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Caster's Blog: A Geek Love Story |
Author: Marcus Alexander Hart
Published: 2006-03-06 |
List price: $15.99
Our price: $15.99
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As of: November 20th, 2008 10:14:33 AM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 A unique love story.
"Caster's Blog" is certainly one of the most *unique* love stories I've ever read. Through "online journal entries," Marcus Alexander Hart throws the standard "chapter" format to the wind and creates an interesting narrative pacing unlike any other.
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br /As with "The Oblivion Society," I was impressed with how Hart tied everything together. Elements that seem to be unrelated subplots turn out to have more impact on the main story than one might suspect. And since it is all told as "a year in the life of Caster," the notions of plots and subplots are *already* blurred to great effect.
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br /Curiously, now that I have finished the book, I find myself *missing* Caster -- I got used to reading his "blogs" over the days that I was reading the book, and now I feel strangely cut off from my new geeky friend.
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br /Since I am also a fan of Hart's other novel, "The Oblivion Society," it naturally begs the question: "Which book did I enjoy more?" At the risk of sounding evasive, I can honestly say that "Caster's Blog" and "The Oblivion Society" are *so* different, it would be hopeless (and unfair) to compare the two. They both share Hart's sharp and clever wit, and frequent references to pop-culture, but beyond that ... they are exceedingly different novels. Which, in itself, is yet *another* compliment to Hart as an author.
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br /I highly recommend "Caster's Blog" as a quick, humorous, and pleasantly engaging read.
 I laughed, I cried, I wet my pantaloons.
Marcus Alexander Hart uses his keen sense of geekery and pop culture that we so adored at Misinformer.com to good effect in Caster's Blog.
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br /Hart manages to juggle the competing demand of a clear consistent narrative with the seemingly random and trivial nature of typical blog entries to craft a believable, surprising and compelling story while at the same time maintaining the appearance of an unscripted internet diary. He also had to contend with the uncontrolled input of his readers, in effect, collaborating with the whole of the internet community.
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br /All in all a tall order.
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br /Hart's demonstrates his skill as a writer, and his knowledge of the classic of English literature, Japanese Haiku, and '80's sit coms in this very entertaining volume.
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Witty, somewhat ironic title.
What can I say that hasn't already been said about uCaster's Blog/u?
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br /How about "When I get my copy, the Boyfriend is sleeping on the couch and it gets his pillow."
For the Love of a Geek
In an age where nothing is real, one thing is: a blog. Envision a blog that could draw an audience so vast, it makes Oprah's Book Club seem like a grade school reading group. Imagine updating a blog page every 5 minutes while you're at work to get the next part of the story. Picture telling all of your friends and every cashier who breaks your Hamiltons about what's new in that journal.
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br /This is Caster's Blog.
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br /For one year it captured the hearts and minds of its audience and grew a faithful reader base. A whirlwind story of romance, revenge, deception, ups and downs became so unbelievable that it just had to be true. This book captures the best elements of what makes a good story so great.
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br /Looking back over the story, at some points it may seem too incredible to be believable. This is in part because the book edits a substantial amount of unimportant posts and comments from the real journal. It was largely because of those same details that the audience was so hooked into the underlying story. At the same time though, the reader wants to believe the story. We cheer him on in the good times and come together to lift him in the bad times.
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br /You might think you read all of the great blogs, but have you read an interesting one?
Jump on board now
The Marcus Alexander Hart rollercoaster ride is just beginning, and you better hope you're on it when it reaches full steam. His first published novel, Caster's Blog is sharp and witty, touching and emotional, geeky and cool. Whether you maintain a blog, read a blog, or don't know what a blog is, this book will provide entertainment all the way through.
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br /His second novel, The Oblivion Society is even better, but it isn't out yet. I suggest you purchase Caster's Blog now before The Oblivion Society drops and Marcus blows up into a superstar, allowing you to prove that you heard of him first.
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br /I was going to try to work a Church of Oblivion Societology joke into this review somehow, but lack the writing skill to pull it off.
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br /Marcus could have done it though, so buy his book, not mine.
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