Review of A Classic: Finneys Invasion of The Body Snatchers

To keep it simple and basic: Jack Finney's Invasion of The Body Snatchers succeeds first and foremost because it's a great story. If there was nothing else to be said about it, just that it's a great story, that should be more than enough to keep it on the bookshelves for the next generation to enjoy as much as the last.

However, as with most of Finney's work, it's not just the story that makes Invasion of The Body Snatchers timeless, it's also the storyteller. Reading Finney is like sitting out on the front porch, watching the neighbors come and go, and talking about how your day went. There's a hominess, an honesty, that lends credibility to every word. Add his sense of humor and obvious intelligence to the mix and you'll follow him into the strangest, most bizarre events without question.

Critics have called Invasion of The Body Snatchers an allegory for everything from the McCarthy hearings to the Cold War. It was published in 1954, a time when such connections were easy to make. However, in correspondence with Stephen King, Finney said, "I have read explanations of the 'meaning' of this story, which amuse me, because there is no meaning at all; it was just a story meant to entertain, and with no more meaning than that."

But it is a story with a strong underlying truth. That truth is this: no matter how well you know a person, you never really know him. Is there anything more frightening?

David Silva
The Successful Writer
http://thesuccessfulwriter.com

In The News:

pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Beginners Blues: How to Collect Samples, Testimonials, and References as a Freelancer

Beginner's Blues: How to Collect Samples, Testimonials, and References as... Read More

About Writing

Here's everything I know about improving your writing, publishing it... Read More

Kick-Start your Juices

Listen, consider this scenario.You have a deadline to honour. Time... Read More

How To Build A Successful Freelance Editorial Career

In the current job market, many editorial freelancers have turned... Read More

How to Multiply Your Freelance Writing Work

You can turn your $200 fee to write a press... Read More

Understanding Editorial Guidelines

Editorial guidelines, also known as writer's guidelines, are the rules... Read More

Common Writing Mistakes - Are These Holding You Back From Writing Success?

During the years that I've been teaching writing and participating... Read More

Editing Secrets

Once you've plotted out your book, developed the characters and... Read More

How To Break Into Print Publishing

The big question. Do you submit directly to the publishers,... Read More

Learning to Question Your Elephant Child: Who, What, Where, When and Why

Having problems writing? I don't know why. San Francisco Chronicle... Read More

The Writing Club

Typically when falling asleep in bed at night great thoughts... Read More

Do You Know How To Write English For Global Audiences?

When you write for international audiences, mainly directly in English,... Read More

Five Tips to Find More Time for Your Writing Life

When I asked new ezine subscribers, "What is your Number... Read More

The Author Within

Just about every marketer on the Internet claims to be... Read More

Top Ten Tips (Part 2)

Golden Rules For New Writers - Things you need to... Read More

Apostrophe Usage Made Simple

According to one of my previous articles, whenever a Southerner... Read More

Proofreading for Profits

How to avoid mistakes that undermine your credibilityYou're probably already... Read More

Good Writing

Good writing is like sex. Two people are involved ?... Read More

A Writers Personal Cheer Squad

We all need a cheer squad.We all need people to... Read More

Check Your English Grammar With This Easy Technique

As an International language, English has been used widely in... Read More

For Beginners: Ten Ways To Prepare To Get Published

(Skip directly to ten for the fastest shortcut!)Like any field,... Read More

Greatness

[When I was a nineteen-year-old high school student and budding... Read More

A Writers Life

Ever wonder what an author's life is like? What that... Read More

How to Avoid the 11 Biggest Mistakes of First Time Authors

"If you want to change your life," Harry Beckwith wrote... Read More

Blank Mind, Blank Screen: Need Ideas!

Q. I'm staring at a blank screen with an equally... Read More

Do The Unfamiliar To Keep Your Writing Going

One of the best ways to blow someone's winning streak... Read More

Becoming a Writer

The urge to write fiction seems God given for some,... Read More

Gaining Writing Experience

GAINING WRITING EXPERIENCE Some Catch-22, huh? In... Read More

Pairs/Groups Of Words Often Confused - Part 2 of 6

BAITED, BATEDBaited usually refers to traps or snares. When the... Read More

Writing For The Web: Where To Get Article Ideas

A friend and I were talking the other day about... Read More

The Self-indulgent Writier

A writer can never be self indulgent whether writing fiction,... Read More

Zany Ideas That Increase Writing Productivity And Quality

Welcome to the zany ideas of a productive writer. My... Read More

Six Tips for Creating More Lifelike Story Characters

Working on my first humorous novel, I started with a... Read More