Just spotted this
book meme over at A Very Public Sociologist.
I'll let AVPS Phil do the explanation bit 'cos it's going to take me at least one side of That Petrol Emotion's Chemicrazy -
Sides? I'm so 1970s. It must be the Cemetery Junction effect. - to format this bastard post:
"At the back of the book, [Stephen King's 'On Writing'] King provides a bibliography of best books he read during the composition of On Writing, From a Buick Eight, Hearts in Atlantis and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. This sounds like ideal meme fodder to me.
Of his list of 93 books how many have you read? Those in bold red are books I've read. Those in italics are books I own. And if they're bold and italicised, well. I think you can work it out."
I've read
12 13 of the books listed and I own 9. 12/93 is par for the course with me and book memes . . . until some bastard pulls their finger out and finally creates that
Gordon Legge Book Meme that some of us have been waiting too long for.
It's strangely reassuring that there is no book on the list that I own but have yet to read. And who is Peter Abrahams, btw? Surely it's not the same Peter Abrahams who co-wrote a couple of books on Orwell a few years back? I read those books during my last Orwell phase. Wiki will no doubt reveal all.
Phil tags people with these memes but, then again, Phil has readers. I just have people who stumble across the blog because they want to
know more about Kevin-Prince Boateng's tattoos. It's official: Boateng's tatts are this year's 'Kika Markham + nude'. If that footie fan in Ulan Bator wants to take time out from poring over Boateng's upper torso - and wondering what the hell Viz is - please feel free to take the meme.
11 comments:
I normally can't resist a book meme, but I've heard of and read so few of those books, I can't be arsed! And I'm not excited about a single one of them, apart from Oliver Twist, which is coming up in my completist Dickens-reading marathon, and Underworld, which I've read, but can't remember, and I suspect might be better than I realised while I was reading it....
I like the fact that I've not heard of most of the books on the list. Gives me the opportunity to discover some new authors.
You've not read Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy? I'd really recommend them. The film of the first book is also worth seeking out.
"my completist Dickens-reading marathon"
Tried to pick up Tale of Two Cities a wee while back but the length of the paragraphs scared the hell out of me. By the fourth page I was muttering to myself, 'where's the bastard dialogue to break up the text?'
Btw, I think I'm being incredibly brave here in admitting in public my literary faux pas. Please don't judge me too harshly and take into consideration that I once read Nicholas Nickleby and it wasn't for school, uni or a book meme.
Finally, I have to ask: What are you doing in Ulan Bator and why are you surfing the net for pictures of Kevin-Prince Boateng's tattoos?
I take it the last question is not for me?!
Lynn has been trying to force Pat Barker on me for years. I'm not resistant: will get round to it one day. I know what you mean about Dickens, but there's something about him I just adore. Unlike almost everyone else I read, I don't read him to get anything out of the experience or learn anything – just the sheer joy of reading, like when I was a kid reading the Famous Five. Try Sketches by Boz – they're all dead short!
In fairness, I have read Oliver Twist, (most of) Great Expectations, The Christmas Books collection and Nicholas Nickleby. I'm sure I also read a chunk of Pickwick Papers years ago, as well.
I'm just not great when it comes to 19th century literature unless it's Russian.
I will return to Dickens again in the future, but I'll probably cheat a bit by watching the BBC tv adaption of the book before reading it.
Do you know John Irving is a Dickens obsessive? I remember watching an interview with him years ago where he said that he loves Dickens so much that he's deliberately left one Dickens novel unread so he can look forward to it in the future.
I can't remember which Dickens novel it was, and, as this interview was over 15 years ago, he's probably since read the book but I love that story all the same.
Feck, only 7, inc. the Barker trilogy.
Dickens sure kicks ass, as them LitCrits say, but it's true that most novelists have written books the same length as his average paragraph. But I might yet join Stuart in his task ... (I've already read 9 or 10, so why not!)
Grand Irving anecdote, b.t.w.
Robert,
Stuart won't listen to Lynn or me about Barker. Have a word.
Don't worry if he doesn't immediately respond to your overtures. They still have dial-up in Ulan Bator.
;>) I'll have a go!
Come to think of it, I'm sure that Kevin-Prince Boateng features in one or more of the trilogy, which might help.
I did know Irving was a fan, and I was a fan of Irving once upon a time. Must go back to him one day. I like his anecdote. I'm doing the same with the only Rush album I don't yet have! (Power Windows, like anyone's interested!)
I'll get straight onto Barker just as soon as I've read the complete works of Dickens. And all four volumes of Capital. And the Grundrisse. But then! I'll be right on to it!
"I'll get straight onto Barker just as soon as I've read the complete works of Dickens. And all four volumes of Capital. And the Grundrisse. But then! I'll be right on to it!"
Stuart,
You're probably too young to remember Geoffrey Palmer in 'Fairly Secret Army' but the above reminds of the scene where, after his character infiltrates a left-wing group, he promises that he'll start on studying the collected works of Lenin that are lined up on the shelf in their secret hideout . . . but only after he's finished his Dick Francis novel.
I guess you had to be there . . .
Too young, I thought we were the same age! But no, never heard of that programme. Sounds brilliant!
Written by the wonderful David Nobbs and a spin-off of sorts from Reggie Perrin.
What's weird is that it was on Channel 4 around about '84 before I got all schoolboy political and yet for some reason I best remember the Dick Francis/Lenin joke.
How's that for early 80s Channel 4 subliminal political indoctrination shocker?
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