The author sent me a copy of this novel to review:
If Melanie Lamaga wrote these ten short stories to show off her creative writing skills, then it was a immense success. If she wrote these stories to display her storytelling skills, then it’s a horse of a different color. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a maiden novel where the writer had such a firm grip on descriptive and creative writing. Now that the author has a handle on those skills, maybe her next effort as a storyteller will be exceptional, because I thought most of these stories were shaky at best with a few exceptions. Lets focus on those few exceptions.
I liked four of the stories: Waking the dreamer, What the Dalai Lama said, The seduction of forgotten things, and Black crater, white snow. Yet, these four stories had oblique and unsatisfyingly deficient endings, which also marred the six stories that I didn’t like. It’s almost like Melanie gets a great idea and then quits on it as soon as it gets interesting. Black crater, white snow is the story of a young girl named Jade gone mute after a unknown crater explosion, or earthquake while living with her mother, Anna, in Iowa. It really got my attention. I thought that Melanie could have easily made this story into a 300 page novel. Instead, 32 pages later the ‘show is over.’ In Waking the dreamer, Melanie’s opening line is, “I have a story you won’t believe. No one does. And I planned it this way.” I’m thinking, wow, this is going to be good. A mysterious naked lady found in the woods protected by “...a huge, white dog.” The ending was better than most of the stories, but it was still unfulfilling.
As for What the Dalai Lama said, Justine and Max’s interest in Buddhism causes Justine to write a letter to The Dalai Lama for advice. Months later, Dalai Lama writes back! (or does he).
Once again, a great start to a story.Yet sixteen pages later it abruptly ends. The seduction of forgotten things was the longest story at 60 pages. This was my favorite story. A rebellious seventeen year old named Isabelle is unsatisfied with her boring life. She lives in a home called the White Rose House in the Old South. “Wandering the alleys, Isabelle observed the men and women who spent their days combing through trash.” Then she meets a homeless man in dirty fatigues that flits around like alley cat. He is seen yowling at the ringing of the church bells at Saint Francis church every Sunday. Isabelle and ‘the traveler’ become a happy wandering couple until the worm turns. Melanie, this story shows me that you have the potential to become a serious writer.
Although I think Melanie Lamaga has a world of upside, I have to give this novel a neutral rating because of the mostly weak storytelling. I would like to see her next effort a full novel. She seems to have plenty of good ideas that only need to be brought to fruition. She has to think like a closer. I remain a big fan of her writing skills.
RATING: 3 out of 5 stars
Comment: In the last year, I have reviewed many first-time writers. As I’ve said in the past...How does a new author get published by a big publishing house? Does everybody have to self publish? Well I recently read an article from literaryrejections.com and it seems this rejection attitude is not new. Publishing Houses have been doing faux pas with writers for a long time. The following are some major blunders:
Louis L’Amour received 200 rejections before Bantam took a chance on him. He is their best selling author with 330 million sales.
“You have no business being a writer and should give up.” Zane Grey ignores the advice. There are believed to be over 250 million copies of his books in print.
“It is so badly written.” The author tries Doubleday instead and his little book makes an impression. The Da Vinci Code
sells 80 million.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter was rejected so many times she decided to self-publish 250 copies. It has now sold 45 million.
Margaret Mitchell gets 38 rejections from publishers before finding one to publish her novel, Gone with the Wind
. It sells 30 million copies.
“A long, dull novel about an artist.” Publisher rejects Lust for Life by Irving Stone. 25 million sales.
“Too radical of a departure from traditional juvenile literature.” L. Frank Baum persists and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz sells 15 million.
“Unsaleable and unpublishable.” Publisher on Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead . Random House takes a chance on it. It sells 7 million copies in the US alone.
Five London publishers turn it down.The little book finally finds a home: Life of Pi by Yann Martel winning The Man Booker Prize in 2002.
“An endless nightmare. I think the verdict would be “Oh don’t read that horrid book.” Publisher rejects The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. It is soon published in 1898, and has been in print ever since.
The Alfred A Knopf publishing House turned down: Jack Kerouac, George Orwell, Sylvia Plath, and Mario Puzo’s The Godfather .
“He hasn’t got any future.” Yet, publication of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold leads to it’s author, John Le Carre, having one of the most distinguished careers in literary history.
With 23 rejections, Frank Herbert finally lands a publisher, and Dune becomes the best-selling science fiction novel of all time.
“We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell.” Stephen King’s Carrie sells 1 million in the first year alone.
“Stick to teaching.” Louisa May Alcott refuses to give up on her dream. Little Women sells millions, and is still in print 140 years later, unlike the name of the publisher who told her to give up.
Okay you writers yet to be published...Buckle up and stop whining! You are not alone.
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