What do you think?
Rate this book
Characters in Search of a Novel
Names! They fascinate writer Molly D. Campbell. Always curious about how a name might influence personality, Molly began a Twitter stream of names with one-sentence descriptions that soon took over her imagination. Loretta Squirrels, a moonshiner who also beats up her husband, gained notoriety on Twitter. Loretta was swiftly followed by eccentric dentists, dogs with human characteristics, cab drivers, Country and Western singers, and a movie star or two. Each story in Characters In Search of a Novel is a quick & often rib-tickling read—this book is just what you’d want on vacation, in a waiting room, or on a long plane ride.
204 pages, Paperback
First published September 4, 2012
2 people are currently reading
592 people want to read
About the author
Molly D. Campbell
5 books124 followersMolly is a 2 time Erma Bombeck award winning writer. She hosts her own humor blog in addition to writing for the popular Moms' website, "Moms Who Need Wine."
Molly has two grown daughters, who pay their own bills. She is proud of them. Molly is also married to an accordion player. This isn't such a wonderful thing.
Molly loves cake, reading, exfoliating, sleeping late, and going out to dinner, but not necessarily in that order.
Her book, "Characters in Search of a Novel," IS novel. Sketches and stories about everyday people, Matthew Bombeck calls it "a wonderful book."
Molly's second book, KEEP THE ENDS LOOSE, is a coming of age story with twists and turns--family loyalty is challenged when a deep secret is revealed.
Molly's novel, CROSSING THE STREET, tells of a eventful friendship between Beck, a disillusioned writer, and Bob, a precocious and lonely little girl.
Molly’s third novel, The World Came to Us, features mother and daughter recluses, whose year of solitude is anything but.
Molly has two grown daughters, who pay their own bills. She is proud of them. Molly is also married to an accordion player. This isn't such a wonderful thing.
Molly loves cake, reading, exfoliating, sleeping late, and going out to dinner, but not necessarily in that order.
Her book, "Characters in Search of a Novel," IS novel. Sketches and stories about everyday people, Matthew Bombeck calls it "a wonderful book."
Molly's second book, KEEP THE ENDS LOOSE, is a coming of age story with twists and turns--family loyalty is challenged when a deep secret is revealed.
Molly's novel, CROSSING THE STREET, tells of a eventful friendship between Beck, a disillusioned writer, and Bob, a precocious and lonely little girl.
Molly’s third novel, The World Came to Us, features mother and daughter recluses, whose year of solitude is anything but.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 3, 2013
Where I got the book: review copy provided by author, thanks! And signed!
I've known Molly Campbell for a while online, and have participated in her Twitter "characters in search of a novel" games. Some of the character names and descriptions she throws out immediately spark a personality in my head, so I was interested to see what Molly's head comes up with when she's left to her own devices.
This was a pretty entertaining book of character sketches with some really excellent names. It's a super-quick read, each character pleasingly illustrated by artist Randy Palmer (he can do a caricature of me any day). There was enough variety and different approaches to the characters to keep me interested, and although I'm no regular consumer of humor books, this one kept me paging through. It reminded me that it's great characters that make fiction strong, and that it's worthwhile spending some time in your characters' heads before you put them down on the page. My personal favorite out of the lineup is Veronica Stabbs, partly because she reminds me of someone I know and partly because the narrator's voice is a novel in the making.
Difficult to rate, though - it's an apples to apples thing. I've gone for four stars because I can't rate the experience of reading a book of this sort in the same way as a novel - I definitely prefer my reading on the long side. But I can see the value of this book as a gift to both writers and readers, or to that quirky relative who's always describing the weirdos he saw at the train station. I hesitate to call a book "unique," but this one may just deserve the title.
I've known Molly Campbell for a while online, and have participated in her Twitter "characters in search of a novel" games. Some of the character names and descriptions she throws out immediately spark a personality in my head, so I was interested to see what Molly's head comes up with when she's left to her own devices.
This was a pretty entertaining book of character sketches with some really excellent names. It's a super-quick read, each character pleasingly illustrated by artist Randy Palmer (he can do a caricature of me any day). There was enough variety and different approaches to the characters to keep me interested, and although I'm no regular consumer of humor books, this one kept me paging through. It reminded me that it's great characters that make fiction strong, and that it's worthwhile spending some time in your characters' heads before you put them down on the page. My personal favorite out of the lineup is Veronica Stabbs, partly because she reminds me of someone I know and partly because the narrator's voice is a novel in the making.
