Writing a novel is easy; choosing the title is hard. It’s like trying to capture the essence of a soul in six words or less.
A good title can instantly propel a book into the limelight and firmly establish it as a lasting literary treasure. A bad title can get a book punched.
Below are the titles of some of the most famous novels of all time, each followed by an alleged alternative title that, fortunately, was shot down just prior to the book’s publication.
The Great Gatsby. Crazy for Daisy
Catcher in the Rye. Whiny White Kid Without a Cause
Crime and Punishment. Die, Bitch Pawnbroker, Die
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Two Rednecks Save a Slave
The Stranger. Senseless Murder in the Sand
A Farewell to Arms. War and Piece of Ass
Animal Farm. The Bacon Rebellion
Lord of the Flies. Boys Gone Wild
Atlas Shrugged. Reader Winced
Metamorphosis. Why You Buggin?
To Kill a Mockingbird. Rape, Racism and that Rascal Mr. Radley
Lolita. The Charming Pedophile
Tropic of Cancer. Sex and Drinking and Sex and Writing and Sex in Paris
The Picture of Dorian Gray. Forever Young and Homicidal
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Tripping Balls
The Lord of the Rings. The Nerd Bible
Brave New World. Gimme ‘Soma’ Loving
The Grapes of Wrath. Eat My Dust
Finnegan’s Wake. Joyce’s Jibberish
Naked Lunch. Tripping Balls: The Next Generation
Gravity’s Rainbow. WTF: A Novel
The Shining. Living It Up at The Hotel Colorado
The Road. A Very Bad Trip to the Beach
Life of Pi. Oars and Roars Toward Distant Shores
Fight Club. What We Talk About When We Don’t Talk About Fight Club
The Hunger Games. A Future Without Child Protective Services
Gone Girl. You Go, Girl.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. I Seriously Need to Get Over Myself
Eat, Pray, Love. Gorge, Beg, Screw
As for my own novel, The Exit Man (about a party supply store owner who leads a double life as a euthanasia specialist), several alternative titles were given serious consideration before the drugs wore off, including:
· Helium: It’s Not Just for Celebrating Anymore
· Your Friendly Neighborhood Suicide Guide
· Neunundneunzig Black Balloons
Your turn. Share some of your own alternative titles for famous novels in the comments section below. Do it!
A good title can instantly propel a book into the limelight and firmly establish it as a lasting literary treasure. A bad title can get a book punched.
Below are the titles of some of the most famous novels of all time, each followed by an alleged alternative title that, fortunately, was shot down just prior to the book’s publication.
The Great Gatsby. Crazy for Daisy
Catcher in the Rye. Whiny White Kid Without a Cause
Crime and Punishment. Die, Bitch Pawnbroker, Die
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Two Rednecks Save a Slave
The Stranger. Senseless Murder in the Sand
A Farewell to Arms. War and Piece of Ass
Animal Farm. The Bacon Rebellion
Lord of the Flies. Boys Gone Wild
Atlas Shrugged. Reader Winced
Metamorphosis. Why You Buggin?
To Kill a Mockingbird. Rape, Racism and that Rascal Mr. Radley
Lolita. The Charming Pedophile
Tropic of Cancer. Sex and Drinking and Sex and Writing and Sex in Paris
The Picture of Dorian Gray. Forever Young and Homicidal
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Tripping Balls
The Lord of the Rings. The Nerd Bible
Brave New World. Gimme ‘Soma’ Loving
The Grapes of Wrath. Eat My Dust
Finnegan’s Wake. Joyce’s Jibberish
Naked Lunch. Tripping Balls: The Next Generation
Gravity’s Rainbow. WTF: A Novel
The Shining. Living It Up at The Hotel Colorado
The Road. A Very Bad Trip to the Beach
Life of Pi. Oars and Roars Toward Distant Shores
Fight Club. What We Talk About When We Don’t Talk About Fight Club
The Hunger Games. A Future Without Child Protective Services
Gone Girl. You Go, Girl.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. I Seriously Need to Get Over Myself
Eat, Pray, Love. Gorge, Beg, Screw
As for my own novel, The Exit Man (about a party supply store owner who leads a double life as a euthanasia specialist), several alternative titles were given serious consideration before the drugs wore off, including:
· Helium: It’s Not Just for Celebrating Anymore
· Your Friendly Neighborhood Suicide Guide
· Neunundneunzig Black Balloons
Your turn. Share some of your own alternative titles for famous novels in the comments section below. Do it!
