The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for A Second, Less Capable Head: And Other Rogue Stories

Mercelle

Judging by the cover, I wasn't going to read this book, but the OBC review urged me on when it mentioned that the author narrates a series of bizarre stories with equally weird characters. When I read the first ten pages, I liked that the doctor refused to cut off Mr. Ploughright's second head because it would be murder. Since I noticed no errors, I will conclude that the text underwent professional editing, but I won't read the rest of the book because it doesn't appeal to me. As it is, there's nothing I would change about the bit I read.

First Ten review added on March 14, 2019, at 2:32 am by Mercelle.

Sahani Nimandra

A Second, Less Capable Head by James Hanna is a collection of short reads based on dark humor. The official review did entice my interest, but I rather hold my enthusiasm till I engage myself toward this read. I have noticed this book before, but never gave a thought to read it. As I started to read the first story it really didn't capture my interest as the review did. The story goes as a man struggles with his growing lump in his neck which turns out to be another head. Interestingly, how he cannot cut that part of the body because it's considered to be murder. To his annoyance, his wife fancies Alf, the little head. Ironic as it sounds, it gave away my interest toward this read. I didn't encounter any grammatical or typo errors while reading.

First Ten review added on March 13, 2019, at 11:08 pm by Sahani Nimandra.

Fu Zaila

The cover looks great. The writing seemed to be professionally edited. I liked how the book was contrasted with works of great authors in the Introduction section. However, I kind of felt a little grossed out by the first story and the absurdity of it. Growing a head, and even doubting it to be an Arab plot, is absurd. I get really creeped out by such stories so I won't be reading further.

First Ten review added on March 13, 2019, at 10:00 pm by Fu Zaila.

unamilagra

Before learning what this book was actually about, I admit that I would not have picked it up because the title reminds me of a reference to male genitalia. Also, the cover art makes me uncomfortable, and I don't tend to gravitate toward short stories. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind. I feel like there are enough politics on the TV these days without me choosing to read books about them as well. Even though I personally lean liberal, I don't really appreciate when people are caricatured in books, even Tea Party activists. I will not be finishing this book. I did not notice any errors.

First Ten review added on March 13, 2019, at 5:08 pm by unamilagra.

Ekta Kumari

I wouldn't have read this book on my own as I usually don't read a compilation of short stories. After sampling it, I've changed my mind and have decided to read it. I liked the flavor of dark humor infused in the story I read. The dialogues between the characters are engaging. I noticed one extra double quotation mark in the portion I read; this error should be rectified. I read an official review for the book, and that also helped me in my decision to read the whole book. I consider this book to have an unconventional theme, and that excites me to read the rest of it.

First Ten review added on March 13, 2019, at 10:46 am by Ekta Kumari.

Sonya Nicolaidis

I was very excited to see this as BOTD and jumped at the chance of giving my opinion of the first ten. Short stories have always interested me enormously, especially unpredictable ones with a twist. The cover is weird and interesting, so is the title, and I would definitely have grabbed this book off a bookshelf for a closer look. The reviews made my mind up, even before I read the sample, that I was going to love this one! In fact the introduction to the collection was interesting in itself, but it was the first story that charmed me and convinced me that this book was a winner. I predicted the outcome differently to what it it was, nevertheless it was still shocking and had a 'wow!" effect. There is no criticism I can offer- for me this book is a perfect read. No mistakes were to be found and I would read it easily in one sitting. A big "yes" from me for this book!

First Ten review added on March 13, 2019, at 8:02 am by Sonya Nicolaidis.

Emy Katherine

I would not have chosen to read and sample the book based on the genre, and I did not change my mind after reading the first ten pages and the official OBC review. Also, both the title and the cover did not catch my attention. "A Second, Less Capable Head: And Other Rogue Stories" by James Hanna is a collection of nineteen dark, humorous stories that follow the lives of degraded people such as criminals, prisoners, or stalkers. The first story of the book, "A Second, Less Capable Head," which names this anthology, follows the story of a plumber who desperately wants to cut off the second head that keeps growing next to his own. I must admit that it was an enjoyable story. The writing style was descriptive and pleasant. Both the characters and the dialogues were engaging and hilarious; in fact, I found myself smiling while reading this short story. The ending was humorous even though it was predictable. However, I am not sure the book was professionally edited as I found some missing commas. For example, "His stomach was churning and he felt a huge belch coming on" instead of "His stomach was churning, and he felt a huge belch coming on." As I am not interested in reading political satire, I will not read the book. Readers who enjoy reading about short stories filled with dark humor will enjoy this well-written work of fiction.

First Ten review added on March 13, 2019, at 6:22 am by Emy Katherine.

Gravy

This isn't my typical fare, so I would not have looked at this, and the sample both did, and did not change my opinion.
I did notice a few errors: a doubled word ("...so many cases that that the government..."), and a case of a missing possessive ("Virgil" where it should have been "Virgil's"), overall, however, it seems very well edited.
The author's cleverness is quite something. I specifically got a kick out of Virgil's last name. I very much enjoyed the first story, and would likely have been tempted into reading more, if not for the hefty price of the physical copy (I prefer to always read a physical copy, for various reasons).
At this time, due mostly to enjoying it, but not enjoying it quite *that* much, I have to give this a pass. I may come back to it at a later date.
There was a review for this book, but that does not affect my opinion.

