Latest news with #HarperFiction
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Before Dorothy: Aunt Em origin story a fresh and vivid Wizard of Oz tribute
Before Dorothy Author : Hazel Gaynor ISBN-13 : 978-0008518714 Publisher : HarperFiction Guideline Price : £16.99 I love reading new fiction inspired by old fiction, but for the author there is danger as well as temptation in heading down an imaginative path first drawn by another writer. With Before Dorothy, Hazel Gaynor has made wise choices, both in her characters and their circumstances. The action of Before Dorothy begins in 1922, so the Kansas prairies Gaynor depicts are not that of L Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (published in 1900), but closer to the 1939 movie adaptation. By setting Before Dorothy before and during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl of the 1930s, the reader retains the visual cues from the film in this Aunt Em origin story. Baum's Aunt Em is a minor character, described as thin, gaunt and unsmiling, almost destroyed by the harsh reality of farming, whereas Gaynor has given Emily a complete history and a joyful and fully realised interior existence. The Emily of Before Dorothy is one of three sisters from an Irish immigrant family. She marries would-be farmer Henry Gale not long after her sister Annie marries his wealthy cousin, John. Several years later, John and Annie drown in a boating accident on Lake Michigan, and their orphaned child is given to Emily and Henry to raise: 'Dorothy had nothing and she now needed her Aunt Em to be everything.' Dorothy's fortune has gone too, for John Gale died bankrupt. READ MORE Gaynor's Kansas is a place where 'prosperity and ruin were as finely balanced as a circus performer on a high wire', and her descriptions – particularly of weather and nature – are so evocative you can almost feel the relentless heat and taste the dust. Wizard of Oz fans will enjoy this novel's many Easter eggs, including references to circus acts, a nasty neighbour, a toy lion and such knowing comments as Henry saying of John, 'I'm quite sure if you tapped his chest there would be an echo where his heart should be.' [ From the archive: There's no place like home: The Wizard of Oz, 80 years on Opens in new window ] This imaginative tribute is a fresh and vivid story of one woman's extraordinary adventure and the places that shape us. Even – perhaps especially – those that aren't home.
The Hindu
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Review of Ram C/o Anandhi by Akhil P. Dharmajan
The first thing that strikes one after reading the debut book, Ram C/o Anandhi, is that it could easily be made into a film. Not so coincidentally, the author, Akhil P. Dharmajan, co-wrote the script of the hit Malayalam movie 2018. In his author's note, Dharmajan calls this book 'a cinematic novel', and it helps that all the elements that go into a regular commercial film are in here: friendship, love, drama, mystery, and even the proverbial fight sequence in the climax. The story is based mainly in Chennai and the city is very much a character in the book, providing both texture and backdrop to the narrative. The protagonist, Ram, comes from Kerala to join a filmmaking institute. We soon meet the supporting characters, two of whom will be his companions as he navigates life in a new city. Then, the woman he falls in love with makes her appearance and their combative first meeting is the cliched staple of many a romcom. Missing details Everyone has a backstory that is explained at length but there is no effort made to delve into who these characters really are. The writing merely skims the surface, and depth is sacrificed for pace. There is one subplot though, involving a transgender character, that is handled very well. Ram's friendship with the woman has a refreshing, charming feel to it. We get a peep into the lives of the transgender community and the travails they face. This book has been translated from the Malayalam original, which came out in 2020, but it went viral last year, following which the translations were announced. A movie adaptation too is in the pipeline. The translation, by Haritha C.K., however reads as jarring and clunky in quite a few places. The author has made one interesting choice, in how he ends the story. It is different in tone from the rest of the book and reflects how very often things pan out differently in real life as compared to romcoms. The reviewer is a Bengaluru-based author, journalist and manuscript editor. Ram C/O Anandhi Akhil P. Dharmajan, trs Haritha C.K. Harper Fiction ₹399
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
YouTuber MrBeast and author James Patterson team up for billion-dollar thriller novel dropping in 2026
