Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Backstories will be available on March 25th.
Backstories is smart and enigmatic, encouraging the reader to be involved. Author Simon Van der Velde combines history and fiction to create something entirely different- the surprising stories behind famous figures. Instead of the public persona we all know, the veneer is stripped away to show the utter humanness underneath.
Interestingly, Backstories isn’t set up in any way that is run-of-the-mill. This collection of short stories isn’t a simple “this is their past” sort of book. Instead, it’s a mystery. The reader has to solve the puzzle: who is each story about? I have to be honest and say that a couple stories completely stumped me. It was fascinating to try and match up new details with what is already known about a person. It added a level of realism to what have always been almost unreachable, exaggerated famous (or infamous) people.
The writing is engaging and easy to connect with. It’s quite obvious that author Simon Van Der Velde put a lot of time and research into his book, but he left just enough to the imagination to encourage me to do my own digging. The little Easter eggs that were left throughout were clever and added so much to the story.
I went into Backstories expecting to be entertained. Instead, I was sucked in and ended up being incredibly invested in the “who was” aspect. Expect an engrossing book, one that will keep you guessing.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2021/03/29/backstories-by-simon-van-der-velde/
Backstories is smart and enigmatic, encouraging the reader to be involved. Author Simon Van der Velde combines history and fiction to create something entirely different- the surprising stories behind famous figures. Instead of the public persona we all know, the veneer is stripped away to show the utter humanness underneath.
Interestingly, Backstories isn’t set up in any way that is run-of-the-mill. This collection of short stories isn’t a simple “this is their past” sort of book. Instead, it’s a mystery. The reader has to solve the puzzle: who is each story about? I have to be honest and say that a couple stories completely stumped me. It was fascinating to try and match up new details with what is already known about a person. It added a level of realism to what have always been almost unreachable, exaggerated famous (or infamous) people.
The writing is engaging and easy to connect with. It’s quite obvious that author Simon Van Der Velde put a lot of time and research into his book, but he left just enough to the imagination to encourage me to do my own digging. The little Easter eggs that were left throughout were clever and added so much to the story.
I went into Backstories expecting to be entertained. Instead, I was sucked in and ended up being incredibly invested in the “who was” aspect. Expect an engrossing book, one that will keep you guessing.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2021/03/29/backstories-by-simon-van-der-velde/
Firstly a huge thank you to Simon for getting in touch and asking me to read his book, also for gifting my daughter a book of her own (which she's obsessed with!) It's been a wicked ride reading this short stories book and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Can you find the famous person hidden in every story?
These are people you know, but, not as you know them. Peel back the mask and see.
From dreamers, singers, to heroes and killers, they can dazzle with their beauty or their talent, or even their evil. Yet inside they are frail and desperate. Can you see them? Can you unravel their truth?
This is not my usual book I'd pick if I'll be honest, but I was indeed very intrigued. I absolutely loved trying to work out who each story was about. Some I guessed easily, but most I'm still baffled at, although after some heavy googling I've worked a couple out now. I felt while reading that I was either in the policeforce or a journalist trying to uncover these secrets, to reveal the truth. This was so well written, so original and unique. I was equally entertained and yet equally shocked at the same time. Every story, every page, I was drawn in and when I wasn't reading, I was still thinking about it and wondering "who is it?" But on top of working out what each story is to whom, you are also dived into the humanity sides of things. You wonder if things were different for this individual would their path have changed and for the better. You also see the harsh truths of racism and how backdated it even begun. You start looking into the psychological parts of this book too. If this individual was shown love and support, would he of not caused one of the worst wars ever!?
Honestly it was like a game Clue, but also a fun and entertaining history lesson. Such a clever and mastermind of a book and I definitely want to read the part 2 of Backstories. The only flaw for me was I needed the wow factor, something that would of made me go "Oh my gawd!" Which is the only reason it's not a 5 star for me. But honestly if you love playing detective, playing guessing games, get this book which is officially out now! I would love to see if you can guess who these famous people are.
Can you find the famous person hidden in every story?
These are people you know, but, not as you know them. Peel back the mask and see.
From dreamers, singers, to heroes and killers, they can dazzle with their beauty or their talent, or even their evil. Yet inside they are frail and desperate. Can you see them? Can you unravel their truth?
