How to Succeed in Evil is not a self-help page for the maladjusted. It it is the story of Edwin Windsor, Evil Efficiency Consultant. He's like Arthur Anderson for Supervillians.
While an excellent tribute to a dying art, I don’t think this chapter will make it to the final text. We’ve already gotten an idea of Edwin, the man, and we’re itching to see/hear more understated wit and sarcasm.
Yes it gives a bit more insight to Edwin. In the chapters this hasn’t really been develved into much. Those of us that have listened to the original series know how refined and… Posh, for the lack of a better term, Edwin is but those that are being introduced to Edwin for the first time have yet to hear how truly Edwin has set himself apart.
To add to the above, this chapter is the first time Edwin’s father is mentioned. An opening of a subject not yet breached in original or new chapters. I for one, am interested. especially as the smallest mention of his father by the tailor caused the tailor to see a shift expertly described with, “this 32′nd of an inch was a vast gulf full of meaning”
I want to hear more about his father, yet at the same time. I almost don’t, as if the mention of Edwin’s father is to sacred to touch lest the pride and respect be lessened with mere details. My two cents would be to continue mentioning Ewdin’s father like this and perhaps later go into the past that made Edwin who he now. A second story to be put on the back burner so to speak.
Well Squire, you do have a point. And I have considered that question myself. It will be interesting to see what you make of the chapter after you’ve finished the book.
Nathan also has an interesting point. Did you listen to the original podcast episodes?
>I want to hear more about his father, yet at the same time. I almost don’t, as if the
>mention of Edwin’s father is to sacred to touch lest the pride and respect be lessened
>with mere details.
Yeah, don’t worry. We won’t be unpacking that box anytime soon. William Goldman (the guy who wrote the Princess Bride and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) had a great point about revealing character’s past’s.
In the movie Casablanca, we never learn what caused Rick to leave the United States. What awful thing he had done in his past that meant that he couldn’t return to his homeland. And because we don’t know, we get to fill it in with all kinds of things. But if it had been revealed to be a specific thing, well, then it’s not that bad.
Another film example. In the Patriot, as soon as Mel Gibson’s character explains what the awful thing he did at Fort Wilderness was, it doesn’t seem so awful anymore. But if he had never spoken of it. The dread of the awful unknowingness would have hung over his character in a way that a specific fact, no matter how awful, ever could have.
I just found this book on podiobooks and man I gotta tell you it’s amazing. It’s very funny with it’s dark humor and satire and has in my opinion a great insight into human behavior. Thanks a lot and keep up the good work! Can’t wait till the next episode.
I disagree with Squire. I think this chapter is almost integral to the story so far. In fact, it has made what has come before that much better. So far, there have been parts of this book that have made me cringe a little. Descriptions that are so sudden and physical that the part of me that’s a touch squeamish says, “Oh no. That did not just happen.” There are ways in which this story is vastly different from its original incarnation, and for a while, I wasn’t sure I liked it. But then there was this chapter.
Okay. So I’m going to try to explain myself, so bear with me.
This chapter is contrast. And it’s -perfect-. The fact that it touches on a new topic (Edwin’s father) is almost secondary to the elegance and order that it presents compared to other parts of the story. That’s what Edwin embodies: elegance and order. In many ways, it balances out the parts of the book that show the chaos and disorder that push Edwin to do what he does. By giving the readers a sense of what Edwin aspires to, it makes him more understandable and in the end I think it’ll make the squeamish part of me even more squeamish. But I’ll like it more, because it will balance better with the story as a whole. You get a startling image of what is, and through Edwin, a comfortable, elegant vision of what should be.
I think it’s integral to the story as well. But the best part about sharing my work with other is seeing how they react. For the first year of the Seanachai, I was only trying to generate an effect in the reader. That’s it. And I learned a lot by studying how people reacted, emotionally and intellectually, to my work.
Sometimes people’s reaction have nothing to do with the work. If your brother was killed by a midget, there’s no way Topper is going to be funny to you. If you are up in arms about the use of the word midget as opposed to little person, you’re going to focus on something other than my point.
Anyway, you got what I was after. -perfect- is high praise. I don’t think I have perfect in me just yet, but thanks anyway. The question for me is, how is this chapter going to set up and play well with the rest of the book.
I’d love to hear which parts made you squeamish and why? Are they related at all to parts you found funny?
Well, I’ll go with the part that sticks out for me the most. It’s actually in the first chapter, when Excelsior tries to save the pilot during the plane crash. I knew from that chapter that the story was going to have a different feel to it than its original incarnation.
Squeamish for me doesn’t really have to do with any experience that I’ve had. For example, my brother is alive and well, and I find Topper to be very funny and a very good foil for Edwin. I’m just the girl who looks out between her fingers during really gory scenes in movies. I don’t want to see it, but most of the time I still look anyway. I have even have trouble with things like scenes of medical procedures in House. However, I still watch and it doesn’t keep me from watching. It doesn’t usually even diminish my enjoyment of the work as long as it plays out well with the rest of the story. At first, I wasn’t sure if something like that the scene with Excelsior would fit well, but as you’ve gone on I’ve begun to revise my opinion.
As for your second question, it does depend on the moment. If I find it funny, I can separate it from the looking out between fingers inclination. For example, the subject of Edwin’s current host’s sexuality. Definitely a little disturbing in its way, but there’s enough humor to it to balance the ew factor somewhat. It’s still there, of course, but it’s not just, “Ew, that’s gross, I don’t want to look!” It manages to come off as funny. However, that first scene with Excelsior came off as more melancholy than humorous. I felt very sorry for the character. The very characteristics that should have made him a powerful and competent hero worked against him because he doesn’t really seem to understand himself, let alone how to use those powers. So my reaction does usually depend on what else is happening, and on the tone of the scene.
The more time you spend describing the aesthetics that appeal to Edwin, expensive suits, modernist furniture and surroundings the more he reminds me of Hercule Poirot.
Though the piano is almost Holmes violin, both of them are uniquely Edwin though, I don’t expect you to part the sea of clichés, especially not in a universe of super heroes.
Great phrase ‘part the sea of cliches’ That’s really what you’ve got to work with when it comes to the super-genre. Take Alabama. I’m sure there are lots of wonderful people there totally undeserving of the savage bashing the state is taking in this story. But we’re in that comic panel universe where everything (except Edwin) kinda needs to be in stereotypical extremes. Sorry Alabama.
All I can say is that I was speechless after listening to this chapter, and I wanted to go buy a really expensive suit. The writing was as inciteful and lush as any Seanachai episode. While I can understand how it might not be pivotal to the story, its removal would lessen the work. Hell, it would probably take away from the sight of a beautiful woman, the experience of a really good steak and maybe, just maybe, the whole of human experience.
While an excellent tribute to a dying art, I don’t think this chapter will make it to the final text. We’ve already gotten an idea of Edwin, the man, and we’re itching to see/hear more understated wit and sarcasm.
This chapter was Poetry.
Yes it gives a bit more insight to Edwin. In the chapters this hasn’t really been develved into much. Those of us that have listened to the original series know how refined and… Posh, for the lack of a better term, Edwin is but those that are being introduced to Edwin for the first time have yet to hear how truly Edwin has set himself apart.
To add to the above, this chapter is the first time Edwin’s father is mentioned. An opening of a subject not yet breached in original or new chapters. I for one, am interested. especially as the smallest mention of his father by the tailor caused the tailor to see a shift expertly described with, “this 32′nd of an inch was a vast gulf full of meaning”
I want to hear more about his father, yet at the same time. I almost don’t, as if the mention of Edwin’s father is to sacred to touch lest the pride and respect be lessened with mere details. My two cents would be to continue mentioning Ewdin’s father like this and perhaps later go into the past that made Edwin who he now. A second story to be put on the back burner so to speak.
Well Squire, you do have a point. And I have considered that question myself. It will be interesting to see what you make of the chapter after you’ve finished the book.
Nathan also has an interesting point. Did you listen to the original podcast episodes?
>I want to hear more about his father, yet at the same time. I almost don’t, as if the
>mention of Edwin’s father is to sacred to touch lest the pride and respect be lessened
>with mere details.
Yeah, don’t worry. We won’t be unpacking that box anytime soon. William Goldman (the guy who wrote the Princess Bride and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) had a great point about revealing character’s past’s.
In the movie Casablanca, we never learn what caused Rick to leave the United States. What awful thing he had done in his past that meant that he couldn’t return to his homeland. And because we don’t know, we get to fill it in with all kinds of things. But if it had been revealed to be a specific thing, well, then it’s not that bad.
Another film example. In the Patriot, as soon as Mel Gibson’s character explains what the awful thing he did at Fort Wilderness was, it doesn’t seem so awful anymore. But if he had never spoken of it. The dread of the awful unknowingness would have hung over his character in a way that a specific fact, no matter how awful, ever could have.
I just found this book on podiobooks and man I gotta tell you it’s amazing. It’s very funny with it’s dark humor and satire and has in my opinion a great insight into human behavior. Thanks a lot and keep up the good work! Can’t wait till the next episode.
Nothing specific on this episode; I just wanted to let you know that your podcast is something I really look forward to each day. Thanks.
I disagree with Squire. I think this chapter is almost integral to the story so far. In fact, it has made what has come before that much better. So far, there have been parts of this book that have made me cringe a little. Descriptions that are so sudden and physical that the part of me that’s a touch squeamish says, “Oh no. That did not just happen.” There are ways in which this story is vastly different from its original incarnation, and for a while, I wasn’t sure I liked it. But then there was this chapter.
Okay. So I’m going to try to explain myself, so bear with me.
This chapter is contrast. And it’s -perfect-. The fact that it touches on a new topic (Edwin’s father) is almost secondary to the elegance and order that it presents compared to other parts of the story. That’s what Edwin embodies: elegance and order. In many ways, it balances out the parts of the book that show the chaos and disorder that push Edwin to do what he does. By giving the readers a sense of what Edwin aspires to, it makes him more understandable and in the end I think it’ll make the squeamish part of me even more squeamish. But I’ll like it more, because it will balance better with the story as a whole. You get a startling image of what is, and through Edwin, a comfortable, elegant vision of what should be.
LPCampbell,
I think it’s integral to the story as well. But the best part about sharing my work with other is seeing how they react. For the first year of the Seanachai, I was only trying to generate an effect in the reader. That’s it. And I learned a lot by studying how people reacted, emotionally and intellectually, to my work.
Sometimes people’s reaction have nothing to do with the work. If your brother was killed by a midget, there’s no way Topper is going to be funny to you. If you are up in arms about the use of the word midget as opposed to little person, you’re going to focus on something other than my point.
Anyway, you got what I was after. -perfect- is high praise. I don’t think I have perfect in me just yet, but thanks anyway. The question for me is, how is this chapter going to set up and play well with the rest of the book.
I’d love to hear which parts made you squeamish and why? Are they related at all to parts you found funny?
Patrick,
Well, I’ll go with the part that sticks out for me the most. It’s actually in the first chapter, when Excelsior tries to save the pilot during the plane crash. I knew from that chapter that the story was going to have a different feel to it than its original incarnation.
Squeamish for me doesn’t really have to do with any experience that I’ve had. For example, my brother is alive and well, and I find Topper to be very funny and a very good foil for Edwin. I’m just the girl who looks out between her fingers during really gory scenes in movies. I don’t want to see it, but most of the time I still look anyway. I have even have trouble with things like scenes of medical procedures in House. However, I still watch and it doesn’t keep me from watching. It doesn’t usually even diminish my enjoyment of the work as long as it plays out well with the rest of the story. At first, I wasn’t sure if something like that the scene with Excelsior would fit well, but as you’ve gone on I’ve begun to revise my opinion.
As for your second question, it does depend on the moment. If I find it funny, I can separate it from the looking out between fingers inclination. For example, the subject of Edwin’s current host’s sexuality. Definitely a little disturbing in its way, but there’s enough humor to it to balance the ew factor somewhat. It’s still there, of course, but it’s not just, “Ew, that’s gross, I don’t want to look!” It manages to come off as funny. However, that first scene with Excelsior came off as more melancholy than humorous. I felt very sorry for the character. The very characteristics that should have made him a powerful and competent hero worked against him because he doesn’t really seem to understand himself, let alone how to use those powers. So my reaction does usually depend on what else is happening, and on the tone of the scene.
The more time you spend describing the aesthetics that appeal to Edwin, expensive suits, modernist furniture and surroundings the more he reminds me of Hercule Poirot.
Though the piano is almost Holmes violin, both of them are uniquely Edwin though, I don’t expect you to part the sea of clichés, especially not in a universe of super heroes.
Great phrase ‘part the sea of cliches’ That’s really what you’ve got to work with when it comes to the super-genre. Take Alabama. I’m sure there are lots of wonderful people there totally undeserving of the savage bashing the state is taking in this story. But we’re in that comic panel universe where everything (except Edwin) kinda needs to be in stereotypical extremes. Sorry Alabama.
All I can say is that I was speechless after listening to this chapter, and I wanted to go buy a really expensive suit. The writing was as inciteful and lush as any Seanachai episode. While I can understand how it might not be pivotal to the story, its removal would lessen the work. Hell, it would probably take away from the sight of a beautiful woman, the experience of a really good steak and maybe, just maybe, the whole of human experience.