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Adventures of Neville Lansdowne
Scribbling
Neville Lansdowne pushed the world out of shape.
He didn’t mean to do it. He didn’t even realise he had done it. If you had asked him, he would have said that, as far as he could tell, the world was the wrong shape to begin with.
In a world that is totally the wrong shape, Neville meets a new bunch of eccentric characters, and embarks on another strange and wholly unexpected adventure.
He didn’t mean to do it. He didn’t even realise he had done it. If you had asked him, he would have said that, as far as he could tell, the world was the wrong shape to begin with.
In a world that is totally the wrong shape, Neville meets a new bunch of eccentric characters, and embarks on another strange and wholly unexpected adventure.
- GenresScience Fiction
63 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2012
2 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Gould
10 books90 followersJonathan Gould has lived in Melbourne, Australia all his life, except when he hasn’t. He has written comedy sketches for both the theatre and radio, as well as several published children’s books for the educational market.
He likes to refer to his stories as dag-lit because they don’t easily fit into recognisable genres (dag is Australian slang for a person who is unfashionable and doesn’t follow the crowd – but in an amusing and fun way). You might think of them as comic fantasies, or modern fairytales for the young and the young-at-heart.
Over the years, his writing has been compared to Douglas Adams, Monty Python, A.A. Milne, Lewis Carroll, the Goons and even Enid Blyton (in a good way).
He likes to refer to his stories as dag-lit because they don’t easily fit into recognisable genres (dag is Australian slang for a person who is unfashionable and doesn’t follow the crowd – but in an amusing and fun way). You might think of them as comic fantasies, or modern fairytales for the young and the young-at-heart.
Over the years, his writing has been compared to Douglas Adams, Monty Python, A.A. Milne, Lewis Carroll, the Goons and even Enid Blyton (in a good way).
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 26, 2012
Book Info: Genre: Satire/Parody
Reading Level: YA on up
Recommended for: everyone
Disclosure: I received a free advance copy of this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Neville Lansdowne pushed the world out of shape.
He didn’t mean to do it. He didn’t even realise he had done it. If you had asked him, he would have said that, as far as he could tell, the world was the wrong shape to begin with.
In a world that is totally the wrong shape, Neville meets a new bunch of eccentric characters, and embarks on another strange and wholly unexpected adventure
My Thoughts: This is the sequel to Jonathan Gould’s earlier work, Doodling (review here for sites that allow links). Neville is just always getting himself into trouble – first he loses his grip on the world and flies into space, and now he’s managed to make a mess of things again!
Gould does a magnificent job of creating stories with multiple layers – an amusing and fluffy story on the story – a significant political satire deeper down. What I took from this is that, by continually trying to make the rest of the world fall into line with their ideologies, the more powerful countries in the world are neglecting getting their own area of the world into shape. Rather than disastrously trying to remain the entire world, they should focus on just their own part of it.
If you haven’t yet experienced Jonathan Gould, you really need to give him a try. Be sure to read Doodling as well! Highly recommended.
Reading Level: YA on up
Recommended for: everyone
Disclosure: I received a free advance copy of this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Neville Lansdowne pushed the world out of shape.
He didn’t mean to do it. He didn’t even realise he had done it. If you had asked him, he would have said that, as far as he could tell, the world was the wrong shape to begin with.
In a world that is totally the wrong shape, Neville meets a new bunch of eccentric characters, and embarks on another strange and wholly unexpected adventure
My Thoughts: This is the sequel to Jonathan Gould’s earlier work, Doodling (review here for sites that allow links). Neville is just always getting himself into trouble – first he loses his grip on the world and flies into space, and now he’s managed to make a mess of things again!
Gould does a magnificent job of creating stories with multiple layers – an amusing and fluffy story on the story – a significant political satire deeper down. What I took from this is that, by continually trying to make the rest of the world fall into line with their ideologies, the more powerful countries in the world are neglecting getting their own area of the world into shape. Rather than disastrously trying to remain the entire world, they should focus on just their own part of it.
If you haven’t yet experienced Jonathan Gould, you really need to give him a try. Be sure to read Doodling as well! Highly recommended.
October 27, 2012
The author's words:
"It's like this. I think if one person tries to change the shape of the world too much by themselves, that's when you get problems. But if we each try to change just a little bit of the world, then maybe together we can all make a big difference. Here, come with me."