Difficult to rate, though - it's an apples to apples thing. I've gone for four stars because I can't rate the experience of reading a book of this sort in the same way as a novel - I definitely prefer my reading on the long side. But I can see the value of this book as a gift to both writers and readers, or to that quirky relative who's always describing the weirdos he saw at the train station. I hesitate to call a book "unique," but this one may just deserve the title.
October 30, 2012
Amazon.com review:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R38G2KW8...
The most remarkable thing about Molly Campbell's CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF A NOVEL is that quite a few of these characters may not need one; in just a few hundred words, she's given them complete stories. The fact that each of these stories has a unique and distinctive voice is also remarkable. These characters were born out the author's fascination with odd names and first introduced themselves through her Twitter account (@mollydcampbell), but she's really brought them to life here.
Molly is a two-time Erma Bombeck Award winner, so the reader would expect to find humor in her stories--and it's there, but many of them also have an unexpected poignancy and hint at unexplored facets to their characters. Those are the ones that I most hope will find their novels.
CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF A NOVEL can be a quick cover-to-cover read, but may be best enjoyed a few stories at a time, savored. It provides some wonderful examples of the art of character creation--but more importantly, Molly Campbell has created characters you'll want to know.
http://www.amazon.com/review/R38G2KW8...
The most remarkable thing about Molly Campbell's CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF A NOVEL is that quite a few of these characters may not need one; in just a few hundred words, she's given them complete stories. The fact that each of these stories has a unique and distinctive voice is also remarkable. These characters were born out the author's fascination with odd names and first introduced themselves through her Twitter account (@mollydcampbell), but she's really brought them to life here.
Molly is a two-time Erma Bombeck Award winner, so the reader would expect to find humor in her stories--and it's there, but many of them also have an unexpected poignancy and hint at unexplored facets to their characters. Those are the ones that I most hope will find their novels.
CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF A NOVEL can be a quick cover-to-cover read, but may be best enjoyed a few stories at a time, savored. It provides some wonderful examples of the art of character creation--but more importantly, Molly Campbell has created characters you'll want to know.
January 31, 2020
What a joy. What a treasure. This unique, creative book provided many entertaining reading hours. Molly D. Campbell has been a favorite blogger and author, and she didn’t disappoint with this imaginative gem. Certainly, Randy Palmer’s spot-on illustrations/caricatures added to the enjoyment. Highly recommended.
October 16, 2012
Filled with colorful character vignettes, Molly Campbell's CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF A NOVEL is a fun, unexpected read. Based on the Twitter account of the same name, Molly has compiled her most popular character creations into a single volume and brought them to life with sharp, funny illustrations. The result is a "family" of folks whose passions, quirks, and occasional misadventures will keep you turning the pages - just to see what Molly has dreamed up next.
November 2, 2012
Molly Campbell has created a truly unique compilation of characters that anyone would love to spend time with, or perhaps have a drink with! In each character vingette, Molly's voice and humor spills out, which makes this a thoroughly entertaining read. I ripped through this book but plan on going back to it to pick my favorites. I am hoping that Molly will follow this book up with a novel including some of--or all of--these characters!
April 3, 2022
This was a unique premise and I enjoyed the format; the illustrations added to the experience. Some stories were funny, some were sad, some were so-so and a few I didn’t care for. This is a book you can finish in one sitting or put it down periodically and read a few at a time. Overall it was imaginative and entertaining, and I was able to imagine a whole story built around some of the characters.
May 30, 2013
Molly D Campbell’s book, Characters In Search of a Novel, is an unusual collection that delivers exactly what it says on the cover. Its pages are filled with vignettes, each one depicting a completely different character. Some of them are hilariously over the top and others are so close to reality that they make for a disturbing read.
There is a change in voice for each character. Sometimes the change is subtle and other times it is a beautiful orchestrated change, like the first person account of Birdie Motts or the deep southern drawl of Loretta Squirrels.
Molly D Campbell’s attention to detail is remarkable, as if she is really seeing through the eyes of her characters. She brings them to life through mundane tasks and simple pleasures, giving each one an unique view of the world around them, and they are all accompanied by a caricature by a wonderful artist named Randy Palmer.
My favourite one of the collection has to be Fred Smalls. Fred is a dog and it is written from the point of view of his owner’s daughter, Starla Smalls. Starla has to write an essay describing her favourite person and she picks the family dog. The piece is written as if Fred were human which leads to some laugh-out-loud descriptive writing.
My only dislike with this collection is that I would have liked to have seen the stories of the characters developed more, rather than being mainly based on describing the characters themselves. It’s not the type of book that I could become engrossed in, but it does make for a wonderful series of five minute reads.
