My thoughts about Backstories by Simon Van Der Velde
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The book synopsis for Backstories by Simon Van Der Velde
Can you find the famous person hidden in every story? And once found, can you understand them?
Dreamers, singers, heroes and killers, they can dazzle with their talent or their unmitigated evil, yet inside themselves, they are as frail and desperate as the rest of us. But can you see them? Can you unravel the truth?
These are people you know, but not as you know them. Peel back the mask and see.
This book is dedicated to the victims of violent crime, the struggle against discrimination in all its forms and making the world a better place for our children. That is why 30% of all profits will be shared between Stop Hate UK, The North East Autism Society and Friends of the Earth.
Backstories is published by Smoke & Mirrors Press.
MY BACKSTORIES QUEST
“Whatever happened to, all of the heroes?” The Stranglers 1977
I was twelve years old when I first heard this song and although there was something in the feral tone that grabbed me, I didn’t really understand it. I do now. I get the angst and the loss and the emptiness, which is why, in Backstories, I aim to answer the question.
I’m not interested in simplistic tabloid truths. They clung on too long, drank too much, lost their looks and their charm and generally reminded us that we’re all getting older. That’s not what I want from my heroes.
What I want is to find the spark, to dig down into their pain, their passions and their imperfections, and show you our heroes as they truly are.
So join me on my quest. Let’s bypass the obvious, the tedious, and the dull. Brave the deeper, darker paths where the treasures can be found, and together we’ll uncover the fears and doubts that made our heroes what they were and perhaps catch a glimpse of ourselves along the way.
Whatever happened to all of the heroes?
They turned out to be human beings, in all their diverse glory.
Discussing Backstories by Simon Van Der Velde
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19 comments
This sounds intriguing, I like this premise. Excellent post!
ReplyDeleteIt was a really fun read. Had a good mix of characters. It made a nice change from my usual reads.
DeleteGreat review of Backstories. Good to see you enjoyed the it. Was also good to talk about the book with you.
ReplyDeleteI loved that you read this too so we could chat about it 🥰 Thanks again for helping me work out that one that had me stuck. As soon as you said it I was like "of course!" 🤦🏻♀️
DeleteGreat review Jo.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nadene. Backstories was a great read.
DeleteThis one sounds so intriguing! Loved watching all of your thoughts, it does sound like one that would be fun to read with other people!
ReplyDeleteThanks. Definitely. This book works great as a group read and would be perfect for book clubs as there's lots of discussions that could happen based on the stories.
DeleteOoh, that's such an intriguing plot!
ReplyDeleteIt was a refreshly different kind of read.
DeleteThis sounds like a really challenging read, honestly! I think it can be tough to dive into the stories behind violence in any way. I know personally, this might be a bit too triggering for me to handle, but it does sound like it's thought-provoking and well-written. I'm glad you got a chance to check it out!
ReplyDeleteThanks Stephanie. I really liked it but it's not for everyone. If you're sensitive to stories behind violence this probably isn't the right book for you as it does cover some famous serial killers as well as the more light hearted characters.
DeleteThis sounds very interesting! I'll be reading this one soon so I'm glad to see that you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteIt was. If you want to discuss it or need help working out who any of the characters are get in touch 😉
DeleteAnother book I hadn’t heard of but I know that I would enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI think you'd definitely like this one Robin.
DeleteVery intrigued by Backstories. Glad it was 5 stars for you!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed it. Something a bit different but lots of elements I love.
DeleteIt's not something I would usually pick up. The cover art is very cool though. I'm glad you enjoyed it and that it was a five star read for you. Those are rare for me these days.
ReplyDelete