A Book Meme from the Shire
I am pleased to have been tagged by Charles Dawson for this ...
1 ~ One book that changed your life
Two books by M Scott Peck: The Road Less Travelled and People of the Lie because one follows the other and if the first is taken to heart, the second becomes necessary. TRLT shows where we come from; the what, when and why, and the way forward. The second book makes sense of the worst.
2 ~ One book that you have read more than once
Carl Gustav Jung: Memories, Dreams, Reflections.
His autobiography, where he describes his intense experiences of childhood which led to his career, his association and dis-association with Sigmund Freud, the development of Jungian psychology, his travels searching for insight into the minds of other peoples, other tribes, in Africa, South America, India and Europe, and also his quests into alchemy, mysticism and life after death. His was the wisest and the greatest mind of the 20th century; accessible, thought provoking, affirming.
3 ~ One book you would want on a desert island
The Norton Anthology of Poetry (5th edition), all 2,182 pages of sumptious reading, from Caedmon's Hymn circa 658 to poets born three decades ago; with instructions on Versification, Poetic Syntax and biographical sketches. I would be accompanied by all humanity.
4 ~ One book that made you laugh
Other bloggers have already meme'd some favourites, and John Mortimer's Rumpole legal stories are always a delight, but how about being reminded that men always were and always will be, men, and females were and are sublime, in Homer's The Odyssey.
5 ~ One book that made you cry
Erm..., being a fragile flower, I avoid those I think might, but Antonia Byatt's Babel Tower, got to me for my own reasons which may not be anyone else's. She is a favourite author, for short stories (The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye) and long; a northerner, not just with soul, but also a mighty mind.
6 ~ One book you wish you had written
The Touchstone by Edith Wharton, in fact anything by this insightful writer.
"We live in our own souls as in an unmapped region, a few acres of which we have cleared for our habitation; while of the nature of those nearest us we know but the boundaries that march with ours."
7 ~ One book you wish had never been written
This prompts thoughts of how the existence of a particular work has changed things for the worst; for the individual or for a society. There is no book that has had that power over me but I wish I had not read Deus by Philip Boast - but only for the negative that is in it not for all of it.
8 ~ One book you are currently reading
Hilary Mantel's fludd. She writes comic novels with sinister leanings, fearlessly, funnily, and with a Derbyshire accent. For instance: "Soon after, the school term ended. ... It was a poor summer on the whole, with many lives lost. The thunderstorms and gales of 27 July returned two days later; trees were felled and roofs blown away. On 5 August there were more thunderstorms, and the rivers rose. On 15 August two trains collided in Blackburn Station, injuring fifty people. On 26 August there were further fatalities after violent electrical storms. In early September the children went back to school." Well, it rains a lot up there, must be all those hills.
9 ~ One book you have been meaning to read
The un-read swathes of C G Jung The Collected Works
10 ~ Now tag five people
For explanation of why I cannot seemlessly put in the links below, see my post Tired, tired or tired. I now tag Paul http://www.the19thfloor.net; Hope http://runninginsoftsand.blogspot.com; Spotted Elephant http://thebipolarview.blogspot.com;
Margaret http://theanswers42.blogspot.com;
and ...
the 'unknown' who visits my blog daily (you know who you are) - come on in, the water's fine.
1 ~ One book that changed your life
Two books by M Scott Peck: The Road Less Travelled and People of the Lie because one follows the other and if the first is taken to heart, the second becomes necessary. TRLT shows where we come from; the what, when and why, and the way forward. The second book makes sense of the worst.
2 ~ One book that you have read more than once
Carl Gustav Jung: Memories, Dreams, Reflections.
His autobiography, where he describes his intense experiences of childhood which led to his career, his association and dis-association with Sigmund Freud, the development of Jungian psychology, his travels searching for insight into the minds of other peoples, other tribes, in Africa, South America, India and Europe, and also his quests into alchemy, mysticism and life after death. His was the wisest and the greatest mind of the 20th century; accessible, thought provoking, affirming.
3 ~ One book you would want on a desert island
The Norton Anthology of Poetry (5th edition), all 2,182 pages of sumptious reading, from Caedmon's Hymn circa 658 to poets born three decades ago; with instructions on Versification, Poetic Syntax and biographical sketches. I would be accompanied by all humanity.
