Hilarious novel! I SEE LONDON, I SEE FRANCE Quirky family on tour of Europe! NEW

Description: I See London I See France..., a newly-published, posthumous novel by Neil Hummasti (October 2018, Svensen Pioneer Press). Brand new, first edition copy! Red Ribbon Winner in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards! In 2011, Astoria, Oregon resident Neil Hummasti died from cancer. He left behind over half a million words of unpublished writing, perhaps the greatest trove of its kind in Oregon literary history. Svensen Pioneer Press presents phase one of publishing Neil’s writing, which includes I See London, I See France.... For more information on this extraordinary author, visit www.neilhummasti.com. Also by Neil, the serious novel about a high school teacher struggling with conflicts at school and the care of an elderly aunt with dementia, Forty Ways to Square a Circle. In I See London, I See France..., an eccentric American family, led by a precocious 12-year-old prodigy named Victor, takes a European vacation and the continent will never be the same. Enjoy the Poppers' zany adventures as they sleuth out a mystery in this comic novel by Neil Hummasti. TITLE INFORMATION I SEE LONDON, I SEE FRANCE... Neil Hummasti Svensen Pioneer Press (289 pp.) $6.99 e-book ISBN: 978-1-73228-511-8 BOOK REVIEW An eccentric American family goes on a European vacation and becomes entangled in a web of criminal conspiracy in this comic novel. Victor Emmanuel Popper—the fictional author of this humorous “memoir”—is a mere 12 years old but confidently assures readers he “scored sinfully high on IQ tests.” He narrates this tale of an adventure gone wrong from the perch of nearly deranged precociousness, an often intoxicating brew of gimlet-eyed observations and slapstick surrealism. Victor decamps Seattle with his family—a “doubtful... group of cosmopolites”—on a 42-day “deluxe tour of Europe” that visits a litany of major cities, including London, Amsterdam, Cologne, and Vienna, among others. His entourage is an eclectic mix of oddities: His mother, Penny, is an art history professor–turned–astrology guru. His sister, Anna Karenina, is a 15-year-old “parody of teenagerness,” and his brother, Edgar Allan Poe, is a 5-year-old boy “already subject to violent mood swings.” Victor’s accompanying uncle is a psychiatrist, a “mad doctor” who hypnotizes the children when they’re in need of pacification: “You’re getting sleepy. TV is not real. The sitcoms are not funny, and the dramas contain material not suitable for children. When I count to three....” While leaving London, Victor’s father, Max, is detained by police under suspicion of smuggling Russian art icons and taken to Scotland Yard, apparently “manned principally by bumbling idiots.” Victor takes it upon himself to clear his father’s good name and undertakes an investigation of his own, convinced one of the other tour members is the true culprit. In this manic novel, Hummasti (Four Ways To Square a Circle, 2018) has an extraordinarily well developed sense of life’s absurdity and finds traces of it in every crevasse of human affairs. In addition, his indefatigable inventiveness can be genuinely funny, though the relentlessness of the humor—there’s hardly a sentence without a one-liner—can become a bit exhausting. The comedy can also be schlocky—there is a pair of Australian lawyers named Mr. and Mrs. Dingo, a Greek called Mr. Zorba, and Max’s lawyer is Mr. Fitzfrisky. A wildly amusing fictional memoir that sometimes tries too hard to be funny. Kirkus Indie, Kirkus Media LLC, 2600 Via Fortuna Suite 130 Austin, TX 78746 The Witty Letter Neil Sent To His Agent Which First Attracted Her Attention November 6, 2000 Laura Langlie Kidde, Hoyt & Picard New York NY 10022 Dear Ms. Langlie: I have recently completed a comic novel. I would like to have access to the larger publishing houses, and I am painfully aware of the fact that most of the major firms will consider new manuscripts only if they are (1) submitted by reputable agents or (2)written by people who have disgraced themselves publicly. I have no notoriety to speak of (unless going to Traffic School with Ken Kesey counts), so I can only hope to enlist the help of a reputable agent. I have deliberated long and hard on the formula for finding a good agent. Here is the winning syllogism I finally came up with: (a) You are the agent of Eric Pinder. (b) I once went to Traffic School with Eric Pinder. 