What happens when YouTube's most generous billionaire and the world's most prolific thriller author decide to write a book together? Pure literary chaos, in the best way possible. MrBeast to make his debut as a publisher Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is making his publishing debut and he is not going solo. He is teaming up with none other than James Patterson, the man behind your mum's favourite mystery paperbacks and the brains behind the iconic Alex Cross series. The duo is all set to drop a high-octane, drama-drenched thriller in 2026 that is already sounding like the Hunger Games on steroids. MrBeast to make his debut as a publisher with writer James Patterson | Credit: X What is the novel going to be about? The untitled novel will feature 100 contestants entering a global competition where the prize is no less than $1 billion. Yes, billion with a 'B'. Expect high stakes, betrayal, and the kind of wild twists Patterson is famous for, but with a MrBeast-level spectacle. This publishing bombshell is being rolled out globally by HarperCollins in 15 languages. In the U.S., William Morrow will publish it, and HarperFiction is handling the U.K. release. The deal was cracked by bigwigs HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray and William Morrow Group President Liate Stehlik. James Patterson was repped by Robert Barnett and Deneen Howell, while Donaldson was backed by Byrd Leavell and Albert Lee. Who is MrBeast? For those somehow still living under a digital rock, MrBeast isn't just a YouTube megastar with record-breaking subscriber numbers. He runs Beast Games on Prime Video, owns snack company Feastables, and has given away millions through his philanthropic efforts. Think #TeamTrees and his nonprofit Beast Philanthropy, which has distributed over 20 million meals globally. MrBeast to make his debut as a publisher with writer James Patterson | Credit: X Meanwhile, Patterson, with over 400 million books sold, is no stranger to co-writing blockbusters with celebrities. He has previously written books with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, but this MrBeast collab might just be his wildest yet. While the book's title remains a mystery, the buzz is already boiling. A billion-dollar prize, a centurion cast, and two mega minds behind the pen? 2026 just got its first pre-order.
The Guardian
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Reeta Chakrabarti: ‘I love dancing in a really bad disco mum kind of way'
My parents came to the UK in 1960 from Calcutta, as it was then, in India. My father was a doctor. In Birmingham, I was often the only Indian girl in my class. There are ways that you're marked out in the playground. There was quite a lot of teasing. You had to navigate your way – you learn to be pleasing to people. That's how I coped. The UK in the 1970s was a harder place when it came to race. I was aware of the far-right, football hooliganism, racism on the streets. On occasion, somebody, usually a man, would scowl at me or make a face, unprovoked. I sort of understood – but sort of didn't. I absolutely loved Oxford University. It opened me up. I'm very fond of Birmingham, but it's not a place of beauty, and Oxford really is. There weren't many British-Asian students like me. That didn't stop me having a good time. There was prejudice from certain individuals, but it was more their problem than mine. When I started out in journalism I had more of a black-and-white view of things. Doing my job for so long has made me see the enormous complexity of everything. I've come to understand it's a very difficult world to understand. The advice I give to people? Say 'yes' to things in your career. Even if you're quaking with fear, put a bright, brave face on. You won't regret it. I don't like resentful people. I deliberately don't remember bad things people have said to me. If you harbour these things, you only do yourself harm. My husband, Paul, and I met at university. I think the secret to a happy marriage is each allowing the other person to be themselves and understanding that, as you grow older together, you're going to become different people. It sounds so easy – but it's really not. I love dancing in a really bad disco mum kind of way. That happens in the kitchen, when I'm cooking – which is not often, as my husband does most of it. I had appendicitis, dramatically, in the autumn of 2021. I was in Rome, passed out from the pain, and was rushed to hospital. I lay in A&E for a while and couldn't get anyone to help me – I don't speak Italian. I started to think, 'Oh well, I've made it to my late 50s and Rome isn't a bad place to go.' But they sorted me out. My greatest achievement? My three children. I've had a wonderful career. I'm about to publish a novel. But I don't put any of those things ahead of my family. I believe in lifelong learning and developing, and in not having regrets or itches that you wished you'd scratched. Writing a novel at this stage of my life has been good for me. Finding Belle by Reeta Chakrabarti is published by HarperFiction on 8 May at £16.99 or £15.29 at
