from: Penguin (Non-Classics)
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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.0108
EAN num: 9780143038184
ISBN number: 0143038184
Label: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 304
Printing Date: January 02, 2008
Publishing house: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Sale Popularity Level: 82501
Studio: Penguin (Non-Classics)
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
A stellar host of writers explore the cornerstone of fiction writing: character
The Book of Other People is about character. Twenty-five or so outstanding writers have been asked by Zadie Smith to make up a fictional character. By any measure, creating character is at the heart of the fictional enterprise, and this book concentrates on writers who share a talent for making something recognizably human out of words (and, in the case of the graphic novelists, pictures). But the purpose of the book is variety: straight “realism”—if such a thing exists—is not the point. There are as many ways to create character as there are writers, and this anthology features a rich assortment of exceptional examples.
The writers featured in The Book of Other People include:
Aleksandar Hemon
Nick Hornby
Hari Kunzru
Toby Litt
David Mitchell
George Saunders
Colm Tóibín
Chris Ware, and more
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers -
I'm not really a short story reader, but the concept of this collection caught my eye - Zadie Smith, in a bid to raise money for a disadvantaged youth writing program, asked a batch of writers to develop a short story with one simple parameter: make up a character.
The resulting collection is diverse and varied - but not necessarily in a good way. The short story collections I've enjoyed the most have had more of a unifying theme, while the rules here were perhaps a bit too loose to form any bond or attachment to the individual stories, let alone the book as a whole.
That being said, there are a handful of stories that I really quite enjoyed - about 1/3 of the book, some that I thought were pretty okay, and a few I just didn't really enjoy at all. The very first story in the book, "Judith Castle" kicks things off nicely in perhaps one of the easiest reads of the entire book. There are a couple of graphic stories as well - "Jordan Wellington Lint" stuck out to me as the most interesting / telling, although perhaps not entirely unique to that one character. "Roy Spivey", "Soleil", and "Frank" were probably my three favourites, and "Puppy" is definitely the saddest in the book.
Overall I think this book had good intentions and interesting premise, but it didn't quite live up to its potential. If you're looking to discover some new others, or maybe read some standalone fiction from some of your existing favourite authors, than maybe pick this one up to get a sampler of today's literary fiction world. If you're just looking for a solid collection of short stories however, I'm not sure this is the book for you.
Rated by buyers 
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Zadie Smith commissioned twenty-three reputable writers (including herself) to each "make someone up." Their stories were named after their characters and compiled into this book, published and sold for the benefit of [826NYC](http://826nyc.org/ "826NYC"), a non-profit that gets kids into writing. It's a good enough idea, but unfortunately, most of these stories are instantly forgettable.
Some of the authors I've found to excel at short-form character studies before (like Dan Clowes and Miranda July) don't disappoint, and others (like Nick Hornby and Jonathan Safran Foer) take a novel, economical approach to telling a simple and satisfying story. Many of the rest, though, have an oppressive, off-putting weight to them that's either gratuitously academic or unapologetically maudlin.
It's like the message to the kids at 826NYC is, "Work hard at your writing, and one day you too can make a successful career out of loss and regret!"
Rated by buyers -
The idea is good. "Make somebody up". Without limitations. And also, I found the editing also very helpful. If it could be published with the fonts the writers had sent to the editor, book would be more interesting. If you have limited time and your mind is full, read a short story, and especially from this book. It may be rejuvenating.
Rated by buyers 
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The Book of Other People is a compilation of twenty four character sketches by a group of talented writers, some established, some up and coming. What originally drew me to this book was the fact that it was a Zadie Smith project; she had instructed each contributor to write a short story centered around a new character. It was a unique idea that offered endless possibilities. And that's what happened; The Book of Other People presents a snapshot of the diverse world we live in. There's everything from imaginative young boys to snotty rich women, from judges to voice actors. Not to mention the giant and the monster. There weren't any constraints on format (except, they were all put into the same font, Smith reveals in the introduction), so you have the occasional graphic short story, comic book strip and illustrations.
For me, the concept of the book was what really won me over. The stories themselves were decent, some better than others. "Puppy," by George Saunders, is a story about a dog that manages to bring together two opposite families, making you sympathize with both. David Mitchell's "Judith Castle" was an interesting take on how internet dating can become just plain sad. And Vendela Vida's "Soleil" gives you just a glimpse inside a love triangle that leaves you begging for more information. I was slightly disappointed with two of my favorite authors, Jonathan Safran Foer (again, another story about immigrants in America) and Nick Hornby (Posy Simmond's illustrations were good, though, just not the idea of an author progressing through life and constantly changing his image).
All in all this a interesting piece of literature, but don't except any sense of cohesion connecting the stories, or for them all to be of the same quality.
Rated by buyers -
The premise behind this anthology is simple. A group of contemporary authors having fun, each contributing a short story about a fictional character, with proceeds going to a named charity - 826 New York. This charity is dedicated to helping children develop their creative and expository writing skills.
There are 23 contributing authors, from the United States, England, Ireland, Haiti and further afield, and the vastly different stories showcase their different styles of character development and description. Editor Zadie Smith is herself the author of three books, and also contributes a story for this anthology.
I thought that some of the stories were absolutely brilliant, but quite frankly, I didn't understand quite a few of them, and one or two were way beyond my limited comprehension skills. I have no doubt that fans of great literature will enjoy this book more than I did, but it's only fair that I warn the casual reader that it isn't always easy sailing.
The very first story, "Judith Castle" by David Mitchell of the UK is by far my favorite - a tale of love and loss that certainly isn't all it appears to be at the beginning of the story. This one belongs in my "brilliant" category. There are also two stories done in graphic format, and some that aren't about human characters.
For the sake of simplicity, I list below the stories in two categories - "Stories for Everybody" and "Stories for the Literati"
Stories for Everybody:
1. Judith Castle, by David Mitchell
2. Justin M. Damiano, by Daniel Clowes
3. Gideon, by ZZ Packer
4. Hanwell Snr, by Zadie Smith
5. J. Johnson, by Nick Hornsby & Posy Simmonds
6. Lélé, by Edwidge Danticat
7. The Liar, by Aleksandar Hemon
8. Judge Gladys Parks-Schultz, by Heidi Julavits
9. Soliel, by Vendela Vida
10. Roy Spivey, by Miranda July
11. Cindy Stubenstock, by A. M. Homes
12. Theo, by Dave Eggers
Stories for the Literati:
1. Frank, by A.L. Kennedy
2. Gordon, by Andrew O'Hagan
3. Jordan Wellington Lint, by C. Ware
4. Magda Mandela, by Hari Kunzru
5. The Monster, by Toby Litt
6. Nigora, by Adam Thirlwell
7. Puppy, by George Saunders
8. Rhoda, by Jonathan Safran Foer
9. Perkus Tooth, by Jonathan Lethem
10. Donal Webster, by Colm Tóibín
11. Newton Wicks, by Andrew Sean Greer
I would recommend this book to students of literature, who will enjoy analyzing each author's method of character development, and to people far more literate than myself. I also applaud the editor for organizing this project for a good cause.
Amanda Richards, March 16, 2008
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