So, Publishers Weekly has posted my first-ever book review. The first sentence:
Few novels attempting a deliberately bad explanation of the uncertainty principle could surpass this inspired romp from first-time novelist Felber, a comedian and TV writer.
Yee, my friends, yee and ha. Of course, a part of me is aware that if a review can make me feel this good, the bad ones are gonna kill me. Still, I’ve been killed before. Never looked back.
Beware, the rest of the review contains what some might call “spoilers.” But if you’d like to see the whole thing WHILE buying the book, just click here.
I’ll drop by later, perhaps, to provide more insight and entertainment about this, which is clearly the biggest, most important news item in the entire world today.
Braggingly yours,
-Adam
Fanny Roborat
34 comments
dee
April 10, 2006 at 3:19 pm
1“Spoilers” my Aunt Fanny! I read the whole review and still can’t tell what the book’s about.
(And at first glance I thought it said “insipid romp.”)
Linkmeister
April 10, 2006 at 3:39 pm
2How about “boastfully” vice “braggingly?”
I know, everyone’s a critic.
Don
April 10, 2006 at 4:01 pm
3Congratulations so far, Adam!
siobhan
April 10, 2006 at 5:38 pm
4So, wait - Did “Crash” steal your idea? And your Oscar??
David
April 10, 2006 at 9:39 pm
5Damn, Adam,
Now I’m going to have to buy the book - and read it.
Shit.
David
April 10, 2006 at 9:41 pm
6Oh, yeah, it’s “yee” and “haw.” Actually it’s Yeehaw, and it’s a Juction on the way from Goldenrod to Lake Okeechobee. Look it up on your Florida map.
Maximum Bob
April 10, 2006 at 10:33 pm
7Well, that’s just great. I’ve been shopping around a quantum-mechanics-based novel for years; who’s going to want it now? I guess What’s In It Fermi? stays in the desk drawer.
cooper
April 10, 2006 at 10:47 pm
8MaxBob, snappy title, but you’ve GOT to get an agent, man! Maybe Mo Moscowitz has sold all that Yeti Spaghetti and would be free to plug the book.
Maximum Bob
April 10, 2006 at 11:26 pm
9Mo is the man. Wonder if he’s still hawking those “How to Hook Up Your VCR” video tapes?
SeattleDan
April 11, 2006 at 1:24 am
10So do I put it in the Fiction section or the Science section of my store? Or the Science Fiction Section? Confused in Seattle.
Jay
April 11, 2006 at 1:31 am
11Seattle Dan,
Whereever (Wherever? Where ever?, damn you’d think a liberal arts degree or two would make this easier) it finally winds up in your store, please put a copy aside for me. I’ll be sure to pick it up as soon as I know it’s in.
Jay
Lt. Brad Shaw, Resource Officer for Morse Science High
April 11, 2006 at 7:06 am
12Okay, Adam, whose gams are those on the cover? And what is she juggling - a cat (probably illegal), a Bucky ball, and what - a spool of copper wire? Inquiring minds want to know! And who keeps tracking mud across my nice clean floor?!!! I’m going to kill him!!!
David
April 11, 2006 at 10:38 am
13Ditto, Seattle Dan, re Adam’s seance friction novel (I assume he mixed it up pretty good with the ghost of Old What’s-His-Face). Reckon Adam would be ok with your posting a link for those of us who have to order by snail mail, or would that violate his contract with that online bookstore which belongs to those really, really big women? I think you once posted the name of your bookstore, but I have CRS.
Ann
April 11, 2006 at 1:10 pm
14David, even if you DO remember the name of SeattleDan’s store, you’re going to have to ask someone on the street for directions. He’s cleverly hidden it away from passersby who might have a book-buying impulse.
And Dan, save a copy for me, too!
SeattleDan
April 11, 2006 at 2:24 pm
15I certainly will put copies aside for Jay,David and Ann. I dont know how proper it is to flog my own business on Adam’s blog…probably not very. But the store is located on the eponymous Jackson Street and I sell books! If Adam says it’s ok, I’ll post a link.
not that Pete
April 11, 2006 at 3:18 pm
16As to classification, The Library of Congress has tentatively assigned these headings:
Descriptors:
Ex-presidents — Fiction.
Friendship — Fiction.
Physicists — Fiction.
Cats — Fiction.
Genre/Form:
Humorous fiction.
Fantasy fiction.
Geographic:
Cambridge (Mass.) — Fiction.
(as a subversive librarian, I felt morally obligated to leak this information)
Katherine Harris
April 11, 2006 at 3:24 pm
17I confess it was me that posed for the book cover, but Adam promised me that my face would be visible and that cat juggling would win me the support of independent voters.
Susie
April 11, 2006 at 5:22 pm
18Holy crap that’s awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
One suggestion: Had you named the book,
“EverythingistheRepublicansFault Ball”
you’re get a lot more play for this awesome review in this here comments section.
Meow! FFttt fft! Meow!
Come on people, I’m just winding you up, make some noise cause this review is GREAT NEWS!
Holla!
cooper
April 11, 2006 at 5:52 pm
19Come on, Susie. We’re sort of an extended family here - you know, like 3rd cousins, twice removed. We can’t let on that we’re impressed with the review or anything. Nah, we’re the kind of people who come over unannounced, drink all his beer, dip the guacamole out of the bowl with our fingers and spread it onto the last of his chips. Oh yeah and, Adam, you didn’t you really wear that shirt with those pants - all day, did you? We got to keep the boy in his place, for his own good, you know, sort of like younger sisters do once they become teenagers. Like that.
(Actually, I’m thrilled he wrote a book, can’t wait to read it, and I sure hope he’s working on another - in his spare time, of course.)
Adam Felber
April 11, 2006 at 6:15 pm
20Dan -
Of course it’s okay to post the link! Post it again and again, and make it your “website” so that when you comment here and someone clicks on your name… they go to your store’s site.
I should’ve mentioned that a long time ago. Flog away.
SeattleDan
April 11, 2006 at 7:37 pm
21Thanks,Adam! The website is currently the project of our teen-aged web guru, and we need to clean up the grammatical and spelling mistakes. But he did a good job.
Adam’s book has a publication date of 15 August, so dont go looking for it yet. Publisher’s Weekly receives advance copies of books. They dont review everything. Booksellers use the magazine as a tool for making their buys,so getting a good review is a very big deal.Congrats on the review,Adam. It will help you very much,I’m sure.
SeattleDan
April 11, 2006 at 7:38 pm
22Hey,so if you click on SeattleDan,it takes you right to the website.Cooool!
SeattleDan
April 11, 2006 at 7:53 pm
23Hate to hog the thread, but I just received my new issue of PW. On the table of contents page,there are twelve book covers with their review page number and “Schrodinger’s Ball” is on the top row,first cover on the left. PW reviews many more books than 12 per issue,so putting the cover there is great!
Ann
April 11, 2006 at 8:12 pm
24Hey Dan, I love the FAQ! Can’t wait to get Adam in there, signing copies of his book!
Fran
April 11, 2006 at 9:47 pm
25Now Dan, if you could just get Adam in for a signing, THAT would be special!
cooper
April 11, 2006 at 9:57 pm
26Susie, come on. We’re sort of an extended family here - like third cousins, twiced removed. We can’t be letting on about how proud we may be about another family member. No, our function is come over unannounced, drink all the beer, scoop the guacamole out of the bowl with our fingers and finish up the last bag of chips - oh yeah, wolf down the final cupcake and eat the ice cream out of the carton with a spoon. We have to keep the boy on an even keel, not let him get the big head about all the awards and accolades coming his way. Adam needs us to keep him grounded and to keep the creative juices flowing. By the way Adam, you didn’t wear that shirt with those pants all day, did you? See, like a sweet younger sister who morphs into a smartass teenager. Like that.
(Actually, I’m thrilled that Adam wrote a book; I can’t wait to read it. Just hope he’s working on another one in his spare time.)
Mary
April 12, 2006 at 9:47 am
27Woohooo!!!! Adam- you are THE MAN!!!!
Now if I can find a cheap flight to Seattle……;-)
Linkmeister
April 12, 2006 at 3:13 pm
28Baseball books? Woot! Is Schrodinger a pitcher, an outfielder, or what? And what was the name of that cat that was featured in a baseball pennant race? Rufus?
Linkmeister
April 12, 2006 at 3:26 pm
29Not Rufus, Rhubarb.
SeattleDan
April 13, 2006 at 1:22 am
30I just lost a post to the ether. I’ll reply at your blog later,Link, but remember if you turn on the radio and Vinnie tells you Schrodinger’s in tonights line-up,you know he’s alive. If Vinnie says nothing about Schrodinger playing that night,well,you can assume….
Linkmeister
April 13, 2006 at 10:01 pm
31Dan, regrettably, not a single Hawaii radio station carries the Dodgers games. I have to rely on Fox Prime Ticket for coverage, and Vinnie doesn’t travel to the East Coast games any more, so we get Charlie Steiner and (shudder) Psycho Steve Lyons.
sammy
April 14, 2006 at 1:56 am
32WOoooooooooo… after having a glimpse i would surely like to have this book now and would revert with the reviews.
Murray
April 14, 2006 at 9:24 pm
33I don’t know Adam, I think that the review by that A. Felber person, a while back, was much more glowing. Maybe you can get him to write all of your reviews.
Congratulations! Great start.
SeattleDan
April 14, 2006 at 11:34 pm
34Well, I guess Vinnie must be pushing 80. I grew up listening to him when the Dodgers moved to LA…ah,the memories.