On Jun 16, 2022, Kaleb Wade wrote:

Quote:

On Jun 15, 2022, AutarchicFlux wrote:
I generally quite like this booktest and plan to use it with my live audiences, however, in order to add to the information in the thread a bit, and provide some feedback to Kaleb, here are a few nitpicks:

1.) Some of the words in the long word list (I will not divulge them here in order not to engage in an undue amount of exposure) are technically words, and might not be spotted by 99% of spectators as a bit out of place for Shelley's writing style, but as someone who is literally a professor of English literature and philosophy (and has taught Frankenstein,) there were a few that seemed a bit out of place to me.

2.) The text of the book looks largely unsuspicious to most, but to anyone at all familiar with Shelley's novel, several major structural aspects are immediately off, such as the fact that the book does not contain the frame narrative about Sir Robert Walton.

3.) One of the words in the long word list, which I will divulge here just for the sake of clarity - "vegetations" - borders on not even being a word. You will find that it's not listed in some dictionaries, and certainly isn't a word any trained writer of English would ever use. "Vegetation" is already a collective noun. A lot of vegetation is just that - a lot of vegetation. Varied vegetation is varied vegetation. The only context in which one would *ever* say "vegetations" would be perhaps in talking about whole different ecosystems, but in that case, the word "ecosystems" would generally be used. While some of the other "out of place" words are a small quibble, this one does bother me a little. I feel like if I performed this for my academic colleagues, for instance, any of them would arch their brows at the appearance of this pretty-much-not-a-word in my reveal.

There you have it, my three small nitpicks. Am I overthinking it?

Thank you for taking the time to post on this thread. I will try my best to respond to some of your concerns the best I can. I hope this reply does not come across as defensive. However, I hope it will clear a few things up.

1) Although some of the long words may not appear in the original Mary Shelley novel, as I cover in the instruction booklet, all long words featured in Frankenstein are included for a specific reason. All 18 words fit into a system that grants you three to four direct hits of a long word with zero fishing.

2) The decision to omit the Robert Walton framework in this copy of Frankenstein was deliberate, as the flashback element of the book would be impossible to function in that section of the book if this had been included. I have constructed the book with the working performer in mind.

3) The inclusion of the word 'vegetations' has been used to fit in with the Alchemy system as all the words adopt particular characteristics. The word "vegetation" would not work in this system as it is only ten letters long. To my knowledge, "Vegetations" is a legitimate word, even if it does not appear in some dictionaries. I have taken the word "vegetations" directly from a dictionary website. And this is the case for the other 17 words. I understand where you are coming from with this as a professor of English literature, as it could be perceived not as perfect English. I cover this briefly in the instruction booklet:

"Obviously, this story has been SEVERELY edited to incorporate The 18 AlchEmy long words. I understand I will not win a Nobel prize for this story, but this book is for reading minds and not bedtime entertainment."

Are you overthinking? In my honest opinion, I believe this may be the case on this occasion. I can confidently say that you should never have a problem with the 'nitpicks' you've outlined. I perform in the trenches with this book test regularly in a close-up environment, and Frankenstein has endured hundreds upon hundreds of performances and inspection tests. Including inspections from people who have read and voiced they love the original.

Would I perform this for a bunch of English literature professors? Probably not! In the same way, I would not demonstrate a toxic force for a maths professor or an invisible deck effect for a magician. I sincerely hope this information makes you feel more at ease when using the book in the future.

Kind regards,
Kaleb

On Jun 16, 2022, George Hunter wrote:
This is, for the most part, a pretty useful thread. For the record, I have not perceived or experienced anyone as rude, or condescending, or overthinking.

George

On Apr 21, 2022, TheGingerWizard wrote:

I’ve got another confession to make …. (I know you sang that in your head because I’m a mentalist. I also know you are a Foo Fighters fan; If that didn’t hit, it’s your fault, think about it later or something) because I’ve been buying and using book tests for a long time I find it difficult to praise this one without ripping into other book tests to make a comparison, but I think it’s worth mentioning without getting into specifics the ones I have ruled out as I think it can only add weight to my recommendation. I stopped using the pocket MOABT, Area, All about eve, a bunch of Zandman books, Babel, Oasis, Flictionary, celebrity presage and probably some others for various different reasons. I say this only to point out that my opinion is genuinely considered and informed. I am not by any means saying some of those aren’t good, it’s just that whether it was down to size, printing, titles, funky words, too much interest drawn to the book itself or something else, I never found one that just felt ‘right’ for my purposes (an authentic looking and feeling book that can be checked out and dismissed as an ordinary object that is suitable for walk around.) Frankenstein absolutely does.

On Jun 21, 2022, saysold1 wrote:
This sounds like a fabulous and well executed book test - and bravo to the creator Caleb. I intend to grab a copy soon as I am also addicted to book tests. Love them.

However comparing this and saying it exceeds others like the massively good MOABT or my own Celebrity Presage (and all the others mentioned) really feels disingenuous. Maybe for you these other titles aren't as useful, but as performance artists we often need and use different tools depending on the show or situation. Each book test may have strengths/weaknesses (agreed) - but many of the one's you mention might work better than Frankenstein depending on the need or occasion. Your rave review is appreciated, but poo-pooing some of the best book tests on the market seems a bit over the top (yeah, I have a horse in the race - but I'm opinionated because I am also a full time performer). I love to see new ideas, but no matter how good the tool - not all tools are right for every gig or what one might be trying to achieve on stage. There is no such thing as a Swiss army knife book test, and in fact the more that some books try to do - the less good they are.

Also the need to learn 15+ brand new words for a new book test isn't always fun - especially when you've already memorized XX words from 5+ book tests. With this Frankenstein book test it may be well worth it to learn new words - but for me that's a slight put off. I intend to get it though as it sounds like a wonderful addition and tool - however I guarantee you that my MOABT PE or Celebrity Presage won't be displaced - as they are massively powerful tools that may work in different ways and may hit harder and better in some situations.

As a chef or cook, I like having a variety of delicious ingredients. Just sayin'

On Jun 20, 2022, Deeric wrote:
Will this fit into a back trouser or jacket pocket or do you carry it around during your gig?

On Aug 5, 2022, The Supernaturalist wrote:
I picked up this at an auction. Never heard it. Sounds great. Anyone know where I could buy the instructions? Thanks

On Aug 6, 2022, The Supernaturalist wrote:
It was in with 2 other book tests. A book test by the other brothers that the website for the instructions takes you to a website where I have won like 29 iPhones, and The Satanic book test which has some great ideas, but doesn't come with a book (instructions on what book to buy)and the whole routine is a bit dated, so at first I didn't think this book was gimmicked until I saw the FB principal. No worries, I got it all for a great price????