The Marianated Nottingham and Other Abuses of the Language by Charley Pearson / Review by Laura Hartman
The Marianated Nottingham and Other Abuses of the Language
By Charley Pearson
Charles E. Pearson
$14.98
ISBN 978-0997299304
Published April 1, 2016
Book of the Day
2017 Silver Falchion Winner Best Anthology or Collection
The Marianated Nottingham (yes, I have spelled the title exactly as the author intended. Once you read it you will understand) is a fun YA compilation of screenplays, ballads, and a few short stories. At the beginning of the book is the foreword, do not skip these few pages. They are a glimpse into the thoughts of a very funny man who will delight and entertain you for the next few hundred pages.
A series of short screenplays are sprinkled throughout the book. They are based upon the same company; Microhard Software Company. It is not for the faint of heart, but definitely for the people who find hilarity in odd situations like I do.
The main screenplay, The Marianated Nottingham is the true story of Robin Hood as told by Pearson. It is a totally different Robin and band of Merry Men than you have read before. The characters are the same, but they play many different roles than in the previous telling of their tales. I love the crazy spin on a classic that Pearson takes. Reminiscent of fractured fairy tales for children, Pearson brings us the adult version. It is smart, witty and absolutely laugh-out-loud funny at times. I don’t want to add a spoiler here, so will suffice to say the recurring references to things that have not been invented yet were some of my favorite parts.
The author’s wit and humor makes this book a fast and fun read. He pulls you into his crazy version of Nottingham making it a totally believable place with the usual characters spun differently supporting the depth of the tale. At first, I was leery of the screenplay format. But honestly, Pearson was brilliant by not writing this in prose. The story flows swiftly and surely via conversations and stage directions. After a few pages I didn’t even notice the difference between a conventional novel verses screenplay other then it was a much easier, faster way to digest the action.
Pearson is a best-selling author just waiting to be discovered by the masses. If you are a fan of Christopher Moore, you will love The Marianated Nottingham. The minute I began this book it reminded me in spirit of the sharp, funny writing of Lamb and Fool by Moore. Now that Pearson is on my radar, I will be sure to seek out his other books as soon as they are available.
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the publisher/author in connection with Killer Nashville in return for my review. Copyright © 2017 Laura Hartman
Laura Hartman is a short story author and book reviewer. She has work appearing in A Woman’s Touch: 11 Stories of Murder & Misdemeanors and The Killer Wore Cranberry, A Second Helping. She began reviewing books for GenReviews in 2011 and currently reviews for publicist Maryglenn McCombs, Penguin First to Read and NetGalley. She is a writer by day and a reader by night.