This paragraph above was the one that caught this reader's eye, it sums up what this humorous and delightful author was trying to scribble in his story, that sometimes we as individuals become restless and act on impulse and do something, say something or create a severe action that causes consequences that could be disastrous. In embarrassment, or fear, one hides the mistake and tries to fix it but it becomes more out of control. As the world is out of shape, so is the moral fabric of people's lives and beliefs. They become disoriented and create a different reality to adjust to the change someone else decided to make to be happy; not taking the others existence around them into consideration and how they would be affected by the adjustments.
Neville, the catalyst of all the trouble, travels around his newly created flat world and meets this entire group of delightfully strange odd people who were once ordinary, until he pulled the world out of shape and now everything is upside down. And he has only an hour to get it back into its original shape. Yet by calculator lady an hour has different definitions and the shouting man is reflecting and blaming others for the problems.
The author wrote an insightful story with colourful characters, No Name Girl, the jumping kangaroos, the super heroes with their imaginary superpowers, the fisherman who is this reader's favourite character and others such as the numbers lady and the main character Neville who created the mess in the first place. Plotting insightful, mathematical quotations and lessons about respect and not to be afraid to declare when one creates a problem, they should ask for assistance and apply the principles of working together as a team. To accept diversity and uniqueness of everyone, even if it is frustrating at times, and correct the issues before any more consequences occur and they cannot be repaired.
The author's books Scribbling, Doodling and his other books have a very creative imaginative writing style and as a reader and mother I highly recommend his stories for all ages. One benefit is there are definitely many good chuckles in them. The addition of many valuable lessons for all to ponder upon while being delightfully entertained by his stories is another. After reading it, I think it is a good tool to open communication channels between parents and children to discuss the lessons etched into the pages of this short and hilarious story.
http://www.amazon.com/Scribbling-Adve...
http://www.amazon.com/Doodling-advent...
http://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Gould/...
"It's like this. I think if one person tries to change the shape of the world too much by themselves, that's when you get problems. But if we each try to change just a little bit of the world, then maybe together we can all make a big difference. Here, come with me."
This paragraph above was the one that caught this reader's eye, it sums up what this humorous and delightful author was trying to scribble in his story, that sometimes we as individuals become restless and act on impulse and do something, say something or create a severe action that causes consequences that could be disastrous. In embarrassment, or fear, one hides the mistake and tries to fix it but it becomes more out of control. As the world is out of shape, so is the moral fabric of people's lives and beliefs. They become disoriented and create a different reality to adjust to the change someone else decided to make to be happy; not taking the others existence around them into consideration and how they would be affected by the adjustments.
Neville, the catalyst of all the trouble, travels around his newly created flat world and meets this entire group of delightfully strange odd people who were once ordinary, until he pulled the world out of shape and now everything is upside down. And he has only an hour to get it back into its original shape. Yet by calculator lady an hour has different definitions and the shouting man is reflecting and blaming others for the problems.
The author wrote an insightful story with colourful characters, No Name Girl, the jumping kangaroos, the super heroes with their imaginary superpowers, the fisherman who is this reader's favourite character and others such as the numbers lady and the main character Neville who created the mess in the first place. Plotting insightful, mathematical quotations and lessons about respect and not to be afraid to declare when one creates a problem, they should ask for assistance and apply the principles of working together as a team. To accept diversity and uniqueness of everyone, even if it is frustrating at times, and correct the issues before any more consequences occur and they cannot be repaired.
The author's books Scribbling, Doodling and his other books have a very creative imaginative writing style and as a reader and mother I highly recommend his stories for all ages. One benefit is there are definitely many good chuckles in them. The addition of many valuable lessons for all to ponder upon while being delightfully entertained by his stories is another. After reading it, I think it is a good tool to open communication channels between parents and children to discuss the lessons etched into the pages of this short and hilarious story.
http://www.amazon.com/Scribbling-Adve...
http://www.amazon.com/Doodling-advent...
http://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Gould/...
March 26, 2014
I've always liked Jonathan Gould's books. He has a unique quirky kind of style that is both humorous and insightful. This is the best of the Neville books so far. It's magical realism in that the whole thing is an extended metaphor. Neville is drowning in a sea of words. He is buffeted by words, swamped by words and hit by torrents of words.