First Ten review added on March 13, 2019, at 5:04 am by Gravy.

revna01

The OBC reviewer noted this odd collection of shorts as having open interpretations. I think the cover is atrocious but I think the title is hilarious, given the first story. The first ten pages were about Virgil Ploughright, a staunch Republican who is wanting to have the secondary head sprouting from his neck removed. His doctor informs him he can't because that would be murder. Virgil calls it a monkey's head, but his girlfriend Trixie thinks it's cute and named it Alf. I love the sheer absurdity and humor, and liked the political comparisons being drawn. I can offer no advice for improvement. The editing was professional as well. Bizarre shorts aren't appealing to me currently (although I did like Goosebumps as a kid). I think I'll pass on this for now, but I'm glad I have it downloaded in case I change my mind.

First Ten review added on March 12, 2019, at 11:17 pm by revna01.

Jsovermyer

The cover art is interesting and would cause me to take a second look at this book. This is a collection of crazy, creative and satirical short stories. The twist at the end of the first story, A Second, Less Capable Head, reminded me of the twists that made the television show, The Twilight Zone, famous. The main characters, Virgil and Trixie, were very funny and well-developed. The official review rated this book highly. I liked the first story but don't think I would give it a perfect score. I found several grammatical errors in the Introduction, by John Gist, but found no errors in the first short story. I believe that the short stories have been professionally edited. Although I found the first story clever, I do not usually read short stories. I prefer a longer novel. I will not be finishing the book at this time.

First Ten review added on March 12, 2019, at 11:07 pm by Jsovermyer.

NuelUkah

The cover and title summarizes the book. I can't imagine growing a second head. Therefore, I'd buy and read a copy to know how this interesting tale ends for Virgil. I like how Virgil reacts, especially when he talks with his girlfriend, Trixie.

It seems to be professionally edited. I didn't find any error. The Official OnlineBookClub review shows that this book was well written and is quite interesting.

First Ten review added on March 12, 2019, at 8:03 pm by NuelUkah.

CinWin

The first short story in "A Second, Less Capable Head" by James Hanna, involves Virgil's problem of the extra head he is growing out of the side of his neck. His doctor won't cut it off. His girlfriend thinks it is cute. Even the President of the USA says we are to live amiably with these extra heads that are popping up on a small minority of citizens. Poor Virgil is out of his mind with distress. Thus ends the first 10 pages of this somewhat bizarre story. I would not have picked this book to read by its cover, because it is comprised of short stories and I prefer long books, so I won't be finishing it. I did enjoy the sample that I read. It is a very whimsical tale and quite funny. There were no typos, and there was an onlinebookclub review. I wouldn't have changed anything, except for the length. Were this a full length book, I would read it.

First Ten review added on March 12, 2019, at 6:32 pm by CinWin.

sarahmarlowe randomeducator

This cover is not attractive to me, and I would not have picked this book up. After reading the sample, I will be passing on it. I'm not a big reader of short stories, and the author's humor is not along the lines of what I like to read. Additionally, I predicted what was going to happen to Virgil in surgery, so this is just not a good fit for me. The book is well-edited. I didn't find any errors. I have not read an OBC review of this book.

First Ten review added on March 12, 2019, at 6:22 pm by sarahmarlowe randomeducator.

Sweet Psamy

If I had not sampled the first ten pages of this book, I would have chosen to read it because of its editorial and customer reviews. This is because most of them talked about the book's humorous appeal. I love having a good laugh. I would not buy and read the whole book because the humor in it didn't appeal to me the way I had thought it would. It was more mysterious than humorous.

Reading the first ten pages changed my mind about buying the book. This is because I had high expectations from the book based on the editorial and customer reviews, but was disappointed when the first ten pages didn't have enough of the humor as I'd wantedThe book appears not to have been professionally edited. I found this error: "- so many cases that that the government could not keep the story under wraps." (page 8). What I like most in the bit I read was Virgil's insistence to have the second head cut off. I was also of the same opinion.

I think the absence of horror in this book would purify its humorous side. It would make it more funny. Horror doesn't go well with humor. The book did not have an official OnlineBookClub review that I saw. The lack of an official OnlineBookClub review did not affect my decision.

First Ten review added on March 12, 2019, at 5:55 pm by Sweet Psamy.

Kristy Khem

This book’s cover design and title are creepy and off-putting. After reading the blurb, I decided that this one is not something I would enjoy, despite the positive reviews on Amazon. I only read the sample for the First Ten programme. The first story is horrifying. It is about a man named Virgil who someone manages to grow a new head. He wants it removed urgently, but his girlfriend doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, she likes it, perhaps more than him. She nicknames the new head Alf. In the end, Virgil finds someone willing to remove the extra head. When his girlfriend visits him after the surgery, she finds that the doctor has removed Virgil’s head instead of Alf’s. This was an unpredictable and frightening ending. I didn’t like this story at all. I will not be buying of reading this book although the OBC review praised it. I did not come across any errors in the sample. The book seems to have been edited fully.

