Fatale Abstraction

Barbara of Bad Tempered Zombie fame tagged me on a meme I actually respect, for a change, ceptin' for the fact that my answers will prove me to be a complete numnutz when it comes to things literary. Oh well. So be it.


Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?

Um, lots of selections from Oprah's book club, but I confess I tried to read Catcher in the Rye and just couldn't do it. I actually think it's geared to the adolescent and doesn't hold up for folks who have a bit firmer grip...


If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?

Would like to have a wild throw-down with Gus McCrae, Evgeny Onegin and Moll Flanders (could prolly get a few pointers from each) and the event would be a Dionysian-style festival of over-indulgences

You are told you can't die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realise it's past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?

Aw crap. Um. Any of that unctuously sentimental dreck by Nicholas Sparks. *kinda puked in my mouth just then. Yucky poo.*

Come on, we've all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you've read, when in fact you've been nowhere near it?

Um, most of the "must-read" list of literary classics...


As an addition to the last question, has there been a book that you really thought you had read, only to realise when you read a review about it/go to 'reread' it that you haven't? Which book?

I don't think so. As evidenced by this blog, I have no fear of appearing ignorant before other folks, so no use social pressure. Once I'm bored, that's forever, baby. That ship has left the station.


You've been appointed Book Advisor to a VIP (who's not a big reader). What's the first book you'd recommend and why? (if you feel like you'd have to know the person, go ahead of personalise the VIP.

I would recommend a good translation of The Count of Monte Cristo, which is a riveting and timeless tale. Revenge never goes out of style.


A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?

My choice for fluency would definitely be French for Proust and the like. A very close second would be Russian for Pushkin and many other brilliant novelist/poets.


A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?

Lonesome Dove. No question. Rich reading, that.


I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What's one bookish thing you 'discovered' from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)?

Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. This is some of my favorite reading of all time, and destined to be a favorite, always


That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she's granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.

My dream library has a very good sound system and a massive supply of Shoyeido's Morning Zen incense, though that's probably not very good for the books. The room is circular with book shelves extending nearly all the way up the 16' walls to the cupola with little porthole windows. There are gas-light sconces around the room. A ladder attaches to a track around the room so that obscure texts may be plucked from top shelves on occasion. There is a chaise longue (yeah, it freaks me out too that they're spelling "lounge" "longue" these days, but who am I to argue?), a comfy, well-worn button tufted-leather sofa and a nice bin with a few blankies for cold days. A nice wine/liquor cabinet stands at the ready, and oh, there are books too. My books are not necessarily fancy, stained as they are with the drippings from curry and tomato soup, but they are well-loved. Occasionally, I'll have gatherings there and will invite at least one person to smoke a pipe or cigar, because I likes the fragrance.

Um, that didn't have much to do with books, did it?

Oh, well, reading is all about conjuring up another world, innit? I like my dream liberry. It's a good one.

Okay, I almost never meme, and tag folks even less frequently, but I think this is a good one, so if the following folks feel like giving it a whirl, I'd love to read their responses:

Breda
Christina
DBA Dude
Holly
Roberta X
Tam

It would be very interesting to see if there's any overlap on the memes of the wonder-twins Tam & Roberta...

Same goes for anyone on my blogroll - I'd love to see what you have to say. It'd have to be better than mine, right?