Here’s hoping that Molly D Campbell finds the novel ideas for these characters and gives us the pleasure of many more books in the future.
There is a change in voice for each character. Sometimes the change is subtle and other times it is a beautiful orchestrated change, like the first person account of Birdie Motts or the deep southern drawl of Loretta Squirrels.
Molly D Campbell’s attention to detail is remarkable, as if she is really seeing through the eyes of her characters. She brings them to life through mundane tasks and simple pleasures, giving each one an unique view of the world around them, and they are all accompanied by a caricature by a wonderful artist named Randy Palmer.
My favourite one of the collection has to be Fred Smalls. Fred is a dog and it is written from the point of view of his owner’s daughter, Starla Smalls. Starla has to write an essay describing her favourite person and she picks the family dog. The piece is written as if Fred were human which leads to some laugh-out-loud descriptive writing.
My only dislike with this collection is that I would have liked to have seen the stories of the characters developed more, rather than being mainly based on describing the characters themselves. It’s not the type of book that I could become engrossed in, but it does make for a wonderful series of five minute reads.
Here’s hoping that Molly D Campbell finds the novel ideas for these characters and gives us the pleasure of many more books in the future.
August 26, 2013
Don't you hate it when you read a humor book and the author takes each joke/funny situation too far? It's an insult to the reader’s intelligence, a doubt that we are smart enough to pick up on the nuances.
Molly D. Campbell doesn't do that, which makes "Characters in Search of a Novel" a refreshing read (I wanted to call it a novel, but it isn't that. It isn't a collection of short stories or short shorts or even brief essays. It's something altogether different, which is its biggest strength).
Campbell has assembled a series of vignettes that are humorous, yes, but also endearing. We like these people, these downtrodden folks, namely because we can see pieces of ourselves and our insecurities in their plights. From a woman dying of a broken heart to a college student teetering on the edge (my favorite) to a couple reuniting after years apart, each "sketch" highlights a subtle humor that is almost heartbreaking in a good, gasping-with-a-laugh sort of way.
The characters are unique yet strangely familiar: We know these people. They live in our neighborhoods, work with us, shuffle behind us in the grocery store.
I highly recommend "Characters in Search of a Novel." It's funny, crisp, endearing and real.
That said, the book would have flirted with brilliance if the segments had intertwined a larger, underlining story.
P.S. The sketches that accompany each character (by Randy Palmer) are a refreshing and clever touch.
Molly D. Campbell doesn't do that, which makes "Characters in Search of a Novel" a refreshing read (I wanted to call it a novel, but it isn't that. It isn't a collection of short stories or short shorts or even brief essays. It's something altogether different, which is its biggest strength).
Campbell has assembled a series of vignettes that are humorous, yes, but also endearing. We like these people, these downtrodden folks, namely because we can see pieces of ourselves and our insecurities in their plights. From a woman dying of a broken heart to a college student teetering on the edge (my favorite) to a couple reuniting after years apart, each "sketch" highlights a subtle humor that is almost heartbreaking in a good, gasping-with-a-laugh sort of way.
The characters are unique yet strangely familiar: We know these people. They live in our neighborhoods, work with us, shuffle behind us in the grocery store.
I highly recommend "Characters in Search of a Novel." It's funny, crisp, endearing and real.
That said, the book would have flirted with brilliance if the segments had intertwined a larger, underlining story.
P.S. The sketches that accompany each character (by Randy Palmer) are a refreshing and clever touch.
October 3, 2012
For those of us who like people, for those of us who consider people-watching a national past time, for those of us who enjoy a bit of harmless gossip about 'Mrs Such and Such'/'Mr So And So' down the road, this is a perfect read from the fertile mind of blogger Molly D Campbell with original drawings from the obviously talented illustrator Randy Palmer.
Highly creative and quite unlike anything I've read before Characters In Search Of A Novel isn't so much a collection of short stories as an an assembly of unforgettable characters.
Quirky, wickedly funny (I adored Amos Cargill) and at times surprisingly moving, these are one group of characters who capture the imagination and, very often, the heart.
An all too short read, Molly manages to perfectly capture the essence of every character in relatively few words which is no mean feat.
DISCLAIMER: Read and reviewed on behalf of the author, I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given. I should also like to point out that though we have never met in person, Molly is known to me through the bloggging community though this is no way influenced my review.
Highly creative and quite unlike anything I've read before Characters In Search Of A Novel isn't so much a collection of short stories as an an assembly of unforgettable characters.
Quirky, wickedly funny (I adored Amos Cargill) and at times surprisingly moving, these are one group of characters who capture the imagination and, very often, the heart.
An all too short read, Molly manages to perfectly capture the essence of every character in relatively few words which is no mean feat.
DISCLAIMER: Read and reviewed on behalf of the author, I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given. I should also like to point out that though we have never met in person, Molly is known to me through the bloggging community though this is no way influenced my review.
January 21, 2013
This book is a collection of short story describing, yep, you guessed it, characters. Molly started writing little snippets of character descriptions on Twitter until one day a friend suggested she put them together in a book. The resulting book is a romp of fun and very vivid, wildly imaginative characters that many of us have known at some point in our lives. I was fortunate enough to listen to her read several of her stories at her recent book launch and I was dying. I love a good audiobook and nothing ever beats hearing it in the authors own voice.
If you enjoy a quick jaunt into what makes someone who they are, you are going to love the snippets of characters in this book. From Dottie who cooks and sews and, did I mention she has buck teeth? To Lorette who I'd rather not meet in a dark alley. To Sergeant Winteregg who joined the academy because no cop named Winteregg would survive one minute in the streets. These characters are going to have you in stitches.
PS. Molly, I want this in audiobook format please.
If you enjoy a quick jaunt into what makes someone who they are, you are going to love the snippets of characters in this book. From Dottie who cooks and sews and, did I mention she has buck teeth? To Lorette who I'd rather not meet in a dark alley. To Sergeant Winteregg who joined the academy because no cop named Winteregg would survive one minute in the streets. These characters are going to have you in stitches.
PS. Molly, I want this in audiobook format please.
October 3, 2012
Molly's first book, Characters in Search of a Novel, is a lot like individually wrapped Dove chocolate pieces. Each one is delicious and satisfying but you still want to eat the whole bag. The short pieces are fun, touching, and often humorous snapshots of characters that apparently fill Molly's mind, and now have been allowed to come out and play in book form for our entertainment.
I thoroughly enjoyed every one of the Characters in Search of a Novel and would definitely like to use a few of them in one of my novels. They are quirky, gentle, funny, and familiar. Some remind me of neighbors, friends, or fellow students I knew back in school. The illustrations by Randy Palmer that accompany each micro story are wonderful portrayals and really encapsulate the characters.
Molly has a way of writing that pulls you in, makes you smile, and leaves a satisfying hint of connectedness in this world of "stranger danger."
Check it out – you won't be disappointed.
I thoroughly enjoyed every one of the Characters in Search of a Novel and would definitely like to use a few of them in one of my novels. They are quirky, gentle, funny, and familiar. Some remind me of neighbors, friends, or fellow students I knew back in school. The illustrations by Randy Palmer that accompany each micro story are wonderful portrayals and really encapsulate the characters.
Molly has a way of writing that pulls you in, makes you smile, and leaves a satisfying hint of connectedness in this world of "stranger danger."
Check it out – you won't be disappointed.
October 27, 2012
Is this a collection of flash fiction or a bunch of character studies? Who knows, but this book was my kind of funny. These are wonderfully rich stories, each one introducing a fantastically-named and colorful character. While I found them funny and even sometimes hysterical, some stories were also beautifully sad. Molly Campbell has something weird going on in her brain and I like it. A thoroughly entertaining read.
December 26, 2012
Funny, light humor. Very easy read.
January 12, 2013
Such a delightful, silly book - halfway through you'll want to meet the author just to share a good laugh.
December 1, 2012
Molly D. Campbell is an writer to watch. In her first book, the hilarious Characters in Search of a Novel, she has come out of the shoot like gangbusters. Campbell has a distinctive, highly unique sense of humor as well as the gimlet eye that all great humorists have for the human condition writ large. In what is essentially a series of brilliant, droll character sketches, she has strung together a rough and tumble motley crew that truly reminds me of the prologue to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales! Like Chaucer, she implies we are all “pilgrims” on life’s winding and confusing road, headed we hope to a safe and happy place where life makes sense. But watch out! Inasmuch as Molly can make you laugh, she can also make you cry, and many of these sketches are not only very funny, but very touching.
Molly has the natural gifts of the stand-up comedienne and is an absolute dead-on mimic/ventriloquist for the various types and oddballs found in any small town or neighborhood. She is a talented original, for sure, and one can only hope that her next book builds on this innate gift and brings us more of the same—perhaps (gasp!) in the form of a novel itself.
Molly has the natural gifts of the stand-up comedienne and is an absolute dead-on mimic/ventriloquist for the various types and oddballs found in any small town or neighborhood. She is a talented original, for sure, and one can only hope that her next book builds on this innate gift and brings us more of the same—perhaps (gasp!) in the form of a novel itself.
August 2, 2013
I actually read this anthology over the course of about six-weeks, picking it up to read a page or two whenever I needed a short break. This book is absolutely crammed full of short little personality profiles. Some actually read to me like little stories, but many just sort of sketched an outline of a wacky person. Most were humorous, some sad. I enjoyed reading this book because it was very easy to pick up and put down; it often helped take my mind temporarily off more pressing concerns – for which I am grateful.
In particular, I liked the slightly longer pieces that had a little more meat to them. Most of these characters are entertaining and, in my opinion, do cry out for their own full-length novels. I think their personalities are becoming broader with time, given as how each apparently began as single line tweets. Anyway, it is certainly a book that is amusing and easy to read. I also loved that each character came with his or her own little sketch.
This book was given to me by the author in return for my honest review.
Reviewed by Laurie-J
In particular, I liked the slightly longer pieces that had a little more meat to them. Most of these characters are entertaining and, in my opinion, do cry out for their own full-length novels. I think their personalities are becoming broader with time, given as how each apparently began as single line tweets. Anyway, it is certainly a book that is amusing and easy to read. I also loved that each character came with his or her own little sketch.
This book was given to me by the author in return for my honest review.
Reviewed by Laurie-J
March 12, 2016
I received this book as part of the first reads giveaways here on goodreads. I read this book on a day where I was traveling. I finished it in a day because it was such a quick read that was the positive. The negative was that I felt this book had no point to it. The characters' stories were only about 4 pages if that. I felt detached from all of the characters and there was no point to it. The author would make jokes that were okay. Most of them I didn't find funny. Overall I liked that I was able to stay occupied on my flight home because it was such a fast and quick read but I didn't enjoy what I read.
January 19, 2014
This was a funny book. So funny in that I laughed so hard it made me cry. I love this type of humor. The only thing that I can compare it to is Jim Carrey on In Living Color. Only it is one crazy character after another. It is so hard to pick a favorite. However Loretta Squirrels is making me still laugh. The illustrations were like caricatures. I highly recommend this book, and to also see what other characters this great author comes up with. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy to review from OrangeBerry Book Tours, however all opinions are my own. - See more at: http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/2...
January 9, 2014
This was a GoodReads First Read Giveaway edition. Thank you very much for the enjoyment I got out of this book.
Fun Read. Perfect for the people watcher in all of us. Short vignettes of those 'characters' in our lives, who you know would make a great story if you dug a little longer. Some vignettes are laugh out loud funny, some tongue in cheek, and some poignant. It's a great pickup book, meaning you can read bits here and there.
And don't overlook the illustrations. They're deceptively simple looking, but really evocative of the character being described.
Fun Read. Perfect for the people watcher in all of us. Short vignettes of those 'characters' in our lives, who you know would make a great story if you dug a little longer. Some vignettes are laugh out loud funny, some tongue in cheek, and some poignant. It's a great pickup book, meaning you can read bits here and there.
And don't overlook the illustrations. They're deceptively simple looking, but really evocative of the character being described.
January 4, 2014
3.5 Stars
This was a Giveway from GoodReads. I didn;t look at the description of the book before I entered. Judging by the title, I thought it was a book that was supposed to help you develop a character for a book. It is not. But it wasn't terrible. It was a short read and I liked that. This book has small descriptions of some pretty interesting characters, I think that the author did a really good job though. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a light read.
This was a Giveway from GoodReads. I didn;t look at the description of the book before I entered. Judging by the title, I thought it was a book that was supposed to help you develop a character for a book. It is not. But it wasn't terrible. It was a short read and I liked that. This book has small descriptions of some pretty interesting characters, I think that the author did a really good job though. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a light read.
January 23, 2016
I am a fan of Molly Campbell's humor blog and just discovered this gem! A collection of brilliant flash-fiction character studies, this book was obviously a precursor to her debut novel, Keep the Ends Loose (which I also loved). Campbell is a characterization master. Highly entertaining! And great illustrations by Randy Palmer. Solid five stars!
September 8, 2015
A light, funny and entertaining read made up very short stories filled with very interesting characters. I’ve never read anything quite like it. This book is the closest I’ve come to reading that makes me feel as if I’m people-watching.
August 4, 2014
Delightfully fun!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews