Wordie: Oddest Book Title of the Year: Comments

Comment by reesetee, about 1 month ago

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:38:55 +0000

When I worked with rare/antique books, I came across quite a few titles like this. If only I'd written them down.... :-)

Comment by chained_bear, about 1 month ago

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:24:50 +0000

HAAAAAA ha ha ha!! :) That's okay, the first sentence is kind of the best anyway.

Comment by reesetee, about 1 month ago

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:05:29 +0000

Oh, but I must add it! Although I think it'll probably bork Wordie. Here, I'll try....

Edit: Well, I managed the first sentence of the title, at least. :-)

Comment by chained_bear, about 1 month ago

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:57:09 +0000

Reesetee, I found a humdinger of a book title, but it was published in 1800. I understand if you don't add it to this list, but it deserves a comment at least:

Some account of an existing correspondence now carrying on between the inhabitants of the moon, and the natives of old England. To which is subjoined, a list of such articles as are immediately wanted for the export trade, by some merchants just arrived from that planet. Interspersed with several useful and valuable hints, particularly adapted to the use of those gentlemen who are fond of speculation. A work strongly recommended to the perusal of the merchants, bankers, manufacturers, wholesale tradesmen, shopkeepers, underwriters, insurance brokers, and ladies of Great Britain.

Comment by reesetee, about 1 month ago

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:56:35 +0000

Thanks, O--I added both (although the question mark won't take in What Is the Name of This Book?, of course). Also, thanks Asativum, for your suggestion--sorry I didn't see it before now. :-)

Comment by oroboros, about 1 month ago

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:32:09 +0000

This probably isn't a list-maker but I've always admired Raymond Smullyan's What is the Name of this Book?. Oh, and also Abbie Hoffman's Steal This Book.

Comment by Asativum, 3 months ago

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:57:36 +0000

Not sure this qualifies -- it's actually a pretty good read: At the Tomb of the Inflatable Pig: Travels Through Paraguay.

Comment by reesetee, 3 months ago

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:40:22 +0000

Added! I opened the list to all odd book titles, not just the ones from the contest. :-)

Comment by chained_bear, 3 months ago

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:23:34 +0000

This doesn't belong on your list, but I didn't know where else to put it, and I think it's a great title: When You Ride Alone, You Ride With Bin Laden (Bill Maher).

Comment by reesetee, 4 months ago

Thu, 22 May 2008 21:24:55 +0000

Yes, some are relatively popular books. Scary, isn't it?

Comment by pterodactyl, 4 months ago

Thu, 22 May 2008 19:48:43 +0000

Huh. I thought that these would all be pretty esoteric, but I've seen six or seven of them on the shelves at the Barnes & Noble where I work.

Comment by reesetee, 7 months ago

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:42:07 +0000

Wow. I may need an entirely new list for that one, since (as far as we know) it isn't in the running for the Bookseller prize.

Comment by chained_bear, 7 months ago

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 03:01:30 +0000

I found this in Newsweek but I think it belongs on this list, not mine:

"In a new book, "I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed by Me," military buff Trevor Paglen...." (The rest doesn't matter.) Newsweek, March 10, 2008

Comment by reesetee, 7 months ago

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:09:00 +0000

And somehow they're funnier when they're real, aren't they?

Comment by palooka, 7 months ago

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:07:07 +0000

Hilarious list & link! I guess it's not that hard to get a book published after all.

Comment by reesetee, 7 months ago

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:54:42 +0000

Agreed. One of my favorites is Cheese Problems Solved.

Comment by yarb, 7 months ago

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:31:47 +0000

The short ones are the best. Versailles: the View from Sweden, How to Avoid Huge Ships, and Bombproof your Horse. Genius.