Tag: Land of Laughs

Jonathan Carroll’s THE LAND OF LAUGHS out now in new eBook edition!

Posted on Tuesday, July 16th, 2024

The new eBook edition of Jonathan Carroll‘s acclaimed debut novel, THE LAND OF LAUGHS is out now! Published by JABberwocky, it’s the first in a series of re-issues that are on the way this summer. Here’s the synopsis…

For some, the magic of certain books lasts a lifetime. For Thomas Abbey, the works of reclusive children’s fantasy author Marshall France have been an essential part of his life ever since he was a boy.

Son of a famous movie star, Abbey is now approaching middle age having spent too many years trying to get out from under the shadow of just ‘being the son of…’ and finding something meaningful in his life.

When he meets the puppeteer Saxony Gardner, who shares his passion for the France books, together they decide to collaborate on a biography of their favorite author. To do so, they must travel to the small town of Galen where France spent much of his life. Once there, they must gain the permission to write the book from France’s daughter Anna who is very protective of her father’s legacy.

What happens to them after they arrive in Galen and receive Anna’s blessing to write the story of her father’s life is beyond their wildest dreams. A story that Marshall France himself might have written…

First published in 1980 to broad acclaim, the French translation won the Prix Apollo, in 1989. Here are just a couple of the great reviews Carroll’s novel has received…

‘I envy anyone who has yet to enjoy the sexy, eerie, and addictive novels of Jonathan Carroll. They are delicious treats — with devilish tricks inside them.’ — Washington Post

‘Smooth and fetchingly inventive.’ — Kirkus Reviews

‘If you ever read another book in your life, it should be THE LAND OF LAUGHS.’ — SF Site

‘For the uninitiated, The Land of Laughs is the perfect place to begin the darkly fantastical journey through the fiction of Jonathan Carroll. Few will be disappointed.’ — Cemetery Dance

Jonathan Carroll’s Back-List to be Re-Issued!

Posted on Tuesday, June 25th, 2024

We are very happy to report that select titles from Jonathan Carroll‘s acclaimed, award-winning backlist are being reissued! In partnerships with JABberwocky Literary Agency, six of Carroll’s titles will be available as eBooks and, in some instances print editions. These six titles are the first in a planned, wider roll-out of the author’s entire catalogue.

The first six titles to be available are as follows…

  • THE LAND OF LAUGHS (Carroll’s renowned debut)
  • BONES OF THE MOON
  • THE GHOST IN LOVE
  • BATHING THE LION
  • TEACHING THE DOG TO READ (a novella)
  • THE CROW’S DINNER (a non-fiction collection

They will all be published this summer, with select print editions to follow.

Jonathan Carroll is the author of more than twenty novels and numerous short stories and novellas. His works have been published in over thirty languages. He is beloved by fellow authors, with Stephen King deeming him “as scary as Hitchcock”.

THE LAND OF LAUGHS was first published in 1980 — the new edition is due to be published on July 16th. It follows a self-involved writer and a naïve puppeteer on their journey to the small town their favorite author, Marshall France, called home. Their quest to co-write a biography of France is quickly derailed by the sheer oddness of the town—and its striking resemblance to the worlds the author created. The novel is a deft combination of fantasy, speculative fiction, and magical realism, with a few talking dogs thrown in for good measure. It rightfully launched Carroll’s career, establishing him as a singular voice in genre fiction.

‘Jonathan Carroll’s storytelling is a magical dance of imagination and emotion, leaving readers spellbound with every word.’ — New York Times

‘With each novel, Jonathan Carroll defies expectations and pushes the boundaries of genre, reminding us of the power of storytelling to surprise, challenge, and move us.’ — Library Journal

‘Carroll’s novels are a masterclass in blending the ordinary with the extraordinary, delivering tales that are both hauntingly surreal and deeply human.’ — Guardian

‘Carroll’s prose is a symphony of vivid imagery and elegant language, painting landscapes that are as beautiful as they are unsettling.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘Reading Jonathan Carroll, one thinks of a blind person stroking a drugged tiger—an experience that is sensuous, dreamy, and dangerous all at once. And then, of course, the tiger wakes up.’ — Bruce Wagner, novelist and screenwriter

Carroll’s latest novel is MR. BREAKFAST, which is out now, published by Melville House.

Jonathan Carroll’s LAND OF LAUGHS Available in China!

Posted on Friday, February 9th, 2024

We’re very happy to share the news, in case you missed it, that Jonathan Carroll‘s THE LAND OF LAUGHS is available in a new Chinese edition! Published by 漫遊者文化 事業股份有限公司, as 歡笑國度, it was translated by 章晉唯. Here’s the synopsis…

湯瑪士是一個平凡的英文老師，長期活在電影巨星父親的陰影下。某天湯瑪士決定休個長假寫書，寫自己最愛的童書作家馬修・法蘭斯的傳記。那是他自小以來心靈的寄託與歸宿。但法蘭斯行蹤隱密，關於他的生平大家知之甚少，而作家過世多年以來，想為之立傳的人，都被他女兒安娜轟出門外。但湯瑪士不死心，和同樣喜歡法蘭斯的新女友千里迢迢前往密蘇里州的鄉下小鎮，那裡正是作家的故鄉。

然而，當他們風塵僕僕抵達，卻發現一切都和想像的不一樣……

鎮民熱烈歡迎，安娜居然也親切接待，甚至對湯瑪士寫傳記一事興致勃勃，帶他到處走訪父親生前最愛的地點。不過，兩人在鎮上住下後，逐漸發現這裡有些不對勁……墓園裡的名字都是法蘭斯筆下人物，養的狗都是他喜歡的牛頭㹴，這個小鎮彷彿是作家的靈感來源。當安娜終於答應授權湯瑪士寫傳記後，鎮上卻接二連三發生怪事，他開始在鎮民臉上看見小說角色的面孔，有天還聽見了狗在說話……

在這個每個人都友善又快樂的神祕小鎮裡，鎮民到底在隱瞞些什麼？事實的真相令人毛骨悚然……

First published in 1980, THE LAND OF LAUGHS won the Prix Tour-Apollo Award in 1989. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Have you ever loved a magical book above all others? Have you ever wished the magic were real? Welcome to The Land of Laughs. A novel about how terrifying that would be.

Schoolteacher Thomas Abbey, unsure son of a film star, doesn’t know who he is or what he wants — in life, in love, or in his relationship with the strange and intense Saxony Gardner. What he knows is that in his whole life nothing has touched him so deeply as the novels of Marshall France, a reclusive author of fabulous children’s tales who died at forty-four.

Now Thomas and Saxony have come to France’s hometown, the dreamy Midwestern town of Galen, Missouri, to write France’s biography. Warned in advance that France’s family may oppose them, they’re surprised to find France’s daughter warmly welcoming instead. But slowly they begin to see that something fantastic and horrible is happening. The magic of Marshall France has extended far beyond the printed page… leaving them with a terrifying task to undertake.

Carroll’s latest novel is the highly-acclaimed MR. BREAKFAST — out now, published by Melville House.