Get your FFRREEEEE Moody book......

[treemom]

I cant believe Sarah wrote something that makes her mother sound like such a lazy sack of shit. But then again, why wouldn't she? As far as Sarah knows, all mothers do nothing but sit around all day and have no interest in their kids, because she hasn't seen another family in years.

That's the crazy thing. I have worked my son's whole life and when he was quite wee I was consulting and traveling every other week. And I was still more engaged and spent more time with my kids then what the Moody books indicates that Terri did.

[treemom]

Why thank you, voudoo! :)

I pronounce it GOTH- ard (goth to rhyme with moth and ard to rhyme with lard)

For fun I typed "neighbour" into the titus2 search box. The only thing that came up were bible verses from Sarah, and snarky comments that HAVE to be from people here because they referenced the Neighbours soap opera theme song. :lol: Along with one post about a visit with the Maxwell neighbours ... the family members next door! blog.titus2.com/2014/03/29/a-neighborly-invitation/

So FormerGothardite, I think you might be very lonely and have noone to be nice to, if you move to Kansas. They dont seem to do much to neighbours except sing to them at Christmas. :mrgreen:

Try neighbor, they likely used the American spelling.

[Elegant Mess]

Try neighbor, they likely used the American spelling.

The American spelling yields nine pages of entries. I haven't looked at them all, but most of the references I saw mention neighbors just in passing. There are several references to the brunches.

I found it rather amusing that in the posts about the brunches, nearly all of the pictures were of the Maxwells preparing the food or posing with each other - there might be one shot of the whole neighborhood group seated around the table. There are also few, if any, action shots of people interacting with each other.

[rosastrohhut]

I spent my precious time to read about 10% of the book - and I had to force myself through this nonesense. No imagination, no metaphors, no descriptions, I have to agree with the reviewer who thought it was written by a child.

I am currently writing my ba thesis on english fantasy literature and I am a well read woman, to me it seems Sarah just did not put enough time in it - or she is uneducated. But as my minor is Comparative Religious Studies, I can assure you one can take great stylistic devices from the bible (if this was the only reading material she had her whole life).

I will not comment on the plot, but I can not see traditional values like friendship, kindness and forgiveness (yet). It seems competetive and harsh to me to suggest/force your small child to set up a buisness in the summer holidays. I do not like Mr Moody. Too distanced from his children. Mrs Moody is weak - she should have supervised the last baking experience, and educated her child on safety in the kitchen.

If Sarah was one of my tutoring students I would hand the book back to her and tell her to work it through and substitute some expressions. Also she should walk into a bookshop and get a feeling for children's books style, maybe focus on an age group - and generally try not to be so boring in her descriptions.

I would not read this book to any child and I would rather read children's versions of biblical stories to them if I really wanted to focus on Christian values and lifestyle.

For any liberals of you: I came across a great feminist children's fairy tale: the mer child. Teaches equality and friendship despite of other-ness and differences, also teaches children to believe in themselves and live their dreams.

The illustrations are really beautiful, too.

[Elegant Mess]

Ahem!

:angry-soapbox:

Hey, Maxwells!! I just saw your latest blog post. We do NOT need to see SEVENTEEN pictures (yes, I counted!) of the guys pouring concrete for Joseph's back porch! I nearly fell asleep from boredom before I got to the almighty verse from Proverbs. Anna looks as equally bored!

Now, back to our regularly-scheduled snarking.

[Lillybee]

I thought that poor Anna's ankles looked swollen.

[nomoxian]

Ahem!

:angry-soapbox:

Hey, Maxwells!! I just saw your latest blog post. We do NOT need to see SEVENTEEN pictures (yes, I counted!) of the guys pouring concrete for Joseph's back porch! I nearly fell asleep from boredom before I got to the almighty verse from Proverbs. Anna looks as equally bored!

Now, back to our regularly-scheduled snarking.

Butt man... that BUTT... :nanner-sex:

http://b00i.imgup.net/butt2bbf.png

Hey Steve - your son is defrauding me!

[mango_fandango]

Butt man... that BUTT... :nanner-sex:

http://b00i.imgup.net/butt2bbf.png

Hey Steve - your son is defrauding me!

DAT ASS

[church_of_dog]

Ahem!

:angry-soapbox:

Hey, Maxwells!! I just saw your latest blog post. We do NOT need to see SEVENTEEN pictures (yes, I counted!) of the guys pouring concrete for Joseph's back porch! I nearly fell asleep from boredom before I got to the almighty verse from Proverbs. Anna looks as equally bored!

Now, back to our regularly-scheduled snarking.

Actually, the construction projects are the most enjoyable stuff about the Maxwells, I find. :hammer:

I'm in the process of designing a deck for my house, and I was carefully assessing the size of Joseph's patio, how he laid out the form and the rebar, etc.

