Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Top 10 rejected titles

At the Guardian, John Mullan named ten great novels with terrible original titles.

The top two titles on the list:
First Impressions

Jane Austen's father submitted an early version of Pride and Prejudice to a publisher under this title. The publisher rejected it by return of post.

All's Well that Ends Well

Tolstoy's incongruously cheerful projected title for War and Peace, which was actually first published under the title 1805.
Read about all ten books on Mullan's list.

The Page 99 Test: Pride and Prejudice.

--Marshal Zeringue