'Awful and fabulous': the madness of Flowers in the Attic

Forty years ago, VC Andrews’ novel about incest, rape and murder-by-doughnut was declared ‘deranged swill’, but new books under her name still sell. Why?Forty years ago this month, Flowers in the Attic, the debut novel of one VC Andrews was published. A review in the Washington Post didn’t mince its words, describing it as “deranged swill” that “may well be the worst book I have ever read”.The plot is nothing if not deranged – but even 40 years later, utterly compelling. Cathy and Chris Dollanganger and their little brother and sister, Cory and Carrie, are beautiful, blond-haired and as happy as can be until their handsome father dies. Their destitute mother tells them that in order to regain the fortune from which she has been disinherited, they must hide in their grandparents’ vast attic for a few days so she can persuade their grandfather to reinstate her as his heir.The most terrible things about my childhood probably were those that I created in my mind Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-11-14 14:02:15 UTC ]
News tagged with: #utterly compelling #terrible things #debut novel

Other Publishing stories related to: ''Awful and fabulous': the madness of Flowers in the Attic'


‘There’s an awful lot of showmanship’: Confessions of a publishing consultant on Facebook’s news feed changes

"Publishers want to scare Facebook because there have been so many different gripes." The post ‘There’s an awful lot of showmanship’: Confessions of a publishing consultant on Facebook’s news feed changes appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2018-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #awful lot #publishing consultant


'Bad Dad' sales go mad at top of bestseller chart

David Walliams’ Bad Dad (HarperCollins) has accelerated by 21% in volume week-on-week for its second week in the Official UK Top 50 number one spot, selling 112,672 copies through Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bad dad #bestseller chart #david walliams #bad dadharpercollins #nielsen bookscan


'My Democratic friends are mad at me': Donna Brazile explains herself in deep-left San Francisco

After publishing an unfettered memoir critiquing Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential bid, former Democratic Party leader Donna Brazile on Thursday doubled down on her criticism of the nominee before a receptive audience in deepest-left California. Brazile’s tell-all book has revived sour... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Books: Matthew Weiner of 'Mad Men' fame writes a novel; an edgy local debut; bestsellers and more

Hello! I’m Carolyn Kellogg, books editor of the L.A. Times. Let’s get to this week’s newsletter. THE BIG STORY Matthew Weiner concluded “Mad Men,” the show he created, with a shelf of Emmys and the ability to do anything he wanted. It’s not as easy as it sounds, he told Meredith Blake, explaining... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #books editor #matthew weiner #mad men #carolyn kellogg


Far From the Madding Crowd: The UK’s Northern Fiction Alliance

'So much of the publishing industry revolves around London' in the UK, says publisher Ra Page. The Northern Fiction Alliance collective is a response. The post Far From the Madding Crowd: The UK’s Northern Fiction Alliance appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #madding crowd


Trapeze jumps on Hollingworth's Mad Dad

Trapeze has signed a "moving" memoir about a young woman's return to rural Wales to care for her father, who has Alzheimer's. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #young woman #rural wales


'Intense' debut from 'Mad Men' creator to Canongate

Canongate has acquired Heather, The Totality, the debut novel by Matthew Weiner, writer and creator of "Mad Men" and executive producer of "The Sopranos". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mad men #matthew weiner #executive producer


Fabulous news: Mr Men and Little Misses get fresh set of companions

Little Misses Fabulous and Sparkle and Misters Marvellous and Adventure to be added to the late Roger Hargreaves’s series of children’s books The Mr Men are joining the 21st century with the introduction of a handful of new characters to join the primary-coloured ranks of Mr Happy, Mr Bump and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-08-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #21st century #45th birthday #literary stage


Booksellers ready to relive midnight madness for Potter play

Retailers are plotting a range of spellbinding evenings across the UK ahead of the release of JK Rowling’s "eighth Harry Potter book”, the play script for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Little, Brown). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uk ahead #jk rowling #play script #harry potter


March Madness teams are streaming live on Facebook

A quarter of the teams competing in this year’s March Madness men’s college basketball tournament have published a live video on Facebook. For many teams, the appeal of Facebook live video is that it’s easy to setup, often requiring only one shooter, and the reach that Facebook can offer as a... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook appeared #streaming live #live video


Revel Barker's memoir captures the madness of the old Mirror

Book recounts Fleet Street’s days of unlimited expenses amid an alcoholic hazeFleet Street memoirs are often difficult to read without wincing. Too many veteran reporters, and former editors for that matter, tend to think their reminiscences of “amusing” times past are both entertaining and also... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Super Thursday: the good, the bad and the doggone awful

Today more than 400 ‘big books’ are published in the hope of capturing the Christmas market. Which of the following will sell the most by 25 December?How Super Thursday turned a publishing pile-up into a marketing triumph With more than 400 titles due to be published today, the betting is on for... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #published today #christmas market #super thursday #ve missed


'Bedtime Stories for Awful Children,' a free ebook from 'Year Walk' devs

The dark, freezing woods of Sweden are the perfect breeding ground for terrifying tales of naughty children who get what they deserve. This week, Simogo -- the developer of beautifully macabre game Year Walk, and mysterious narrative experiences De... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2015-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bedtime stories #free ebook


Amazon posts a profit as AWS sales nearly double

Cloud services continue to grow by leaps and bounds for Amazon.com.The company reported that Amazon Web Services generated $1.8 billion in sales in the second quarter, up about 80 percent from the $1 billion it brought in a year earlier.That helped Amazon achieve a profit of $92 million, a... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #e-commerce site #video streaming #cloud computing #ebook readers #company continues #voice-controlled device #audio news


Why today's teenagers still want to take a peek inside My Mad Fat Diary

Lots has changed since Rae Earl wrote her personal diary in the 1980s, which she later converted into the bestselling book My Mad Fat Diary, but the basic pains of transition from teenager to grownup remain the same – and books help us find the way through itWhen my nan used to tell me about... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #saturday afternoon


Facebook's Experiment to Publish News Articles Has Gotten Awfully Quiet — Three Weeks After Everyone Was Freaking Out About It

On May 12, Facebook launched its much discussed publishing product designed to let media companies post their articles directly to its iOS app.   Called "Facebook Instant Articles," the new format loads stories on mobile phones up t ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook launched #articles directly #ios app #mobile phones


Infographic: What Digital Stats Can Tell Us About Mad Men, Game of Thrones and Daredevil

Between 1 million and 2 million people will watch the return of Mad Men on Sunday night, but based on digital buzz, it seems only die-hard fans and not newcomers will be tuning in. Digital research from publisher and social media agency Moviepilot predicts that showrunner Matthew Weiner's... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2015-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #savvy marketing


Awesome Awful tops charts in strong week

David Walliams easily romped to the number one spot on the UK Official Top 50 in the strongest... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #strong week


Mad Men’s Harry Hamlin Compares Ray Donovan to Sex

Specs Who Harry Hamlin Age 62 Accomplishments Emmy-nominated actor on AMC’s Mad Men (Sundays at 10/9c); appearing in the upcoming film Shiva and May Base Los Angeles What’s the first information you consume in the morning? I am really old school. The first thing I do is read the Los Angeles... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #science fiction #breaking bad #ad industry


Half Price Books hosts a Tournament of Sidekicks March Madness-style

The tournament is currently down to 16 contenders, with everyone from Ron Weasley of 'Harry Potter' fame to Winnie the Pooh's friend Piglet still in the running. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ron weasley #harry potter