I'd certainly rather see a post like this one than the reverse -- one with only one construction photo and seventeen Proverbs! :lol:

[Elegant Mess]

I'd certainly rather see a post like this one than the reverse -- one with only one construction photo and seventeen Proverbs! :lol:

To the above: True, that!

In principle, I could see how their construction project postings might be useful to others doing DIY projects and/or are thinking about various improvements to their own homes. However, when I see a lot of these blog entries, I don't come away with the feeling I'm being educated or inspired. The impression I come away with is more like "LOOK AT US!!! BECAUSE MAXWELL!!!" Now, if they had a sentence or two describing the significance of what is being done in each photo, and perhaps some pointers of pitfalls to avoid, then I might come away with a different impression. (Edited to add: Likewise, if they were more open about comments on their blog entries, where people could ask about various construction techniques and get quality responses, that would also look more favorable.)

[halcionne]

Butt man... that BUTT... :nanner-sex:

http://b00i.imgup.net/butt2bbf.png

Hey Steve - your son is defrauding me!

omg the third pic

:naughty:

[church_of_dog]

To the above: True, that!

In principle, I could see how their construction project postings might be useful to others doing DIY projects and/or are thinking about various improvements to their own homes. However, when I see a lot of these blog entries, I don't come away with the feeling I'm being educated or inspired. The impression I come away with is more like "LOOK AT US!!! BECAUSE MAXWELL!!!" Now, if they had a sentence or two describing the significance of what is being done in each photo, and perhaps some pointers of pitfalls to avoid, then I might come away with a different impression. (Edited to add: Likewise, if they were more open about comments on their blog entries, where people could ask about various construction techniques and get quality responses, that would also look more favorable.)

True. For me it's kinda like looking at Google Images, without going to any of the actual webpages -- just visual images with a bit of landscape context, but no actual explanations or specs... But certainly not the godly inspiration they apparently think they are.

[Naga Viper]

Back on topic for a moment: I finally finished reading the fucking thing. What do I win?

One of the things that makes me saddest about the book is Sarah feeling the need to include the "Not All Fiction!" section at the end. Well, no shit. Given the paucity of ideas in the whole endeavor, I really have to wonder what her first drafts looked like, seeing as she also says she got input from quite a few people. As it is, a story with less going on would verge on abstraction.

Having been exposed to actual literature in their prior lives—presumably—I also wonder what Steve and Teri really thought of the final product. Are they so divorced from reality by now (or, well, in 2003) that they thought this was legitimately good, or did they at some point just look at each other and shrug like, "Well, this is the best we'll get out of her"? I'm guessing the former.

[Elegant Mess]

Having been exposed to actual literature in their prior lives—presumably—I also wonder what Steve and Teri really thought of the final product. Are they so divorced from reality by now (or, well, in 2003) that they thought this was legitimately good, or did they at some point just look at each other and shrug like, "Well, this is the best we'll get out of her"? I'm guessing the former.

Yes, I also think the former is more likely. In my opinion, the Maxwells are more concerned about providing a model of their perception of the godly family than providing a quality reading experience for children.

Given that many others in this discussion have also commented on the similarities between the Moodys and the Maxwells, this also echoes my complaint in the thread entry above regarding the blog posts. It's yet another manifestation of "LOOK AT US!!! BECAUSE MAXWELL!!!"

As to what you win? How about two animal crackers! :wink-kitty:

[Brittany15]

Yes, I also think the former is more likely. In my opinion, the Maxwells are more concerned about providing a model of their perception of the godly family than providing a quality reading experience for children.

Given that many others in this discussion have also commented on the similarities between the Moodys and the Maxwells, this also echoes my complaint in the thread entry above regarding the blog posts. It's yet another manifestation of "LOOK AT US!!! BECAUSE MAXWELL!!!"

As to what you win? How about two animal crackers! :wink-kitty:

I also think that the Maxwells are slightly blinded by the fact that they are so close to these stories. They know more details about what is happening and find the "jokes" funnier because they actually lived these stories. This is the huge problem with self publishing, anyone who is giving feedback on the story knows a lot more details than the readers. We found certain details lacking, but the Maxwells didn't because they lived most of this. I remember in one book someone summarized for us their was some part were the kids recall a "beany hand" and it is hilarious but the readers are never let in on the joke. The Maxwells probably thought this was hilarious too because they probably new the joke.

[Elegant Mess]

Yes, I'll agree with you that there is a "blind spot" element as well. Likewise, even if Sarah could impart a family joke in the Moody context with her limited grasp of vocabulary and grammar, would other children who are less insulated from society find it funny? I know I, for one, did not find Teri's "cheese wrapper" incident nearly as funny as the Maxwells did.

This definitely hits on what others have said: Sarah needs to work with a real editor, not simply a proofreader (whatever that means in the Maxwell context :shrug: ), to have all of these things pointed out to her.