From Publishers Weekly
The nonfiction equivalent of light verse, this delightful set of characterological inquiries into the real life origins of the likes of Jay Gatsby, Holly Golightly and Godot finds a serious reader sleuthing after gossipy backstories. The trade publisher of Harcourt and a regular columnist for the American Scholar, Bernard is no stranger to the literary life, or, as his Rotten Rejections: Literary Short Takes has already shown, to making light of it. In a series of brief essays arranged alphabetically by the character under discussion, he here finds that Scarlett O'Hara was called Pansy by Margaret Mitchell until her publisher protested against "unhappy associations"; that Shandy (as in Tristram) is Yorkshire dialect for unsteady or addled; that the real Miss Lonelyhearts was actually female (unlike Nathanael West's character) and wrote a column for a Brooklyn newspaper. Readers will find many of their most beloved literary companions here, along with 30 line drawings of items relating to some of the characters, from a martini glass (for Holly Golightly of Breakfast at Tiffany's) to a bat (Dracula, of course). And Bernard takes great care not to spoil one's illusions about Huck Finn, Jack Torrance or Winnie-the-Pooh, leaving their fictional extensions from life fully intact. Sidebars and italicized quotations ("There is no such thing as a 'minor' character in Dostoevski," said F. Scott Fitzgerald) add to the fun.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-This book delves into the origins of and events behind many well-known literary characters. Even if you never wondered why E. B. White's spider was named "Charlotte" or why P. L. Travers, a lover of Celtic poetry and Eastern mysticism, invented her flying nanny, perusing Bernard's short essays becomes obsessively intriguing. The author covers an amazingly wide range of literary histories, arranged alphabetically by character, and provides just enough information-on Scarlett O'Hara's original name or how Lord Peter Wimsey, Rumpole of the Bailey, and Stuart Little arrived fully formed in the minds of their creators-to impel readers to run to the library and pick up one or more of the books. The pages also contain useful or interesting lists, such as characters with one name, orphans, and brothers in literature, as well as many captivating quotes from authors. Small ink drawings appear with appropriate names-a bat for Dracula and a magnifying glass for Miss Marple. This book can serve as a springboard for assignments, but it is also a pleasure to browse through.
-Susan H. Woodcock, Fairfax County Public Library, Chantilly, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