This is not my usual book I'd pick if I'll be honest, but I was indeed very intrigued. I absolutely loved trying to work out who each story was about. Some I guessed easily, but most I'm still baffled at, although after some heavy googling I've worked a couple out now. I felt while reading that I was either in the policeforce or a journalist trying to uncover these secrets, to reveal the truth. This was so well written, so original and unique. I was equally entertained and yet equally shocked at the same time. Every story, every page, I was drawn in and when I wasn't reading, I was still thinking about it and wondering "who is it?" But on top of working out what each story is to whom, you are also dived into the humanity sides of things. You wonder if things were different for this individual would their path have changed and for the better. You also see the harsh truths of racism and how backdated it even begun. You start looking into the psychological parts of this book too. If this individual was shown love and support, would he of not caused one of the worst wars ever!?
Honestly it was like a game Clue, but also a fun and entertaining history lesson. Such a clever and mastermind of a book and I definitely want to read the part 2 of Backstories. The only flaw for me was I needed the wow factor, something that would of made me go "Oh my gawd!" Which is the only reason it's not a 5 star for me. But honestly if you love playing detective, playing guessing games, get this book which is officially out now! I would love to see if you can guess who these famous people are.
Simon Van der Velde's "Backstories" is a stonking debut. The premise is unique, original and has the potential to change how reading groups/book clubs operate. I think it would be enormous fun to read in real time and would work particularly well at parties. Zoom "Backstories" session, anyone? As I read, I took notes and randomly shouted out names. Some of my guesses were sublime, others ridiculous, as I sat scribbling in my notepad, emulating Jessica Fletcher. For me, "Backstories" is the thinking woman's "Masked Singer".
I listened to the audiobook and found the narration to be animated, with each character individualised beautifully. Readers Catherine Dryden, Bobby Hirston, Stacey 'Mo' Patterson, Simon Van der Velde skilfully adopted the persona of each character. Seldom have we, the public, been privy to the intimacies and intricacies of the lives of the well-kent faces within. Whilst the experience overall is fun, some of the stories are sobering with a degree of pathos. The ultimate scenario for experiencing "Backstories" is to purchase both the audiobook and a physical copy. The reason for this will become apparent as you embark on your journey with the text. Suffice it to say, the narration is too good to miss but there are occasions where seeing the words written down will help with the guessing process. Often the wrong answers are the source of much hilarity, as I discovered following the funny looks I got from yelling "J. R. Hartley!" at the top of my lungs.
Aside from the fact that it's a brilliant, immersive read, 30% of all profits from the sale of the book will be shared between Stop Hate UK, The Northeast Autism Society and Friends of the Earth. What's not to love? I implore you to give "Backstories'' a try. I will be pressing it upon all my friends and family for birthdays and Christmas this year. The idea is simple yet skilfully executed. It's fresh, innovative and I can't believe it hasn't been done before, but I'm so glad that Simon Van der Velde has gone and done it now. All that remains to say is that I am assembling my book club crew and eagerly awaiting the sequel!
I listened to the audiobook and found the narration to be animated, with each character individualised beautifully. Readers Catherine Dryden, Bobby Hirston, Stacey 'Mo' Patterson, Simon Van der Velde skilfully adopted the persona of each character. Seldom have we, the public, been privy to the intimacies and intricacies of the lives of the well-kent faces within. Whilst the experience overall is fun, some of the stories are sobering with a degree of pathos. The ultimate scenario for experiencing "Backstories" is to purchase both the audiobook and a physical copy. The reason for this will become apparent as you embark on your journey with the text. Suffice it to say, the narration is too good to miss but there are occasions where seeing the words written down will help with the guessing process. Often the wrong answers are the source of much hilarity, as I discovered following the funny looks I got from yelling "J. R. Hartley!" at the top of my lungs.
Aside from the fact that it's a brilliant, immersive read, 30% of all profits from the sale of the book will be shared between Stop Hate UK, The Northeast Autism Society and Friends of the Earth. What's not to love? I implore you to give "Backstories'' a try. I will be pressing it upon all my friends and family for birthdays and Christmas this year. The idea is simple yet skilfully executed. It's fresh, innovative and I can't believe it hasn't been done before, but I'm so glad that Simon Van der Velde has gone and done it now. All that remains to say is that I am assembling my book club crew and eagerly awaiting the sequel!
