Book meme

[kerravonsen]

Gacked from communicator and altariel1.

In Farenheit 451, volunteers memorise entire books, to preserve the text from burning: what text would you learn and save?

Well, it would be too easy to say "The Bible", though that would probably be my real answer. Though I'm not sure I could memorise the whole thing, but chunks of itanyway.
However, apart from the Bible...
The Napoleon of Notting Hill by G.K. Chesterton

Have you ever had a crush on a character in a book?

Not really, though like altariel1 they would probably be "angsty, dark-haired and cerebral"...

The last book you bought is:

Metallic Love by Tanith Lee. It's a sequel to "The Silver Metal Lover". I haven't read it yet, though. It's on my to-be-read shelves.
No, I lie. The last book I bought is The Perl Cookbook.

The last book you finished is:

War For the Oaks by Emma Bull. An old favourite.

What are you currently reading:

Actually, I'm currently reading fanfic. And dipping into "The Perl Cookbook".
What I might read next, I'm not sure. Perhaps Island of Ghosts by Gillian Bradshaw (another old favourite)

Five desert island books:

I also shall skip the memorized book.

The Beacon at Alexandria by Gillian Bradshaw (of which I have two copies, one to keep and one to lend)
Trouble With Lichen by John Wyndham
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (it's a book, you can get it in one volume (pokes out tongue))
Scout's Progress by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold (It's hard to pick just one Bujold, but I think this one won because (a) I seem to re-read it fairly often, (b) I bought in hardback and (c) did not get rid of the hardback after I got the paperback.)

Though I'm not sure if I should swap the Wyndham for "Pride and Predjudice" anyway...

Comments

Oooh...

[tptigger.livejournal.com]

Emma Bull!

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

I remember "The Trouble with Lichen" as being rather dull and my least favourite Wyndham. I was aged about seventeen when I read it, so perhaps if I reread it now my opinion would be different. The Wyndham book I would take to my desert island would be "The Chrysalids".

[kerravonsen]

I think I liked "The Trouble with Lichen" the best because it was sort of subversively feminist in a mild way. My second-favourite would be "The Chrysalids", followed by the most famous "Day of the Triffids". I think "The Midwitch Cuckoos" was just too creepy for my taste, and the others of his I've read don't stand out that much in my mind.

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

For such a conservative-seeming (small "c") writer at first sight, Wyndham could be surprisingly subversive and very sympathetic to the disadvantaged. Have you read his classic short story "Dumb Martian", which is a prime example.

Then there's the novella "Consider Her Ways", of which it's hard to say anything without it being a spoiler.

[kerravonsen]

Have you read his classic short story "Dumb Martian", which is a prime example.
Ah yes. That was the one where the MCP racist jerk married a Martian woman because he was legally required to do so...?

Then there's the novella "Consider Her Ways", of which it's hard to say anything without it being a spoiler.

I know I read that one, but it was so long ago that I've forgotten what happened.

Actually, I think my favourite short story of his is "Wild Flower".

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

Have you read his classic short story "Dumb Martian", which is a prime example.
Ah yes. That was the one where the MCP racist jerk married a Martian woman because he was legally required to do so...?

That's the one. A marvellous story.

Actually, I think my favourite short story of his is "Wild Flower".
ISTR liking that one too, though the details haven't stuck in my mind. I think my own favourite would be "Pastoral". (Pretty sure I've remembered the title correctly.)