I was intrigued to learn that the French are totally in love with Hugh Laurie ... but not just as an actor.Laurie (who you will know best as the eponymous House, and a range of artfully gibbering idiots in Blackadder) is also a bestselling author in France, shifting 100,000 copies of his spoof spy thriller Tout Est Sous Contrôle (original title The Gun Seller).
The English version seems to be going up the Amazon charts too ... though maybe that might be something to do with so many other books mysteriously disappearing from the ratings!
8 comments:
What do you see as the relationship netween Malaysian literature and the literature of its near neighbours, Indonesia and Singapore?
I've read The Gun Seller - it's not bad lah for a first novel. Quite funny.
I've still not seen or heard of a second one from Mr Laurie.
anon - sounds like an essay topic! i've said before that i really see malaysia/singapore as being in the same publishing fishtank with many publishers and bookshops operating on both sides of the border ... and any way we can strengthen that dialogue is a to be desired.
i'd love to see more indonesian books sold here. i really don't think there is anywhere near enough literature flowing between the two countries and indonesian books generally are not sold here, despite the language being so similar. (though i think an indonesian bookseller is looking to set up here).
we do need to strengthen literary ties with our neighbours ...
anyway, your question begs another ... what prompted you to ask it?
the Gun Seller was selling pretty well in Kino awhile back. My fav Laurie will always be Wooster :D
Anon's question: probably had to hand in an essay at the last minute and was fishing for ideas or even content hahah!
- Poppadumdum
I read the gun seller a couple of years ago. As much as I admire Hugh Laurie as an actor, musician and comedian... I have to say that the Gun Seller was disappointing. Laurie's star power sold them. It wouldn't have left the ground otherwise.
Anon here again.
I just purchased from Silverfish books and received here in the USA "Ripples".
As I have been trying to learn about Malaysian, Indonesian, Singaporean literature, I am struck by the fact that they do not seem nearly as interconnected as I might have thought.
Malay is a common language group for Malaysia and Indonesia, and I would have thought greater interaction.
Interestingly, there is no comparable person writing a blog in Indonesia of whom I could also ask the question.
I would expect that Hugh Laurie would be a good author since he's so witty in real life
Post a Comment