1 (c) Therefore, something astral may be going on here. I decided to write to you to see if you've been getting the same vibes. My book is entitled I See London, I See France . . . In the tradition of Mark Twain, Frank O'Connor, William Saroyan, James Thurber, et al., the story is told from the point of view of a child. The storyteller, Victor Emmanuel Popper, is a twelve-year old boy who has recently returned from a deluxe tour of Europe. He offers his newly-acquired expertise in European peregrination as a travel substitute for those who have good reason to fear even a brief excursion out into our jihad-impregnated world (Huckleberry Finn meets A Year in Provence). Victor is a precocious youngster, in the ugliest sense. In fact, he's been tested and proclaimed to be a genius. You can imagine what that means for a twelve-year old. (It's safer to let preteens play with guns or do drugs than it is to give them access to Mensa.) Victor has the vocabulary of an adult, but the guile of a 6th grader. The first element of comedy is found in Victor's dubious commentary on the history, the famous sites and the cultures of the various countries he visits. He never seems to get it quite right. Sometimes he embellishes. (Oh hell, why not admit it? He could write for the N ew York Post!) The second element of comedy is much more personal. Victor is, of course, traveling with his family—as odd an assortment of stereotyped parodies as one could hope to meet on a May morning. Any one of the family members would make a tantalizing prospect for The Jenny Jones Show. Victor's father is a 98% scruple-free advertising man. Victor's mother is a Shirley MacLaine-ish New Age incarnation and sponsor of numerous off-planet beings. Victor's older sister is a cheerleader. (Nuff said!) Victor's five-year old brother lives from one sugar high to the next and is genetically programmed to destroy everything in his path. Victor's uncle is a dysfunctional psychiatrist. The interaction of family members offers countless opportunities for character and situation comedy. Together, this cohort of consanguineous codependents must survive forty-two days of Europe (without the benefit of electric shock therapy). The tour, although fictional, is based on one of those grand sweeps of the continent. I have personally traveled in Europe on numerous occasions—not that that makes much difference as far as my story goes, since my narrator's apparent interest in truth is negligible. I had three reasons for writing this book: (1) I have received encouragement from writing instructors to pursue a writing career, (2) I need a job and I wanna be a paperback writer, and (3) I am upset about a spot I saw on 60 Minutes which portrayed Finns as humorless, pathologically shy, prone to alcoholism, and subject to unquenchable despair. I want to prove that Finns are not humorless! All of the other points I concede. My book is approximately 90,000 words of zaniness—and the most amazing thing about it is that not once do I even mention Monica Lewinsky! I am optimistic that I will be able to sell my comedy on its own merit—without having to compromise my high moral standards, and without having to resort to cheap parlor tricks like subliminal messages. Be this guy's agent. At present, I hope to publish my book under the pseudonym Ben Champion (since not even I can pronounce my own last name correctly), but first things first. I would very much appreciate the opportunity to show you my work. I am prepared to send you the complete manuscript upon request. Thank you so much for your time. I look forward to hearing from you. Warmly, Neil Hummasti (a.k.a. Ben Champion) 1. I get into a lot of traffic scrapes. That's because I'm left-handed. I've applied for one of those stickers for handicapped people, but the DMV (still living in the Dark Ages) refuses to recognize left-handedness as a disability. PUBLISHER COMMENTS ON I SEE LONDON, I SEE FRANCE... A New York literary agent, Laura Langlie (who handles Meg Cabot, Meg Tilly, Rene Ashley and many others), was very excited about his first novel (the comic one), I SEE LONDON, I SEE FRANCE, and was certain that it would be published (or perhaps even be made into a screenplay for a movie). She sent it most of the major publishing companies (as well as Miramax Films). Though the companies ultimately decided it wasn't what they were looking for at the time, he came very close to having it published and almost all of he companies' "regrets" letters included praise for his writing and encouragement to keep at it. Following are some examples of various publishing houses’ responses to this novel. - PENGUIN GROUP: "...some charming elements here and I like the premise very much.” - G.P.PUTNAM'S SONS: "...charming and pretty hilarious. I've been enamored enough