MetaChat - Remember those choose your own adventure books?

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02 November 2005

Remember those choose your own adventure books? Are those books still around?
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You know, the ones that say: "If you decide to fight the monster, turn to page 83. If you decide to run into the woods, turn to page 92."

What about those little square books that had pictures on every other page... seen any of those lately? They used to cover the literary greats. I had Moby Dick and Treasure Island. I even used Little Women to write a report when I was a Junior! YES!

post by: bjork24 at: 23:00 | 17 comments

I don't think there are any new Choose Your Own Adventure books (though I have seen a couple, er, adult CYOA type books at the store) but I have seen a bunch at the used bookstore near me.

I totally remember those other books too! I had a couple but darned if I can remember which ones.

posted by sisterhavana 02 November | 23:05

Yes, they're still around. Just not that 'brand'. Choose your own adventure-type books are still available though.

The other books you're referring to I don't think are still around. They make movies these days instead.

posted by dobbs 02 November | 23:07

are you talking about golden books?

posted by joelf 02 November | 23:14

Wikipedia.

I loved those books. But I always cheated. I don't know anyone who didn't.

posted by jrossi4r 02 November | 23:29

I loved them, and still pick them up from time to time at used bookstores.

And yes, I always cheated, too.

I especially liked the first three "Interplanetary Spy" novels by Marc Hempel and Mark Wheatley. (Many other reviews and synopses of game books on that marvellous and obsessive site, by the way.)

posted by interrobang 02 November | 23:36

Golden books... that name doesn't sound right. These books were about 4" by 4" square. They had cheesy 70's drawings for illustrations, and they usually ran ~200 pages (although the text was so big, it was like stretching out a 15 page book). I want to say they were called mini-classics or something.

posted by bjork24 02 November | 23:36

I remember the small, square books, too, and for some reason, I was under the impression that they were given away by McDonald's. That sounds crazy, I guess.

I remember reading "Treasure Island" and "Robinson Crusoe" for the first time in the form of those little books with the illustrations on either page, but google isn't helping me much.

posted by interrobang 02 November | 23:47

You have to cheat; the books are essentially arbitrary in far too many of the choices. If they weren't, there'd be no surprise.
And hypertext novels have replaced them, mostly. My dad is looking at things like this with regard to his doctorate (or rather, will be. He was looking at them in his Master's program, and now he has to have a couple years of classes about the history of rhetoric before he gets back to 'em).

posted by klangklangston 02 November | 23:47

...or were you thinking of Whitman books?

posted by interrobang 02 November | 23:51

I think about those books pretty regularly, actually. And I always cheated.

posted by puke & cry 02 November | 23:57

Nope... not Whitman books. These were nearly perfectly square. Damn you internets! Give me a sign!

posted by bjork24 03 November | 00:03

And they're not the GREAT ILLUSTRATED CLASSICS either. This is going to kill me!

posted by bjork24 03 November | 00:06

You could never get them at the school library. They were always out, and reserved.

Cave of Time being one of the most popular.

posted by dreamsign 03 November | 00:06

bjork24: Big Little Books?

posted by Fuzzy Monster 03 November | 05:01

My first thought was the Fighting Fantasy books but that doesn't fit your 4x4 description.

posted by biffa 03 November | 06:06

CHEATERS!!!!
Me, too. Everytime.

posted by safetyfork 03 November | 11:31

Homestarrunner did one for halloween

: >

posted by amberglow 03 November | 21:15

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