The Book of Sequels

The Book of Sequels

The many lame or sophomoric duds are more than compensated for by the killer squibs in this collection of parodies, spoofs and send-ups concocted by Beard ( Miss Piggy's Guide to Life ), Cerf ( Not the New York Times ), comedian Durkee and Kelly ( Not the Bible ). Among the gems are "The Lighter Side of Sylvia Plath," "Two Cities II" ("It was the best of guillotines, it was the worst of guillotines"), "The One Bullet Manager: Management Secrets of the Khmer Rouge" and George Bush's presidential villanelle "Go Kindly and Gently into That Good Night" (a la Dylan Thomas), addressed to the underclass, pro-choice groups and homosexuals. Several wickedly clever pieces deflate literary styles without being laugh-aloud funny (e.g., Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic Reverses"). Nothing is sacred, as proven by the "sequel" to Antoine de Saint-Exupery's tale, "The Big Fat Balding Prince," and satires on Robert Frost, Joyce Carol Oates, Moby Dick , etc. Visual gags--in 50 color and black-and-white illustrations--mock easily recognizable movie frames or book jackets (Whitley Strieber, Oliver Sachs).
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Good parody, said E.B. White, should be funny in itself, regardless of one's having read the work parodied. Skilled in lampoonery, Cerf and his cohorts have produced this celebration of sequels and spinoffs that not only pass muster on their own, but also could inspire daring readers to reexamine the original works (or at least the Cliff Notes) for even more perplexing literary diversion. The collaborators, most of them of National Lampoon repute, offer blithe works like "The Big Fat Balding Prince," in which the grownup Little Prince still refuses to answer questions. Films such as Bambo ("They killed his mother. Now it's time to get even!"), classics, and verse are included, making this a good choice to balance any otherwise stodgy literature shelf.
- Joe Accardi, Triodyne Safety Information Ctr., Niles, Ill.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.