He meets word fish, snarks and carps and groupers, amongst others. Their words have an effect on him and on their surroundings. Why is the carp so dingy compared to the other word fish? Because he's made out of words that belittle and carp on the negative. Colourful words create coral in this language metaphor. Wispy words wave like fern fronds and so on.
But as time goes on, Neville discovers that he too is turning into words. He meets a wermaid who tells him that the word world is taking over the real world. She doesn't see that as a problem until Neville points out that words only have meaning because they relate to something real in the real world, and the word world us getting very fuzzy. Then she decides to help him save the word world in order to save both worlds.
This is a short work, easily read in one sitting and enjoyable for all ages. It's a simple story, but sleek and well paced, and it builds to a dramatic conclusion.
He meets word fish, snarks and carps and groupers, amongst others. Their words have an effect on him and on their surroundings. Why is the carp so dingy compared to the other word fish? Because he's made out of words that belittle and carp on the negative. Colourful words create coral in this language metaphor. Wispy words wave like fern fronds and so on.
But as time goes on, Neville discovers that he too is turning into words. He meets a wermaid who tells him that the word world is taking over the real world. She doesn't see that as a problem until Neville points out that words only have meaning because they relate to something real in the real world, and the word world us getting very fuzzy. Then she decides to help him save the word world in order to save both worlds.
This is a short work, easily read in one sitting and enjoyable for all ages. It's a simple story, but sleek and well paced, and it builds to a dramatic conclusion.
October 25, 2012
One of the best things about picking up a book by Jonathan Gould is the knowledge that there’s absolutely no doubt you are going to be smitten, entertained, and basking in the afterglow of a satisfying read! What’s more, catching up with Neville (Doodling) is an extra treat.
Neville had quite a dilemma in Doodling, when the world was going so fast, his only solution was, very simply, to get off. He now has a different problem. The world is the wrong shape for the poor chap. It’s just not a Neville-friendly-shaped world. Of course, once again, the solution is remarkably easy: a tug here and a tug there and everything should be hunky-dory...and it is—for Neville. Little does he know that he has unwittingly caused chaos for other (rather odd but quaint) people, by altering the world’s shape.
This novella is quirky, humorous, infinitely appealing, and original. Jonathan isn’t just an excellent writer: he has the ability to turn his imagination into an enchanting experience for the reader.
I want more of Neville Lansdowne. He’s been Doodling and Scribbling: what’s next, I wonder: Jotting?
Neville had quite a dilemma in Doodling, when the world was going so fast, his only solution was, very simply, to get off. He now has a different problem. The world is the wrong shape for the poor chap. It’s just not a Neville-friendly-shaped world. Of course, once again, the solution is remarkably easy: a tug here and a tug there and everything should be hunky-dory...and it is—for Neville. Little does he know that he has unwittingly caused chaos for other (rather odd but quaint) people, by altering the world’s shape.
This novella is quirky, humorous, infinitely appealing, and original. Jonathan isn’t just an excellent writer: he has the ability to turn his imagination into an enchanting experience for the reader.
I want more of Neville Lansdowne. He’s been Doodling and Scribbling: what’s next, I wonder: Jotting?
March 18, 2013
Scribbling is the first story that I've read by Jonathan Gould. It is actually the second adventure of Neville Lansdowne but you definitely don't need to have read Doodling to enjoy Scribbling.
Gould has a great story-telling technique, taking unusual characters and a quirky storyline then layering in social commentary. The story can be enjoyed on the surface or you can really think about the choices that the characters make and the events that result from those choices by applying a larger world view. I look forward to reading about Neville's first adventure.
Gould has a great story-telling technique, taking unusual characters and a quirky storyline then layering in social commentary. The story can be enjoyed on the surface or you can really think about the choices that the characters make and the events that result from those choices by applying a larger world view. I look forward to reading about Neville's first adventure.
August 22, 2021
Awesome Indies Book Awards is pleased to include SCRIBBLING (Adventures of Neville Lansdowne) (Book 2) by JONATHAN GOULD in the library of Awesome Indies'
Badge of Approval
recipients.
AIBA Book of the Day: 6 July, 2021: 118/41230
AIBA Book of the Day: 6 July, 2021: 118/41230
August 20, 2012
I think I enjoyed Scribbling more than I did Doodling. It is another cute, short story. Full review at Girl Who Reads.
August 3, 2013
Another quirky story. This one took me under 40 minutes to read. Even though it was a quick read, I came away with a lot to think about with respect to how I fit in the world.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews