Alison Percival wrote a fascinating post last week about book titles and how important they were to the success of a publication. She has changed the working title of her own novel a number of times and even tried out a fun algorithm to discover if her title had all the hallmarks of a best-seller.
In my comment on her post, I mentioned how some book titles alone can be enough to persuade me to buy and gave the example of Christopher Brookmyre’s novel “All Fun and Games until Somebody Loses an Eye”. We’re great fans of the Scottish crime writer ever since his book, “A Big Boy did it and Ran Away” captured Hubby’s imagination when he came across it in a bookshop many years ago.
I remembered this online discussion when I saw that Tara Cain’s Gallery theme this week is BOOKS. The Brookmyre novel sprang to mind and I had the perfect picture to represent it. This impressive piece of art is situated outside the Photographic Museum (Fotografiska) in Stockholm: we saw it when we were travelling in Sweden this summer. The bronze sculpture, by Swedish artist Dan Wolgers, is called ‘Torso’….. missing a body as well as an eye?
I love his books too! Great photograph although I saw it as a different body part altogether, apologies, I lower the tone most places I go, I'll get my coat…
Don't worry, Auntie Gwen, so did I! In fact I do think it is meant to be like that as the eyelids are most definitely more like…erm…lips? That's probably why it's called 'Torso'.
Daughter and I have sat here for quite a while trying to work out what a bottom had to do with an eye! I was seriously wondering if people threw things into the vessel at the top and it was going over the top and hitting people on the other side. In our defense the iPad doesn't let you 'turn' it around.
The vessel at the top is an ear if you see the sculpture as a head rather than a bum. I have no idea what you're on about re hitting people on the other side!
Can you not turn your head round 90 degrees? ;-))
Oh I see what you mean about throwing things at the vessel. You were thinking that as the title was 'all fun and games' etc you saw this fabulous sculpture as a fairground attraction. Genius.
I'll settle for genius no matter how far from reality it sits,
What a great way of fitting in with the theme AND your travel theme 🙂 I've never read those books, but I remember seein A Big Boy Did It… in a bookshop and the title appealed to me too.
Thanks very much for your comment on my post.
I've been looking at other entries and did wonder whether I'd gone totally off track as everyone else has pictures of…books! Whereas I've got a photo of a sculpture. So I'm relieved to know you like it!
I'm with Auntie Gwen; I must say the eye was not on the list of the top 3 body parts I first thought of. Must be all those years teaching high school.
On an entirely unrelated note, a Northern Irish acquaintance of mine posted this on FaceBook today and it cleared up a lot for me; I've probably been mislabeling residents of both the UK and the British Isles for years. Since you travel so much, do you run into this problem a lot? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10&feature=related
I'm sure the female form is what the artist probably wanted us to see. The head on its side, with one golden eye, is, as you say, not what you first notice but I would have then had to find a book with lady-parts in the title!!
Loved the video. It's only when you watch something like this you realise how crazy it must be for foreigners to understand. It's not easy for us either.
That sculpture is something else isn't it?
Haven't heard of Christopher Brookmyre, but I will be seeking some of his titles out on my kindle! 🙂
Yes, something else being a big bottom!
Christopher Brookmyre is well worth a look – very funny, authentic gritty dialogue and quirky storylines.
Brookmyre's titles are excellent, as indeed as the books themselves. AFAG is one of my favourites, but he had me since Quite Ugly One Morning.
That object is truly bizarre and, quite frankly, belongs in one of Charles Stross's Laundry books.
Quite Ugly One Morning – that's the first one I read and can't find it on the bookshelf but I remember it had one of the best openings to a novel I think I've ever read.
Not heard of Charles Stross – will look him up.
I agree, titles are important, as is the artwork on the cover. I'm put off much chick lit that I see on Amazon for Kindles because of the fluffy annoying artwork.
I thought the sculpture was just about to give birth to something, or do a poo. (sorry to lower the tone…) 🙂
Yes, fluffy arwork must really annoy authors who don't want to be pigeon-holed that way.
No, birthing and poo are just as valuable interpretations as my more seemly, 'head on its side' suggestion!
Wow, that's quite a statement! I have to agree about a good title. I'd love to know that formula!!!
If you click onto Alison's name you can see the blog post with a link to the algorithm. It's a fun site where you can play about with titles.
When I fist saw that photograph I did wonder what on earth it was! It looked a little rude to me (maybe I have a dirty mind!) I enjoy a good crime caper too x
You've interpreted it correctly, Jenny. I mentioned the 'eye' theme in the blog post but I think the artist had other ideas. Clever though, isn't it?
Very clever – post and sculpture. Must seek out a Brookmyre asap x.
http://unfinisheduntitled.blogspot.co.uk/p/the-gallery.html
If you like your crime stories a bit off the wall then do have a look. He's very good.
Oh dear. I saw somethign esle entirely.
Herding Cats
So did everyone else, Nicola, so don't be alarmed! You saw what you were meant to see 😉
Good grief! That would never fly in the USA!
Do they not like head-bums as art there?
I love these kinds of posts – I am such a long-standing book nerd. I recently had to cut myself off from Netflix and bought loads of books. Actually I noticed two of them had Shine in the title and they had stars on the cover. I think when I can't remember the title it probably hasn't been named properly and I don't like books with sappy drawings of women in gardens.
Good point about not recalling book title if it wasn't right in the first place.
There are far too many books with sappy drawings but I assume they have done research to prove it works to attract the right reader? Shame, really.
Wow what an amazing photo and an amazing sculpture too. I like books with catchy titles too, it can often indicate an interesting story, though not always! I really need to start reading less blogs and more books!
Totally agree with your last point. Since blogging my reading habits have changed. Sometimes it would be nice to go back to the time pre-Internet.
As a small picture in my google reader, that does not look like an eye!
I like a good title but probably prefer a one word title for some reason, but also I'm drawn to the artwork on a book sleeve (or rather I was until I went all Kindle).
Keep looking at it and I can assure you it will change from a bottom to a one-eyed head.
Curious about your liking for one word titles. This could be a new post all on its own.
Totally agree on book titles, if I'm scanning a book shop for a new book the title is oh so important to grab my attention. Very interesting sculpture there!
I wonder whether a title is paramount in attracting new readers. Do you think once you are a fan, the title isn't as important?
That sculpture is just stunning. And now I'm off to Amazon to order some intriguingly titled books!
Glad you like it. I do too. Sometimes it looks very female and sensual, at other times a bit creepy?
Love your take on the theme! A bit puzzled about that sculpture – "Torso"?? – but it certainly is fascinating. xx
The title would seem to suggest the artist wants you to see the roundness of a body rather than a head. Yet when I see it as a head and an eye, it's hard to readjust and see it the other way.
I thought more people would take a photo of something that reminded them of a book, but everyone was far more sensible than me!
Thanks for the shout out Trish. I wondered why I was getting a few more hits that usual!
That sculpture is weird. In a good way. I can think of a few titles Id have given it rather than Torso though!
We could have our own fun 'Name that Sculpture' competition. Just think what google search terms would pop up in the weeks following that post!
Alright, I was absolutely determined to see the head, and I couldn't until I read your comment about the vessel on top being the ear. NOW I see the head! It looks a little like an alien (I think it's the flat features) but, yes…it's a one-eyed head. I guess the title's there to remind us what's missing? God, I hate art that makes me actually think….
I purposely only mentioned the eye connection in the original post to see what people would see and, of course, everyone saw the bottom shape and not the head. Now I see the head far more than the bottom when I look at the photo. It is like an alien. Good to have encoraged some discussion about it!
I love the sculpture! It reminds me of a big juicy fig. Shut up Mr Freud.
As for books, I'm about to discover Jo Nesbo, courtesy of a friend who can't stop raving about him. I'll let you know…
Oh yes, a fig? I like that. I bet Mr Wolgens would like that interpretation too.
Hubby loves Jo Nesbo. I've still got the third Stieg Larsson book on the go. Must finish it.
I was thinking maybe head or maybe bottom? And if I can find some time later maybe some time to study the photo.
You finished looking yet?
I was being both vulgar and seemingly too subtle.
I did wonder, but didn't want to presume. How foolish of me! I should have known 😉
I think Shitting Gold would have made a better title for that sculpture…
I shall suggest that to Mr Wolgens.
One eyed monster indeed, or is that another statue.
Maybe you're onto something. Did the artist want to play with the idea of a feminine shape, but with the one eye suggesting a male influence? Or am I talking out of my torso?
Maybe you're onto something. Is the statue talking out of its head or its….torso. I feel we are entering an area of pseudo Freundian analysis here. I may need an aspirin.
big poopy bum is what i saw first too. now it's def. a head and an eye. i love the titles of those books! a title and a good book cover will always hook me in. i'm shallow that way, but quite often it works. 😀
'Big Poopy Bum' – well I think Brian Sewell had better watch out, Clippy! ;-))
I love Brookmyre's books as well, aspecially the jack Parlabane novels.
Could I say that the sculpture looks like it's giving birth to a golden baby?
Indeed you could, TSB.
Intriguing picture, but I guess I shouldn't say what I actually thought it was when I first looked at it…
You, me and everyone else, Scottish Mum! And that's what we are meant to see first, I think.