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The Land of Laughs: A Novel
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780312873110
Edition: 1st
ISBN: 0312873115
Label: Orb Books
Manufacturer: Orb Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 256
Publication Date: February 10, 2001
Publisher: Orb Books
Studio: Orb Books
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Editorial Review:
Thomas Abbey is a man stuck in a rut. An English teacher in a small Connecticut prep school, Abbey is in a crisis. His career is unfulfilling, he has no social or love life to speak of, and he cannot break out of the shadow of his famous father, the actor Stephen Abbey. To kick-start his life, he takes a sabbatical to work on a biography of his favorite writer, Marshall France. France's books were the only thing that kept Abbey sane during his childhood, and though he was renowned for his lyrical and imaginative children's books, nearly nothing was known about the writer's life.
Although Abbey has been warned that France's daughter Anna has blocked all previous attempts at her father's biography, he and Saxony Garder--an intense woman also obsessed with France's life--head to Galen, Missouri, with high hopes of breaking down Anna's resistance. They are surprised to find Anna the soul of small-town hospitality and quite excited about Abbey's proposal--even eager to get the project finished as soon as possible. Even stranger than Anna's behavior is the town of Galen itself. On the surface, all is as a small midwestern town should be. But the people of the town seem to know what their future holds--freak accidents and all--down to the hour and are as eager for Abbey to finish the biography as Anna is.
As far as plot goes, The Land of Laughs doesn't break any new ground--it is a riff on a very old literary theme--and the more interesting issues the story raises--fate, free will, and the creative power of the written word--receive only a glancing blow as the story careens to its somewhat unsatisfying Gothic ending. That said, Carroll does show a good ear for dialogue and a deft hand at creating complex characters and quietly ominous moods. And the story--hoary plot line and all--immediately grabs you and doesn't let go. If you already know Jonathan Carroll from his other novels, you will want to add this reissue of his first novel to your library. And if you haven't yet been introduced to this inventive author, The Land of Laughs is the perfect place to begin. --Perry M. Atterberry
Have you ever loved a magical book above all others? Have you ever wished the magic were real? Welcome to The Land of Laughs. A novel about how terrifying that would be.Schoolteacher Thomas Abbey, unsure son of a film star, doesn't know who he is or what he wants--in life, in love, or in his relationship with the strange and intense Saxony Gardner. What he knows is that in his whole life nothing has touched him so deeply as the novels of Marshall France, a reclusive author of fabulous children's tales who died at forty-four.Now Thomas and Saxony have come to France's hometown, the dreamy Midwestern town of Galen, Missouri, to write France's biography. Warned in advance that France's family may oppose them, they're surprised to find France's daughter warmly welcoming instead. But slowly they begin to see that something fantastic and horrible is happening. The magic of Marshall France has extended far beyond the printed page...leaving them with a terrifying task to undertake.
Schoolteacher Thomas Abbey, unsure son of a film star, doesn't know who he is or what he wants--in life, in love, in his relationship with the strange and intense Saxony Gardner. What he knows is that in his whole life, nothing has touched him so deeply as the magical novels of Marshall France, a reclusive author of fabulous children's tales who died at 44. Now Thomas and Saxony have come to France's hometown, the dreamy Midwestern town of Galen, Missouri, to write France's biography. Warned in advance that France's family may oppose them, they're surprised to find France's daughter warmly welcoming them instead. But slowly they begin to see that something fantastic and horrible is happening. The magic of Marshall France has extended far beyond the printed page . . . leaving them with a terrifying task to undertake.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - France-cinating!
The blurbs about Carroll are right - he's good! This was my first exposure to him, and halfway through the book I started ordering his other books.
It's hard to say anything new about what an enjoyable read this is. I have noticed the more recent reviewers weren't exactly overwhelmed by the book. If the pacing were any faster, it wouldn't pack the same punch. If all the characters were "likable", the story couldn't be told. I also wonder what one of the reviewers has read that makes ... Read More
Rating:  - Not as creative or as entertaining as I had hoped.
I know that there is a difference between not liking a book and not liking a character in a book but in this case I couldn't help not liking this book or its author because of the novel's protagonist. The protagonist was dull and a male chauvinist. I was not compelled to empathize with the character on any level and I mostly found myself hoping for something awful to happen to him in the end. And when nothing awfully suited happens to him (At least nothing bodily awful happens to his character. If ... Read More
Rating: - Disappointing
The premise was good, but the pacing was slow and the ending was lousy. I don't understand the enthusiasm for this book.
Rating:  - Self-Invention/Self-Determination
Thomas Abbey leads an undistinguished, unsatisfying existence. He teaches English at a boy's prep school, but is chiefly known as the son of a glamorous 1940's film actor. He bitterly resents this constant association but feels unable to escape it. For his entire life he's lived in the shadow of his late father and their conflicted relationship. When he was a child, his greatest solace was found in the fanciful books of Marshall France, a reclusive writer who died at forty-four. One day, in an ... Read More
Rating: - Very good book - but not perfect
I'm a big fan of Haruki Murakami (Wind-up bird chronicle is a must read!) and Philip K. Dick and I had seen both of them compared stylistically to Carroll so I thought I would give him a go. I really enjoyed the Land of Laughs. there is a twilight zone aspect to it, however, I didn't find the book stretching on too long - if anything i would agree with those who said its ends too quickly. And yet, on the ending, I would say that it has a better ending than most books in this genre that want to lull ... Read More
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