Saturday, January 14, 2006

10 Classics in 10 Minutes, by Jim Becker and Andy Mayer

10 Classics in 10 Minutes: The world’s fastest-talking man retells the world’s greatest books, by Jim Becker and Andy Mayer

I got this for Christmas and it is pretty funny. In less than 300 words per story, some of the greatest literature of all time is amusingly summarized. Moby Dick, Gone With the Wind, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Grapes of Wrath, Romeo and Juliet, The Great Gatsby, A Streetcar Named Desire, Alice in Wonderland, Oliver Twist, and The Odyssey all get the treatment. Each recap is preceded by a quick introduction as well, containing such gems as, “[Oliver Twist is a] work of prestigious length, it is no surprise Dickens was paid by the word.” And “[The Adventures of Robin Hood] is the one story everyone knows but no one has read.” Not laugh-out-loud funny, but certainly amusing. The accompanying CD reads the stories for you; great for a morning commute where you want to get away from the news.

First Sentence:
Moby Dick is a true American classic.

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