In reviewing The Timewaster
Letters (Robin Cooper, 2004), I have promised myself that I’ll avoid using that hackneyed, old phrase, “It made me laugh out loud”. This is difficult, however, as those around me whilst I was reading this book must have thought I was insane. The Timewaster Letters is a book built on one single, simple idea; an idea executed brilliantly.
Basically, the author
writes to people. He writes to anyone, about anything and both his letters and the responses make up the contents of the book. Thus, the first page is a letter from Mr Cooper to a garden catalogue asking if they’d consider including his designs for scarecrows made of beef. The chain of correspondence, complete with drawings of the scarecrows
follows.
There then follows an entire book of such hilarious epistles. He writes to a noted
children’s book publisher on several occasions with his bizarre ideas for children’s
books. He writes to the Aluminium Foil Container Manufacturers’ Association as a poet in need of sponsorship; to the British
Colour Maker’s Association saying he has invented a new colour, to The Society of Indexers, to The National Federation of Fish Friers. It seems as if no obscure organisation is free from the support and ideas of Mr Cooper.
I’m not a great fan of supposedly humorous books as this is an area where there is less originality than one would like. However, it was a real delight to come across such a wonderfully, fresh approach to humour and to see it executed by a writer who obviously has a brilliant imagination.
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