I’d like to thank Simon Van Der Velde for sending me the audio files of Backstories. I wasn’t sure what to expect from reading the synopsis but wow did this book blow me away!
Like most fans of crime/mystery reads I’m always happy to play detective to try and solve the whodunnit as quickly as possible so this book was definitely for me! The audio was fantastic and all the narrators did a great job of portraying the characters. The accents really helped with identifying where the story was taking place. The only downside to the audio was knowing how certain words and names were spelt when I was trying to discover who the story was about, if I’d read the book I probably would of got some of my guesses quicker. Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed listening and went back for seconds to check some of my answers.
Solving the mysteries for some of the stories was quite easy, others I had to really think about. Being 30years old some of the people were a little bit before my time however I had heard of all of them, some just needed a bit of research on my part. What I loved were the moments that Simon had chosen to highlight and how the clues were placed. Instead of going for the obvious ‘stand out’ moments he had chosen personal and pivotal moments of their lives. I very often had the ‘lightbulb’ moment on several of the tracks and was super chuffed when I’d figured them out. Some of my favourite tracks were Blank Face, All Over Now, Voiceless Child, Banjo Boy and Jive Talkin’. The entire concept was wonderfully original and beautifully executed!
I was thrilled to hear the Simon will be producing a second book, in the same style, so I have already requested to read it when it is ready. I’m also buying my dad a copy as this is definitely his type of book. I’m also going to enjoy teasing him if there are some he gets stuck on! If you love books with a twist, a puzzle to solve then this is definitely for you!
P.S. Simon is sharing 30% of all profits from Backstories with Friends of the Earth, Stop Hate UK and The North-East Autism Society. See http://www.simonvandervelde.com for further details.
Like most fans of crime/mystery reads I’m always happy to play detective to try and solve the whodunnit as quickly as possible so this book was definitely for me! The audio was fantastic and all the narrators did a great job of portraying the characters. The accents really helped with identifying where the story was taking place. The only downside to the audio was knowing how certain words and names were spelt when I was trying to discover who the story was about, if I’d read the book I probably would of got some of my guesses quicker. Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed listening and went back for seconds to check some of my answers.
Solving the mysteries for some of the stories was quite easy, others I had to really think about. Being 30years old some of the people were a little bit before my time however I had heard of all of them, some just needed a bit of research on my part. What I loved were the moments that Simon had chosen to highlight and how the clues were placed. Instead of going for the obvious ‘stand out’ moments he had chosen personal and pivotal moments of their lives. I very often had the ‘lightbulb’ moment on several of the tracks and was super chuffed when I’d figured them out. Some of my favourite tracks were Blank Face, All Over Now, Voiceless Child, Banjo Boy and Jive Talkin’. The entire concept was wonderfully original and beautifully executed!
I was thrilled to hear the Simon will be producing a second book, in the same style, so I have already requested to read it when it is ready. I’m also buying my dad a copy as this is definitely his type of book. I’m also going to enjoy teasing him if there are some he gets stuck on! If you love books with a twist, a puzzle to solve then this is definitely for you!
P.S. Simon is sharing 30% of all profits from Backstories with Friends of the Earth, Stop Hate UK and The North-East Autism Society. See http://www.simonvandervelde.com for further details.
Just who are they?
You will enjoy trying to figure out who these stories are really about. They are fun and interesting. I wonder just where Simon Van Der Velde found all the information. I really liked these. I learned things I didn't know.
You will enjoy trying to figure out who these stories are really about. They are fun and interesting. I wonder just where Simon Van Der Velde found all the information. I really liked these. I learned things I didn't know.
You will enjoy trying to figure out who these stories are really about. They are fun and interesting. I wonder just where Simon Van Der Velde found all the information. I really liked these. I learned things I didn't know.
This is probably one of the most interesting books I've ever read. It is a collection of short stories, each a backstory on a celebrity or famous figure. Although there are facts included, there has been a bit of creative license used.
They are told in a way that we need to work out who the story is about with clues peppered in, like a nickname or quote. It is very clever and gives us just enough information to work the person out. I was able to get them all but I went straight to Google to double check - I never thought I'd ever search "What height is Paul Simon in feet?" The stories were sometimes funny, sometimes serious and some made me a little shocked.