with the pure verve of the writing to keep going despite the out- landishness of the story.” - FARRAR, STRAUS & GIROUX: "Hummasti writes well.” - THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS: "I was quite torn upon reading the novel, and I got a second read to help me decide. I found it hysterically, laugh-out-loud funny, and I thought the writing was razor-sharp and extremely witty. It reminded me of one of Tom's books, THE PARROT'S THEOREM, and I can really see what you love about it as Neil's writing is so very appealing. It was so well written with such engaging characters.” - WILLIAM MORROW: "This is a high-energy story and Mr. Hummasti is a talented author.” - BANTAM DELL: "This is a charming and funny story, and Victor is certainly an original protagonist.” - SOHO PRESS: " Neil Hummasti is a very talented, clever writer but I would like to see him direct his considerable talent towards writing an adult literary nov-el." (He did so in his second novel.) - GROVE/ATLANTIC: "I found the book charming and even quite funny at times." - ALGONQUIN BOOKS: "It's a very well written and amusing novel." - DOUBLEDAY: "Hummasti is a unique talent - both amusing and quirky." - THE LYONS PRESS: "It is just as you described - reminiscent of S.J. Perelman's wonderful books." - RANDOM HOUSE: “I thought this novel was charming and original on some levels, and I appreciated Hummasti's sense of humor and vivid description." - SIMON AND SCHUSTER: "This is funny and quirky." - DUTTON: "This is fun, cleverly written novel.” - BALLANTINE BOOKS: "This is certainly a lively read." - HARCOURT: "...although it is great fun I think comic novels are very difficult to sell." - PANTHEON BOOKS: "Several of us here have read Neil Hummasti's I SEE LONDON, I SEE FRANCE and admired the energy and verve of Hummasti's writing." - VILLARD: "I appreciate the considerable wit and invention on display here." - HYPERION: "I found this to be a well written and entertaining story." - PLUME: "This is a funny and original novel and I enjoyed hearing about Victor Popper's adventures traveling with his family." - CROWN: "I thought that some parts of Hummasti’s narrative, especially those passages that involved wordplay, were hysterical." - CHRONICLE BOOKS: "There are many funny moments and ideas in I SEE LONDON, I SEE FRANCE by Neil Hummasti, and he's a talented writer. - RUGGEDLAND: “I liked the author's witty narrative voice. The combination of the style of writing, along with the twelve-year-old mentality of the main character made for an interesting and unique read. The problem that I see with this novel, however, is in the marketing. Experience tells me that this clever, witty and sarcastic novel will be a difficult sell." - BROADWAY BOOKS: "This is a comical story about a rollicksome family trip in Europe.” - BLOOMSBURY: “This is a funny read - Victor is quite a 12-year-old." - ST. MARTIN'S PRESS: "There is some really witty writing here." - MIRAMAX FILMS: “I can understand your excitement for this novel. The voice is very cute and there are some genuinely funny moments." LITERARY ASSESSMENT OF NEIL'S WRITING BY AUTHOR MATT LOVE:Neil Hummasti wrote well over a half million words intended for publication. He wrote novels, short stories, theological tracts, essays, and fragments of a memoir and play. It is possible he was the most prolific Pacific Northwest author of his generation and yet almost entirely unread in his lifetime. After his death in 2011, he left no instructions on what he wanted done with his manuscripts, but his brother Arnie felt they deserved publication.Arnie was right. Neil was a writer of immense talent and astonishing range who left behind a treasure trove of words brimming with keen observations, insights and critiques of American families and institutions. This talent was recognized by some in the publishing industry. Neil's comic novel of a Washington (state) family vacationing across Europe, I See London, I See France was nearly accepted by several New York publishers in 2000-01. The deals fell through and Neil abandoned that project and turned to his teaching career and care taking of his elderly aunt who suffered from dementia as inspiration for his next novel, Forty Ways to Square a Circle, the title an allusion to Dante's Divine Comedy. Neil did find some success with his short stories and placed at least six of them in various reviews and magazines. His other writing included a Christian novel set in ancient Rome under Nero's reign and two theological tracts. (These three books will be published by Svensen Pioneer Press in 2019.)Much of Neil's fiction