Would there happen to be...?

[Simple]

<continuation of title constitutes opening sentiment> any interest here in reading sample chapters from my next novel?

I'm about a third of the way through, and I've actually gotten a small press (but traditional this time!) to take interest in my query.

Next step is sending sample chapters.  If I posted some to my website (as I did with Her Life Will Be Set to Music very early on), would anybody here be interested in combing over them and being overtly brutal?  To my face this time.

I want to polish up the sample chapters as well as I can.  

OR if you're not interested, do you know of any open-minded groups for literary criticism that don't consist entirely of gentlemen who quote themselves in their signatures and romancing their masturbation instead of offering proper guidance?

[Robert Eric]

What is the plot of the novel?  Is the theme romance, mystery, action, etc.?

[LGM]

I would most definitely look them over!

[Matt Brown]

so would I.

[Simple]

The plot is hazy.

The action of the novel takes place entirely within a concussive mind.  The main character has injured himself in a car accident and the book itself is a meandering log of his thoughts as his vehicle is buried under a heavy snowfall.

It's comedy, of course, satirising (in turn) Finnegan's Wake, A Christmas Carol, The Catcher in the Rye, A Portait of the Artist as a Young Man, Pale Fire, The Picture of Dorian Gray and so on.

The chapters are also done in a variety of different styles, including a legal document, a travelogue, a restaurant menu, an epic poem, a dialogue, a television script (with commercials), scripture and symbolic logic.

It's much, much different (and twice as pompous) as my previous effort, and would really love to assemble it as best I can.

[remixor]

I can't claim to have read your first novel yet (although I DO have it on order and it should arrive any day now), but I would still be interested in seeing your work on your next one, definitely.  Good luck

EDIT: your ideas sound really intruiging; I'll be interested to see how it turns out.

[rodekill]

* rodekill waves fist

You never answered me about getting a special copy of Novel #1.

[Bob The Hun]

Ooh! Sounds good!
If you posted some chapters on your website, I'd comb 'em and offer criticism and praise and honesty and stuff.
However, I'm not the best literary critic, but I can do the best I can and at least offer obvious observations.

[Larien]

Sounds really interesting.  I'll definitely review it if you put it on your site.  Where'd you come up with the idea for different styles?

[Bionic Bill]

Me me me.

[Simple]

Good, I'm glad to see some volunteers.  It means a lot.  I'm looking for a pretty wide range of honest opinions, and I really doubt many of you would lie to me to spare my feelings, so this should work out pretty well.

By next week I should have a handful of chapters up and I'll post the link here.

The idea of "different styles," Larien, actually came from a small idea to parody Ulysses at one point in the book.  But then I realized I could open the novel up to a very wide range of satire by acknowledging other works of literature.  

The Catcher in the Rye chapter was, incidentally, amazingly fun to write.

Then I just figured I'd go the whole hog and make every chapter distinguishable in style from every other.  Or so I hope.  That's where you come in.

[petaglair]

I'm sure it's in english...

And with my bad english level i will never bea able to read any novel

[Simple]

One of my literary styles, petaglair, is claw explode.

[Adamski]

I certainly look forward to reading it.

[remixor]

This does not belong here, but I'd just like to note how awesome it is that your favorite album is Quadrophenia.  Just found that out.

[petaglair]

One of my literary styles, petaglair, is claw explode.

an alteration of the famous "jaw explosion" stream in litterature, like the birth of rock'n'roll in music...
I'm happy to see we are letting something to our children

I was young but i still remember, but how can it be else

[AGA]

Whoo, are you a Who fan too, remixor?

[remixor]

You better believe it.  Quadrophenia is one of my all-time favorite albums, and certainly my favorite Who album.  I had the luck of seeing them live last year (well, Townshend and Daltrey anyway).  It was an amazing experience.  Our tour date was the one the day before which ended up being the day of Entwistle's death.  That was quite a sobering moment.  The show was rescheduled to several months later, but even without Entwistle (and Moon of course) they put on a great show.  The substitute bassist learned every single Entwistle fill and solo and was very respectful, and the drummer was Zack Starkey, who is always great.

Anyway, The Who rules.

[AGA]

Yeah, I saw one of the shows of their final UK tour, Zak Starkey (Ringo Starr's son) was playing, he was pretty good. It was quite sad to see Pete, John and Roger looking so old, but they still put on a respectable show. Great stuff.

[Simple]

The guys look old, I'll admit, but they still move like kids.  It's great to see a man in his late 50s still slamming away at the guitar like it's nothing at all...

Yeah, Entwistle's death hurt me a lot.  I thought it was a joke because I never got to see the Who, finally had tickets, and a friend tells me he died...it seemed too horrible to be real.

But the show was indeed fantastic.  And as far as favorite albums go, Quadrophenia is numero uno, followed maybe by Story of the Ghost and Blonde on Blonde.

This post may be a bit premature, I realize now, because I'm taking a lot more time with my chapters than I had previously.

But I'll still make it known when they're up for the viewing.