David Wright - Seattle Public Library Fiction Dept.

"Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity."
-G.K. Chesterton


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