Funny book :: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer.

Bête de Jour’s last blog post..Feedback Friday :: Swelling A Progress

Thank you! And mangia!

molly’s last blog post..Old Curmudgeon Incoming……

Agreed Molly! Be prepared: the book is *very* different (MUCH better IMHO)

I did a similar meme a couple of years ago….here are my answers:

1. One book that changed your life?

“The Blood of Others“, by Simone de Beauvoir. I read this my senior year in college, and I remember the feeling that I got from it…the idea that we are deeply responsible for our actions, because they can have truly profound effects upon others…great stuff. I remember while reading this book, I walked over to the movie theater near my house one rainy afternoon, and saw the movie “Glory“. Somehow black battalion in the Civil War, trying to take control of their own destiny, seemed even more poignant to me because of the book I was reading. (There was a film version of The Blood of Others, back in the mid-80s, but it pretty much stunk. Jodie Foster, but not her best work.)

2. One book you have read more than once?

I’ve read a lot of books more than once. I’m a re-reader. I’ve read “Gone With the Wind” and the Laura Ingalls Wilder books more times than I can count. (GWTW…Scarlett’s conflict, between what she has to do, and what she things she SHOULD do…it resonates with many, I think.) But for a grown up, serious book that I LOVE, I would answer “The Dead“, by James Joyce. (I know, it’s not a book, it’s a short story. So sue me.) It’s one of the most touching stories that I’ve ever read. I felt humbled by the experience. (They did a beautiful job with a movie version a while ago, too. If you’re a John Huston fan, I believe this was his last film.)

Honorable Mention here would go to The Unbearable Lightness of Being. I love that book. The movie was good, but really, only after reading the book. I didn’t understand the motivations well enough from the movie without that background. Milan Kundera is amazing.

3. One book you would want on a desert island?

Probably Ulysses, by James Joyce. Why Ulysses? 2 reasons. 1. Because the time I tried to read it, I had to laugh at the phrase, “The sea, the sea, the snot green sea”; and, 2. Because stuck on a desert island is probably the only way I would ever get through it. It’s a literary laberynth.

4. One book that made you cry?

I’m not sure any book has actually made me physically cry. I cry at movies all of the time, and songs, and commercials. But books, I can’t think of any right now. However, some books have made me depressed and sick to my stomach, does that count? The Kite Runner and The Lovely Bones are two more recent examples that have really hit hard.

5. One book that made you laugh?

The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey. You can enjoy it online, here. Sick humor at its best. The first time I found this book was in a bookstore in Philadelphia, and Ted and I were cracking up. That’s the bookstore where I first found Swami on Rye and Max Makes a Million, two books that I had to immediately buy for my as yet unborn child. I may not have even been pregnant yet, but I knew she had to have these books.

6. One book you wish had been written?

“How we ended poverty, hunger, war, and disease in the 20th century.”

7. One book you wish had never been written?

Sadly, most textbooks. Boy, they can suck the life out of even the most interesting subjects.

8. One book you are currently reading?

I’m reading Eat Cake, which was recommended to me by Cherry and La Luna, both bakers and eaters of yummy cakes. I’m not as big a cake fan as they are, and I’m not very far in, but so far, so good. I’m enjoying it.

9. One book you have been meaning to read?

I’ve been meaning to read Little Dorrit, by Charles Dickens. My New Years Resolution last year was to read some of the classics of literature that I missed while I was in school. Along the way, I realized that I haven’t read any Dickens. That made me feel somewhat uneducated, so I looked around and picked one. It’s an interesting, though bleak, topic. Debters prisons in England in the 18th century. But 18th century novels are written in a different tempo, a different rythem than books today. You kind of have to get in a certain groove to really get into it, I think. At least, that’s true for me. Maybe I’ll reread “Pride and Predjudice” for practice.

J’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday- Hawaii Edition

Wow J…you definitely get the star for most complete answer in a comment! I *love* all of the suggestions you’ve given me here…and I can *always* recommend Pride & Prejudice, although I agree–there’s something very different about reading classic novels. I have to be in the right mindset or else it just doesn’t work for me. And FWIW, I’ve only read “Great Expectations,” and eh…..

You named a few authors that I have not read that I must add to my list. I think I will have to do this meme on my blog tomorrow!

jmisgro’s last blog post..IzeaFest

Can’t wait to see your answers! I’m wondering how other Burroughs’ books were….

Chel’s last blog post..What do you do with your past?

I’ve sent you a request

love paolo coelho too! my absolute faves are The Alchemist and Veronica Decides To Die. I read these two over and over through the years.

re: funny authors, i really enjoy bill bryson and david sedaris. like you, i wasn’t too thrilled with Running with Scissors.

thanks for sharing this meme, i’ll have to post mine in my blog soon!

Odessa’s last blog post..a happy ending

;o)

XO
Scarlett & V.

Wanderlust Scarlett’s last blog post..In Thoughts Of You

Hah, as I was typing that response I was wondering whether it was available on there…I’ll be on the lookout!

I’ll have to get The Eyre Affair… that sounds good!

XO
Scarlett & Viaggiatore

Wanderlust Scarlett’s last blog post..In Thoughts Of You

Haven’t read The Trumpet of the Swan either! I wish there was a children’s book store/library (in English) near here…..

brilynn’s last blog post..Baby Eggplants Are Cute

You know I’ve never read The Secret Garden?! Tragic, I know. Must remedy!

I can only imagine Sandy; she is certainly one of the most amazing people to have ever graced our planet.