Monday, August 13, 2007

When Literary Allusions Go Bad

My partner and I were headed back from our friends' cabin in Siren, Wisconsin, when we had to make a pit stop at one of the many gas stations along 35. It just so happened that a whole slue of women all had the same idea, so I found myself standing in line. Next to the women's was a cork board full of people's business cards and advertisements and notices about lost dogs and cleaning services. My eyes wandered the list and came across this:

Needful Things: Antiques & Designs/Interior Design Consulting

And I thought to myself: Seriously? Has Ms. Andrea Aydt (proprietor) never read any Stephen King? Doesn't she know that everyone who shops at Needful Things dies a horrific death? Does she really mean to evoke that particular sensibility?

I just thought it was a strange choice on her part.

What's the worst book title you would name a store?

Also, next time we go up, I'm going to bring along our digital camera to capture some of the more amazing church billboard signs. There were some seriously funny (unintentionally so, I think,) ones this time. Of course, now I can't remember a word of them.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

There's a store in my hometown that sells all-wood furniture, called "Unfinished Business." It's not a book name (well, I'm sure it is somewhere), but I always thought it was a neat name for a store.

Anonymous said...

There's a pet store called "Little Shop of Pets" near where I live. I have long been mystified by what the owners were thinking.

M. Francis Hastings said...

Carrie's. As a name for anything, it is just awful.

-Mel