(Not)-new Moody book! Where will they explore?

[LucySnowe]

Sarah revised the first Moody book. I have many questions.

 

 

Quote

What was I working on this spring? It wasn’t Spring Days, but a thorough revision of Book #1: Summer with the Moodys. The Lord had placed this project on my heart several months ago. In the end, not only did the book undergo much editing, but also new content was added, in order to increase the original word count to make it comparable to the rest of the books in the series. Now, you can join the Moodys as they tour a … wait … I won’t give it away! Throughout the book, you’ll find new pieces of the story-line that have been sprinkled into the plot. Plus, my friend Abi drew new sketches. The original sketches had been done by my grandma, and they ended up not quite matching the style of the illustrations in the other books. I’m praising the Lord for His grace and help throughout the project. It was definitely quite an undertaking! The revised copies are now shipping.

 

Q1: Does this editing include style and grammar and actually making people sound like real people?

 

Q2: Where do the Moodys tour? (Whatever the reality, I think FJ will come up with far more interesting possibilities....)

 

Q3: She has a friend Abi? I thought the Maxwells weren't allowed friends!

 

Q4: Anyone else think that the sketches done by Grandma 'not quite matching the style of the illustrations in the other books' is code for 'Dad wanted her influence out of here'?

 

http://www.titus2.com/blog/index.php/2012/07/09/moody-project-unveiling/

[terranova]

Q1: Does this editing include style and grammar and actually making people sound like real people?

Q2: Where do the Moodys tour? (Whatever the reality, I think FJ will come up with far more interesting possibilities....)

Q3: She has a friend Abi? I thought the Maxwells weren't allowed friends!

Q4: Anyone else think that the sketches done by Grandma 'not quite matching the style of the illustrations in the other books' is code for 'Dad wanted her influence out of here'?

http://www.titus2.com/blog/index.php/20 ... unveiling/

1.) No, because Sarah doesn't talk to normal people so she doesn't know how they sound.

2.) Either the zoo or the dairy farm. I'm pretty sure those are the only two places Sarah's been in the last 10 years.

3.) I think Abi has been mentioned before. They see her sometimes at conferences, but she doesn't live close by. Maybe they're penpals.

Poor Sarah.

[LucySnowe]

3.) I think Abi has been mentioned before. They see her sometimes at conferences, but she doesn't live close by. Maybe they're penpals.

Ah, good catch. Yep, she's here at a conference in St Louis. Pic of her and Sarah, and also one of Sarah and Rebecca K! (captioned as 'Rebecca K and I--Rebecca faithfully comments on the blog, and it was a joy to see her again.'):

http://www.titus2.com/blog/index.php/2011/09/19/st-louis/

[Sola]

1. Doubtful. Sarah isn't allowed to read enough mainstream literature.

2. Probably a funeral home. That would be Steve-o's idea of a good field trip.

3. Abi probably comes from a family who have joined Steve-o's cult. With a bit of luck she will have an unmarried brother around the ages of 25 to 35.

4. Absolutely.

[Deleted07]

even the cat looks pissed to be there... I'm guessing something to do with animals with the dog on the front cover and photographing her with a cat... Vet? Zoo? Farm?

[kpmom]

Hmmm. I think the "illustrations not quite matching" is code for "My grandma can't draw worth shit compared to Abi".

I'm guessing they tour a nursing home, where Mr Moody is considering sticking his mother.

Why did they borrow the cat? Are they going to make it get stuck up a tree again?

[LucySnowe]

Hmmm. I think the "illustrations not quite matching" is code for "My grandma can't draw worth shit compared to Abi".

Can anyone who's actually seen these books comment on the art? Because if Abi's drawing is as skilful as Sarah's writing, my money's on Grandma.

[Justme]

Just another ploy to sell more books. Now "everyone" is going to re-buy the book. :roll:

[CanadianHippie]

I'd like to see the Moodys visit the natural history museum, question their faith and convert to liberal paganism.

[CanadianHippie]

Also, I took the time to read through the excerpts and aside from feeling dumber for it (and I just about misspelled 'dumber' too) I saw mention of a nursing home and cows...

[crawfishgirl]

Maybe they toured the Creation Museum? And the Moody father was so knowledgeable about it, that he even taught the tour guides a few more things?

[luckystone]

Ah, good catch. Yep, she's here at a conference in St Louis. Pic of her and Sarah, and also one of Sarah and Rebecca K! (captioned as 'Rebecca K and I--Rebecca faithfully comments on the blog, and it was a joy to see her again.'):

http://www.titus2.com/blog/index.php/20 ... /st-louis/

There is a comment on that blog from "Melanie of Australia". I knew a Melanie who became very obsessed with US culture and was quite religious (especially by Australian standards) and went to the US a couple of years ago to pursue nannying and fundamentalism. I wonder if that is her :shock: I know it's just a first name, but I'm quite curious...might have to try and find some more comments by her.