First Ten review added on March 12, 2019, at 3:55 pm by Kristy Khem.

Kajori Sheryl Paul

'A Second, Less Capable Head' is a book written by James Hanna. The title, blurb, the OBC review, and the customer reviews in Amazon did a good job of convincing me to give the book a try.

The first ten pages of the book leads me to believe that it is a collection of blizzard short stories. The first story revolves around Virgil. Virgil has grown a second head, and he is desperate to get rid of it. I find the concept to be bizarrely interesting. I found some errors. For example, the author had written, “It don’t look intelligent to me.” instead of “It doesn’t look intelligent to me”. Hence, I do not consider it to be professionally edited. I will give this book a skip as I am not in the mind-frame to read a book of this genre.

First Ten review added on March 12, 2019, at 3:09 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.

Camille Turner

I would have sampled this even without the program because from the title, cover, and Amazon blurb, it seems to be a collection of interesting stories full of dynamic characters. After reading the first ten pages, I believe the book to be professionally edited as I didn't see any grammatical errors or typos. I liked the irony in the story. For example, Virgil pickets abortion clinics but then wants to cut off the head growing on his shoulder and can't because it would be considered murder. I thought the characters were funny, as Virgil is a sort of caricature of certain Americans (part of the Tea Party, loves Sarah Palin, fear of Muslims, etc.). However, my impression did change as I no longer think it's a book for me, and I won't be reading the rest of it. I wouldn't improve anything as I think other readers will like it, but for me, the descriptions of the growing second head were just a little gross, and I hated the main character so much (even though I think he's hilariously like so many people in real life) that I didn't feel the need to keep reading about him.

First Ten review added on March 12, 2019, at 12:38 pm by Camille Turner.

OloladeO

Based on the cover and title, I would not have read the sample because its genre is not my cup of tea. From the sample, Virgil woke up with a lump on his neck. He panicked and arranged to see his doctor. After examining him, the doctor told him that he was growing another head. Virgil asked the doctor to cut it off, but the doctor refused, saying that it would be murder and that he need's a court's permission to remove it. Virgil then threatened to write to Sarah Palin, which he did, but soon found out that he had written to a porn site instead. Virgil has a girlfriend named Trixie and they both have no idea why they are still together. Trixie named the growing head Alf. The book seems edited. The OBC reviewer gave it a perfect rating, which means that those that favor its genre would find it entertaining. As for me, I would have to pass for the reason I stated earlier.

First Ten review added on March 12, 2019, at 11:39 am by OloladeO.

HRichards

I normally wouldn't pick up this kind of book as the subject matter doesn't appeal to me. Having read the sample I won't be continuing on with the book, as the stories were rather odd and unappealing. The sample deals with a short story where the main character grows another head. The doctor refuses to remove the second head and admits there are people with this problem popping up everywhere. The man discusses the new head with his girlfriend and worries that she will leave him. The writing is pretty good and I didn't notice any grammar errors. The subject matter is rather weird and not to my tastes. Those who like Kafka and bizarre stories might like this book. I have not read any other reviews of this book.

First Ten review added on March 12, 2019, at 9:43 am by HRichards.

LV2R

The book cover and title did not interest me. The Amazon Blurb mentioned that the book contained 19 tales that included some strange dark themes. This did not interest me too much. I read the first ten pages that described some of the characters: a two-headed man, a demonic farmer, and a six-inch female. I best like that the introduction was written by a college philosophy professor, who teaches literature and creative writing and has experience with the theory of interpretation. He compares Hanna with several different authors and describes Hanna’s writings as “the strange world of James Hanna.” I like his description because I think he warns us of the horror, absurdity, and violence found in this book. The book seems to be edited well, as I did not notice any errors. The OBC review described the 19 tales as hilarious, absurd, bizarre, and frightening with vulgarity. I choose not to read this book at this time because it does not interest me in the strangeness of it all.

First Ten review added on March 12, 2019, at 9:13 am by LV2R.

Theresa Moffitt

This is a collection of short stories. The first ten pages are part of the short story “A Second Less Capable Head”. I have not read a review of this book prior to reading the first ten pages. I wasn’t drawn to the cover of the book, I don’t think I would have chosen the book based on the cover. The story involves Virgil and the growth of a second head. There are interactions with his doctor and his girlfriend, Trixie. I didn’t enjoy this story. It was well-written and looks to be professionally edited because I didn’t see any errors. However, I didn’t like the storyline. Parts of the book that were intended to be humorous, I didn’t find funny. Judging by the first ten pages, this is not the type of book I would enjoy reading. I won’t be reading the rest of this book.

First Ten review added on March 12, 2019, at 8:22 am by Theresa Moffitt.

This book appears to have been Book of the Day more than once. Only responses from the most recent Book of the Day focus group are shown. Older responses have been hidden by default to avoid confusion. If you would like to also view the older first ten responses, you can unhide them by clicking the button below.

Show Older Responses