is infused with a rigorous sense of Pacific Northwest place (west of the Cascade Range). The Columbia River looms large in the life of many of Neil's characters and his descriptions about the prodigious rain that falls on coastal Oregon reflects the experience of a writer who had lived with it for most of his life and understood its effect on people and the landscape. Another distinguishing characteristic of Neil's storytelling is the great empathy often on display for the elderly and the health struggles many of them face as they age. The level of erudition displayed in Neil's novels often dazzles the reader. He had a scholar's knowledge of Renaissance literature, an obvious love of Shakespeare, and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of unique words in his vocabulary. Neil possessed a profound wit as well, and sprinkled puns and asides on many pages. As a writer, he wanted a reader to laugh at times and he succeeded. He also invites a reader to feel, think and wonder at the world, where it is going, where it had been.Matt Love PRESS RELEASE FOR BOTH ON NEIL'S JUST PUBLISHED NOVELS: Svensen Pioneer Press An Independent Oregon Press www.neilhummasti.com ___________________________________________________________________________________ Svensen Pioneer Press presents a unique Oregon publishing project: Afraid of Goosequills: The Wit and Wisdom of Neil Hummasti. In 2011, Astoria, Oregon resident Neil Hummasti died from cancer. He left behind over half a million words of unpublished writing, perhaps the greatest trove of its kind in Oregon literary history. Arnie Hummasti, Neil's brother, established Svensen Pioneer Press to publish phase one of Neil's writing, which includes two 90,000-word novels, (I See London, I See France... and Forty Ways to Square a Circle) and a collection of seven short stories. Phase two will feature three works of theology. “I believe my brother was a gifted writer, worthy of broad exposure,” said Arnie Hummasti. “My hope is to complete, in some measure, what he was unable to: to share his literary gifts with a wider audience. Several of his short stories were published in magazines and literary reviews and he came very close to having one of the novels published by a major publishing house.” Neil Hummasti was born in Astoria, Oregon in 1949 and grew up on a family farm in Svensen, near Astoria. He went to a country school where he was a good student and a star baseball player. At Portland State University he developed an interest in literature and writing. He graduated with honors with degrees in history and English. He became a high school language arts teacher working primarily with older students in college prep classes. He taught for 25 years in Oregon public schools and received a number of honors and awards. “My brother was a Renaissance man,” Arnie said. “He was a scholar, a teacher, an athlete, a devotee of the arts, a theologian and a writer. He lost his battle with pancreatic cancer before his aspirations as a writer were fully realized. My hope is that people will take a chance, leaf through his writing, and, if they like it as much as I do, spread the word.” In Forty Ways to Square a Circle, the year is 1996 and the coastal high school where Casey Merriman teaches English is about to go technology-mad and scrap the humanities. On the home front, Merriman is responsible for the care of an elderly aunt who battles a growing dementia. The two competing derangements will plunge Merriman into turbulent descent straight out of Dante and propel him toward a bizarre but redemptive climax. In the comic novel I See London, I See France..., an eccentric American family, led by a precocious 12-year-old prodigy named Victor Popper ,takes a European vacation and the continent will never be the same. Along the way, the family becomes involved in a zany smuggling mystery that Victor must solve to save his father. The seven short stories offer readers an astonishing range of voice, characters, tone and theme. Hummasti's short fiction is often dark when reporting on the human condition, but he also wrote with hilarity and devastating wit. The Columbia River exudes a powerful, even tragic, presence in three of the stories. I See London, I See France...and Forty Ways to Square a Circle are available at area bookstores and at www.neilhummasti.com. For more biographical information on Neil Hummasti, a literary assessment of his work, and to read his short stories for free, visit the web site.

Price: 14.95 USD

Location: Astoria, Oregon

End Time: 2025-01-24T00:21:05.000Z

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