[LilMissMetaphor]

I hope they include the riveting anecdote of John finding Daddy's sunglasses under the bus seat, making a creaky sound! Good times, good times.

[WonderingInWA]

Okay, which one of us is "Miss Ellie"? LOLOLOL! LOVE the comment on their blog! Ha ha ha ha!

[WonderingInWA]

And does it appear to anyone else in the photo of Poor Sarah and the cat that it looks like she's ready to strangle it? "Ooooooo, soft kitty, but I'm just THISCLOSE from strangling someone and it might just be YOU!".

[jockosmom]

She is holding that cat rather strangely . . .

I think this is just a ploy to sell more books. In order to complete your Moody collection, you'll have to have the revised edition. :roll:

[marmalade]

Is this the scintillating volume in which the cat is treed? Do they visit a vet to see how the cat fared after it jumped 2 stories to the ground and broke its leg when it had to evade a Moody kid trying to catch it, altering its fall path? :roll:

[HoneyBunny]

I hope they include the riveting anecdote of John finding Daddy's sunglasses under the bus seat, making a creaky sound! Good times, good times.

Eating Greek yogurt when I read this. Big mess, big mess.

[Guest Anonymous]

That post made me feel so sad for Steve's mother, the original illustrator, back in 2003 (Mary Maxwell - Gram, according to the original text). How the fucking fucked up must one be, to even consider writing your dying mum out of the family history like that? What happened Steve? Did your sister ask to see a statement of your mum's royalties or something? Or are you punishing her for whatever your dad did to upset you way back when? Fucking scumbag, if there is a hell, you are headed straight there when you die.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

So will they give a free "revised" copies to the suckers who bought the earlier edition?? Not too often a librarian gets to catalog a revised novel for children--I'm sure they never considered the burden this could be! lol... Maybe they visit the precious old people in the retirement center and encourage them with their sweet fellowship?

[crazytalk]

The Lord had placed this project on my heart several months ago.

Really? This is the shit their lord is up in arms about? The fucking Moody book? Seriously? And this doesn't seem a little - um - odd to these folks? He doesn't like have a whole world to think of, what with the war, disease, and famine out there? He wants to place a Moody book on some girl's, I mean, GROWN ASS WOMAN's heart?

"Sorry Grandma, but the LORD purposed it upon my heart and all."

[slickcat79]

You can see the sample pages of the book here. I'm assuming those pages are from the original printing. One of the pages includes a drawing of a cow, and it looks fine to me. Not perfect, but way better than anything I could do, and certainly fine for a self-published, low circulation set of children's books. It's at least as good (if not better) than the drawings in the other Moody books. If my elderly(!) grandmother had actually taken the time to make original drawings for my FAMILY writing project, I would never repay her support by changing the drawings later.

I know it's been said, but the writing in those books is really terrible. No one talks like that, especially kids. Even when people used more formal speech on a regular basis, kids didn't talk like that. And the titles! What the hell? It's a damn shame Sarah's been robbed of all creativity by living with the Maxwells. You write Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring with the Moodys...then follow it up with Summer DAYS, Autumn DAYS, Winter DAYS with the Moodys? Yuck.

I also feel bad for that poor cat. It shouldn't have to be tortured just because Sarah has had all her imagination sucked out of her.

[LilMissMetaphor]

"We got wet at Mrs. Robinson's Clifton's, but it felt so good."

Perverts!

[Burris]

Mitch turned to Mom. "We got wet at Mrs. Clifton's but it felt so good....Mrs. Clifton told us we were welcome to play in her water when we wanted."

"Getting wet does feel good on hot days," Mom said. "The Bell's [sic] called..."

She stopped as she noticed Mitch. "You look hot."

I've mentioned this before: The Maxwells are so worried about people copying their intellectual treasures that they have every publicly available page of every Moody book on their site stamped with the word "Sample" -- you know, because otherwise...something...

I could get better writing from a fifth-grader. After he accepts some toothpicks and a rubber band in exchange for the copyrights, he can be an "author" in the same way as Sarah Maxwell is. Same limited vocabulary. Same poor sentence structure. Better editor, though.

People who buy these books are allowing ideological purity to trump literary quality.

[WonderingInWA]

OMG, the quotes from the book. Soooooo funny! Why doesn't Stevie at least have the worldly knowledge to know how to control the laughter factor here?