Name that book?

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by alecE

I am convinced that sometime in the early 1960's I read a book that included the phrase "Coachman, coachman, whip up the horses! The rear wheel has fallen off and the postilion has been struck by lightning!"

I thought 'whipping up the horses' meant to go faster - wouldn't that be a strange thing to do in such circumstances?

[JayCeeEll]

Does someone know of this Sci-Fi book I read in the early 80's.

Set in the US (probably) the main plot surrounds the creation and spreading of millions of small glass beads capable of recording and playing back what they see.

I think the hero/inventor may murder or have his wife murdered.

[alecE]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I thought 'whipping up the horses' meant to go faster - wouldn't that be a strange thing to do in such circumstances?

I think the absurdity may be deliberate

[Jadon]

Originally Posted by JayCeeEll

small glass beads capable of recording and playing back what they see.

These elements appear (in separate stories) in the Slow Glass patchwork novel Other Days, Other Eyes by Bob Shaw.

[JayCeeEll]

Originally Posted by Jadon

Other Days, Other Eyes by Bob Shaw.

That is the one, thank you.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by alecE

I am convinced that sometime in the early 1960's I read a book that included the phrase "Coachman, coachman, whip up the horses! The rear wheel has fallen off and the postilion has been struck by lightning!" I had thought it was Jerome K Jerome's 'Three Men on the Bummel' but the Gutenberg etext I downloaded does not have this phrase at all (neither does it have the dialogue I remember between the narrator and a German shopkeeper regarding the purchase of a collar stud). Can anybody help? This is really bugging me now.

It might be The life of Voltaire By Evelyn Beatrice Hall, Stephen G. Tallentyre

http://books.google.com/books?id=MDA...esult&resnum=5

[ilovejedd]

Help, I'm looking for a story written from the point of view of a dog. Can't remember if he was a stray or not but he's intelligent, manipulative and has a superiority complex towards humans. It's a fairly humorous work of fiction that I read back when I was still in high school, but, for the life of me, I can't remember what the title or who the author is now.

Thanks!

[vivaldirules]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Help, I'm looking for a story written from the point of view of a dog. Can't remember if he was a stray or not but he's intelligent, manipulative and has a superiority complex towards humans. It's a fairly humorous work of fiction that I read back when I was still in high school, but, for the life of me, I can't remember what the title or who the author is now.

Thanks!

You called? (Intelligent? Manipulative? Superior? Absolutely! Hey, I should write a book!)

[Patricia]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Help, I'm looking for a story written from the point of view of a dog. Can't remember if he was a stray or not but he's intelligent, manipulative and has a superiority complex towards humans. It's a fairly humorous work of fiction that I read back when I was still in high school, but, for the life of me, I can't remember what the title or who the author is now.

Thanks!

Mark Twain's A Dog's Tale might be the one you mean.

Here's the opening:

My father was a St. Bernard, my mother was a collie, but I am a Presbyterian. This is what my mother told me, I do not know these nice distinctions myself. To me they are only fine large words meaning nothing. My mother had a fondness for such; she liked to say them, and see other dogs look surprised and envious, as wondering how she got so much education. But, indeed, it was not real education; it was only show: she got the words by listening in the dining-room and drawing-room when there was company, and by going with the children to Sunday-school and listening there; and whenever she heard a large word she said it over to herself many times, and so was able to keep it until there was a dogmatic gathering in the neighborhood, then she would get it off, and surprise and distress them all, from pocket-pup to mastiff, which rewarded her for all her trouble.

Even better, vivaldirules has already uploaded it into our library.
LRF:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20938
Mobi/prc:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20939
IMP
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20940

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by Patricia

Mark Twain's A Dog's Tale might be the one you mean.

Nope, that's not it. Reading the summary and beginning, it's too dramatic to be the book I was looking for. The story's more contemporary and the dog was very tongue-in-cheek.

I'm happy to report I found the book on Amazon. The title is "A Dog's Life" by Peter Mayle. Unfortunately, it's not available in ebook format. I kinda had a feeling that was the title but when I did a Google search for it yesterday, the result I got was written by Ann M. Martin.

[markbond1007]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Ohh, maybe somebody here can help me!

There was this book, I read when I was 11 or 12.

I hardly remember the story, but one fact did stick in my mind.

It was about a boy, a slave, who escaped his slavery. He had a medallion, it was his and it proved he was some kind of king (I think it was) in some faraway land. I don't really remember the story, except that that medallion was very important.

Sounds a bit like the cartoon "Mysterious cities of Gold" (now this could have been from a book obviously, but I dont know)..

Mark

[JSWolf]

Does this thread still need to be a sticky?

[John F]

I'm looking for a book I read about 30 years ago. It was fantasy. It was about someone (two men I believe) from the present who get transported to a medevil/fantasy type setting. He has an M1 rifle with him. They fight an evil villan (a wizard), I think. They walk around a lake. The barrel of the M1 gets bent (it gets stuck under a helmet when he shoots it). I thought the author first name was Terry (I checked Terry Goodkind and Terry brooks, quickly, and nothing stood out). How's that for a memory.

Thanks.

[vivaldirules]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Does this thread still need to be a sticky?

Personally, I would prefer that it stay a sticky, Jon. There seems to a regular flow of people with the same desire and it's good to have an easy place to find the thread.

[wayspooled]

Originally Posted by John F

I'm looking for a book I read about 30 years ago. It was fantasy. It was about someone (two men I believe) from the present who get transported to a medevil/fantasy type setting. He has an M1 rifle with him. They fight an evil villan (a wizard), I think. They walk around a lake. The barrel of the M1 gets bent (it gets stuck under a helmet when he shoots it). I thought the author first name was Terry (I checked Terry Goodkind and Terry brooks, quickly, and nothing stood out). How's that for a memory.

Thanks.

Doomfarers of Coramonde by Brian Daley?