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KOTAH Inner circle 2289 Posts |
Someone once said, " Life is like a box of chocolates". To me, Richard Graysons' first book; "Weepin' Willie " was a snack sized bag of potato chips. A little salty, but after the first few chips ( pages) you had a craving to keep trying a few more. after the bag was empty, then came the inevitible 'thirst'.
Richard had laid the ground work, introducing the main characters in a story line to be continued. And continue it has ! I am so pleased to offer the following review of the second book. "Return To Hayville- weepin'willie, Vol. 2. Almost 200 pages longer than volume one plus photographs and poems. For me it was 2oo addituinal pages of joy, gallows humor, and insites , many think but will not say. such honesty is a rarity in modern society. he speaks to the fears we share, of life and death and love. If the reader is not too prudish and has the capacity to laugh when he sees his own foibles and frailities . . . " return To haville might just be the book for them / for us. I laughed and enjoyed book one, I laughed more and even harder in Vol. 2 having been introduced to many pf Hayvilles' residents earlier, they now sprung to life like old friends here in book 2. we learn so much more about them than we had previously known. I began to understand them better, wht they did what they did, and thought the way/ felt the way they did. Richard and I began to evolve, and learn to accept our differences. Do we ever really know or understand the people we interact with? Do we ever really know or understand our own thoughts or actions? At the heart of it all, this book by richard Grayson is strangely spiritual and deep. far removed from matter of our mortal coil, the mystery of the difference between a fart and a butt sneeze is finally revealed! The book has been well crafted, and ends in an unexpected cliff hanger fashion. Is the source of a recent threat to Hayville, hidden in or near Krystal Lake? Will Richard Grayson eventually publish a Vol.3? If he does, I most certainly want to read it. Ronald Dayton |
Godzilla Inner circle Tied & Untied Witches on 5316 Posts |
Holly Bat Cow, Kotah!
Could, this Richard(Dick) Grayson be the "Caped Crusader" sidekick, Robin ? (Zap) (Pow) (Zing) (Bop) I, have read and enjoyed the books about are beloved, Willie!
"If you watch Godzilla backwards, it's about a big ass lizard who helps rebuild a half burnt-down city, then moonwalks back into the ocean"
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fredr500 Loyal user Cary, NC 287 Posts |
Thanks for the reminder. I finished book 1 and am about 1/4 the way through book 2. Somehow it got bumped down the priority list, this review just moved it back to the top of the bedside pile.
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Check out Funeral Sampler and over 200 reviews http://rosemagic.com Author of The Sweet Psychic, http://thesweetpsychic.com ECSS I, II, III IV, and V alumnus PEA Member, IBM and SAM Life Member |
Philemon Vanderbeck Inner circle Seattle, WA 4694 Posts |
It took me awhile, but I finally finished both volumes.
First of all, Richard is to be congratulated for penning two books, and as hinted above, it is clear that there should be at least a third to complete the trilogy (since Vol. 2 ends rather abruptly). However, Richard could benefit from a good proofreader/copyeditor. There are quite a few typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors, and for me, that tends to throw me out of the narrative, albeit briefly. When I ordered my copies, I wasn't too sure what to expect. I suppose I was hoping for insight into Richard's 'nom de theatre' and learn more about his fascinating persona. Instead, I discovered that the narrator was Richard himself, and the books describe the circumstances of his arrival into Hayville, a strange community peopled by unusual characters (including Weepin' Willie). The story lacks formal structure, and there are many sections that are simply conversations that espouse some philosophical viewpoint or else, awkwardly relate some ancient joke. Throughout we garner insight into Richard's mind, and I can only assume that the narrative is a disguised autobiography with fantastical elements. As typical, I usually find at least one gem of an idea in anything I read, and in this case, the heart of the novels seems hidden away in a commentary made regarding the birth of jokes. One of the characters muses on the possibility that no one ever writes a joke, but rather jokes come from the retelling of true stories that eventually obtain a comic element. A fascinating premise and one I hope that Richard further develops in the third book. As tends to be the case with all fledgling authors, Richard's prose is still rough around the edges, but the passion and joy of writing is there, along with the desire to share one's ideas with the rest of the world. For that alone, Richard is to be commended and encouraged to continue his efforts. He has created a fascinating town peopled with interesting residents, and future visits are to be anticipated.
Professor Philemon Vanderbeck
That Creepy Magician "I use my sixth sense to create the illusion of possessing the other five." |
weepinwil Inner circle USA 3828 Posts |
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On May 3, 2017, Philemon Vanderbeck wrote: Thanks for your review of Richard's books and your commendation; writing is hard work and takes a lot of time. You are correct, there is a third book in the series. It is unpublished at this time. You are also correct about the typos in volume 1. It was the first time I had dealt with the publishing company and I was expecting them to do the edit but they didn't. Then again, I guess it makes Richard's claim more believable that he is not a writer but just a person who wants to tell a story. Volume 2 should have been a bit better because I did have it proofed. I congratulate you, my friend, for not only trudging through the two volumes but because you are the only one to realize the work is an autobiography. I had to state that all the characters were fiction for the publishing company to accept it, but in reality, I could introduce you to each and every character, including Willie. I can take you to Hayville, which is the town I was reared in as a youth. Most of the experiences are real, as well, and some of the conversation is verbatim. I even left some of the names as the real names. It seems so surreal because I embellished and exaggerated some of the situations and combined two or more into one. The jokes are thrown in to lead the reader to the point you picked out, that life itself is a joke and when retold becomes viewed as only a joke in the process, so don't take yourself so seriously. Unless you are Willie, of course. Another of the underlying themes is the process the town takes when the Beating Heart is discovered; a progress that isn't always good and changes the town drastically. Thanks again for reading.
"Til Death us do part!" - Weepin Willie
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Delimbeau Special user May the magic be with you 596 Posts |
Willie,
I don't know how I could have missed this. I immediately ordered the two books from Amazon. Looking forward to reading them! Luc. |
weepinwil Inner circle USA 3828 Posts |
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On Aug 25, 2017, Delimbeau wrote: If you can cancel your order, I can sell them autographed for much less. Not sure they can fill the order as I let it run out this year so it may no longer be available from Amazon.
"Til Death us do part!" - Weepin Willie
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Dr. O Veteran user NC 395 Posts |
Will you have copies of your book at ECSS for sale?
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weepinwil Inner circle USA 3828 Posts |
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On Aug 25, 2017, Dr. O wrote: I wish I could but unfortunately, I am unable to attend the ECSS events. Thanks for asking.
"Til Death us do part!" - Weepin Willie
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Delimbeau Special user May the magic be with you 596 Posts |
I’ve finished reading Weepin’ Willie’s first book (or actually ‘Rich-ard Grayson’s’ book (or actually ....’s book)) called ‘Weepin’ Willie’. I thought I might add a couple of thoughts here. I very much enjoyed reading the book. In one sentence: there is nothing like it! It can certainly change the way in which you can think about death and dead people. Death becomes a bit more normal. The book is very explicit and in some instances it went a bit too far, according to my taste. However, the book kept me interested all the way. I believe there were some previous comments on the congruence of the way it is written and the ‘attention span’ of the reader. Sometimes, the descriptions are indeed a bit long, but I didn’t experience that as annoying. The book contains a lot (a lot!) of ‘relativistic’ humor and many (many!) interesting wise lessons that life has to offer. The style and intelligence of the writing made me think of Hunter S. Thompson several times (particularly of his great ‘Rum Diary’). I hope Willie takes that as a compliment. I’m not expert, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there could come a great cult movie out of this book. ‘Warmly’ recommended! I’m glad I didn’t have to use Willie’s unique unlimited no money back guarantee. I’m going the read the follow-up book soon.
Thanks Willie! Cheers, Luc. |
weepinwil Inner circle USA 3828 Posts |
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On Sep 18, 2017, Delimbeau wrote: Thank you for your king words. When I signed a contract to publish, I kept movie and theme park rights. But alas, nothing yet. I am so glad you enjoyed it. I think you will find volume 2 even more eccentric. As a side, if anyone is interested in purchasing these books let me know. I have about 20 copies left and can provide an autographed copy less than you can usually buy online.
"Til Death us do part!" - Weepin Willie
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gothicmagic Inner circle Ubiquitous 1374 Posts |
Willie,
if you would be so kind to PM me some info on ordering the books, I'd be interested in ordering in a week or so
Vlad ^0^
One of The Founding Fathers of The East Coast Spirit Sessions & Co Producer of Bizarre hauntings ECSS I,II,III,IV,V,VI Order of the Hexidic |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The spooky, the mysterious...the bizarre! » » RETURN TO HAYVILLE - a review (4 Likes) |
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