4 ~ One book that made you laugh
Other bloggers have already meme'd some favourites, and John Mortimer's Rumpole legal stories are always a delight, but how about being reminded that men always were and always will be, men, and females were and are sublime, in Homer's The Odyssey.
5 ~ One book that made you cry
Erm..., being a fragile flower, I avoid those I think might, but Antonia Byatt's Babel Tower, got to me for my own reasons which may not be anyone else's. She is a favourite author, for short stories (The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye) and long; a northerner, not just with soul, but also a mighty mind.
6 ~ One book you wish you had written
The Touchstone by Edith Wharton, in fact anything by this insightful writer.
"We live in our own souls as in an unmapped region, a few acres of which we have cleared for our habitation; while of the nature of those nearest us we know but the boundaries that march with ours."
7 ~ One book you wish had never been written
This prompts thoughts of how the existence of a particular work has changed things for the worst; for the individual or for a society. There is no book that has had that power over me but I wish I had not read Deus by Philip Boast - but only for the negative that is in it not for all of it.
8 ~ One book you are currently reading
Hilary Mantel's fludd. She writes comic novels with sinister leanings, fearlessly, funnily, and with a Derbyshire accent. For instance: "Soon after, the school term ended. ... It was a poor summer on the whole, with many lives lost. The thunderstorms and gales of 27 July returned two days later; trees were felled and roofs blown away. On 5 August there were more thunderstorms, and the rivers rose. On 15 August two trains collided in Blackburn Station, injuring fifty people. On 26 August there were further fatalities after violent electrical storms. In early September the children went back to school." Well, it rains a lot up there, must be all those hills.
9 ~ One book you have been meaning to read
The un-read swathes of C G Jung The Collected Works
10 ~ Now tag five people
For explanation of why I cannot seemlessly put in the links below, see my post Tired, tired or tired. I now tag Paul http://www.the19thfloor.net; Hope http://runninginsoftsand.blogspot.com; Spotted Elephant http://thebipolarview.blogspot.com;
Margaret http://theanswers42.blogspot.com;
and ...
the 'unknown' who visits my blog daily (you know who you are) - come on in, the water's fine.
posted by Sally at 12:20 pm
2 Comments:
First of all, thanks for the tag Sally!
1. One book that changed my life -Sense of Freedom by Jimmy Boyle. It confirmed what I'd always believed, that there's potential for good in everyone just waiting to be released with the right help and it inspired me to take up a career that suits me down to the ground as well as, I hope, benefitting others.
2. One book, re-read - so many to choose from but I'll plump for any of the Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake - wonderfully weird and now that it has been televised, I can imagine the gorgeous Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Steerpike!
3. Desert Island Choice - The complete works of Shakespeare. I could while away the hours acting out all the parts and learning great chunks of beautiful prose.
4. Mr Pye by Mervyn Peake made me laugh, a lovely whimsical tale that I could read over and over again.
5. The Plague Dogs by Richard Adams made me cry.
6. I wish I'd written Charles Kingsley's The Water Babies, I have such clear and fond memories of it from my childhood.
7. One book that should never have been written - The Da Vinci Code, without which I would not have had to endure Him Indoors' fanciful rants or a disappointing and boring film.
8. I'm currently (re)reading The Wrong Box by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne, although sadly its not as funny as I remembered it.
9. One day soon I intend to re-read Captain Corelli's Mandolin and this time NOT skip over the political/battleground bits.
10. I'm worn out! Please see 'links to brilliant blogs' on my blog for at least five tags.
Thank you Hope, that has given me some more books to add to my list of things to read.
I read the Gormenghast trilogy as a teenager; it suited my angst ridden days then, and I loved the televised version.
Regarding 3 - Desert Island. Goldfish in her Book Meme took the lead from the Radio Programme where the Bible and Shakespeare are already given - so you choice is already included - think again !!
Regarding 6 - Da Vinci - have you read my post, entitle, In a Parallel Universe, on this ?
Now I really must add Robert Louis Stevenson's works to my list.
Thanks Hope for participating.
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