I don't want to give too much away because Backstories is such an entertaining read and everyone should give it a go! I loved the concept and the author wasn't afraid to shy away from harder topics.
They are told in a way that we need to work out who the story is about with clues peppered in, like a nickname or quote. It is very clever and gives us just enough information to work the person out. I was able to get them all but I went straight to Google to double check - I never thought I'd ever search "What height is Paul Simon in feet?" The stories were sometimes funny, sometimes serious and some made me a little shocked.
I don't want to give too much away because Backstories is such an entertaining read and everyone should give it a go! I loved the concept and the author wasn't afraid to shy away from harder topics.
I don’t normally gravitate towards short stories but I found this concept so intriguing that I could not resist reading the book when I was given the opportunity to do so. The concept is a series of unconnected backstories relating to famous and infamous people. Each individual story concentrates on a situation before that person became famous.
I found the stories extremely compelling because you have no idea who each story is about. It was a complete mystery (or should I say a series of complete mysteries?). Some I found more difficult than others. It was so challenging for me because with some I had an idea of who it was within the first few paragraphs, others had me guessing until the last paragraph, and a couple had me pondering for a while afterwards. The most exciting part is that with each story, cleverly woven by Simon Van der Velde, he makes no explicit declaration of who the person is, so if you can’t guess who it is, you’ll never know!
I’ve always been a mine of useless information so this really ticked my boxes and I found it so much fun to read. I would guess that younger people might find this harder if they do not get the cultural references that identify each person, although I’m sure googling may help! As a baby of the late 1960s I easily identified with the context of stories of people I was aware of, and also some of the people from further back. I think my daughter who is 27 would have certainly been able to work out a few of them, but may possibly have struggled to guess them all.
I found the whole experience of reading Backstories to be thought-provoking and I believe there is a second book due later this year. Backstories was a fantastic debut for Simon Van der Velde, and I am really looking forward to reading more of his work. I may still be on the fence a little with regards to short stories, but Backstories is so much more than a collection of short stories, and this collection works perfectly for me.
I found the stories extremely compelling because you have no idea who each story is about. It was a complete mystery (or should I say a series of complete mysteries?). Some I found more difficult than others. It was so challenging for me because with some I had an idea of who it was within the first few paragraphs, others had me guessing until the last paragraph, and a couple had me pondering for a while afterwards. The most exciting part is that with each story, cleverly woven by Simon Van der Velde, he makes no explicit declaration of who the person is, so if you can’t guess who it is, you’ll never know!
I’ve always been a mine of useless information so this really ticked my boxes and I found it so much fun to read. I would guess that younger people might find this harder if they do not get the cultural references that identify each person, although I’m sure googling may help! As a baby of the late 1960s I easily identified with the context of stories of people I was aware of, and also some of the people from further back. I think my daughter who is 27 would have certainly been able to work out a few of them, but may possibly have struggled to guess them all.
I found the whole experience of reading Backstories to be thought-provoking and I believe there is a second book due later this year. Backstories was a fantastic debut for Simon Van der Velde, and I am really looking forward to reading more of his work. I may still be on the fence a little with regards to short stories, but Backstories is so much more than a collection of short stories, and this collection works perfectly for me.
Each chapter of Backstories is a short story laced with subtle clues as to who the main character in that story may be. I surprised myself with how many characters I was able to successfully guess; some I guessed early on, and some become increasingly obvious as the chapter came to a close. That said, there were still a few I didn’t know- and consequently I found those chapters less enjoyable.
It becomes addictive reading; once I successfully guessed who was the subject of a chapter it was a case of “just one more chapter” until i finished the whole book in one sitting.
Bravo, Van Der Velde. This is a truly original and enjoyable concept for a book.
It becomes addictive reading; once I successfully guessed who was the subject of a chapter it was a case of “just one more chapter” until i finished the whole book in one sitting.
Bravo, Van Der Velde. This is a truly original and enjoyable concept for a book.
I haven’t read many short stories so to be honest with you I didn’t know if this would appeal to me. I am happy to report I was wrong! I loved it.
These short stories are the backstories of different people and some you will want to re read! They were addictive to read and so well written that at each scenario I could imagine myself there after a few sentences. Really excited for backstories 2
These short stories are the backstories of different people and some you will want to re read! They were addictive to read and so well written that at each scenario I could imagine myself there after a few sentences. Really excited for backstories 2