May be a ginge

I was away at the weekend, so I may have missed Darsy's withering scorn
being cast on the final 21, but I thought I'd remind you all to vote anyway.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/vote/

No prizes for guessing where my vote went, although I was also tempted by
"Catch 22".

Also, out of interest, has anybody read, "His dark materials"? I'd never
heard of it before, but the review they gave it made it sound quite good.

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'84? I would say The Bible but that doesn't appear to have made it to the list.

That's what I went for. Wonderful book, excellent film, shame about
Something Happened...

But the idea of choosing my favourite book is like choosing my favourite
record. How could I possibly choose one from so many?

 

<admission>
I've only read two of those, and one was about 25 years ago /

And that's the most recent one of the two.
<fx:votes>

 

it is, iirc, a kids book in the same way that Harry Pottytraining
is.

Actually, there are quite a few kids books in that
list. But it's a "nation's best loved books" rather than
"best book". And unfortunately, people who can only just
read have clearly been voting.

 

Brave New World is a rather disssapointing 87th.

Predictably, H2G2 is in the top 10 but Mostly Harmless is far superior
IMO and was nowhere to be seen.

Of the top 21, probably Catch 22.[1]

[1] If I wasn't phoney, it would be Catcher in the Rye.

 

I hated that book with a passion.

Kinda tempted to see Igby Goes Down when it's out on DVD, mind.

 

list.

Might have been a bit controversial, as the rules stated fiction-only,
IYSWIM.

Not that amazed by the film, but I've read the book many times.


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You must have had a different copy to me, because I found "Mostly Harmless"
to be one of the worst books I've ever read and actually gave away my copy,
something I've never done before or since.


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Perfectly eligible then, no?

 

These things are *so* difficult. I mean, To Kill a Mockingbird, War
and Peace, they're such brilliant books in capturing a world in which
I have never lived and making it totally accessible and real. But are
they my *favourite* books?

And then you've got HHGTTG, which is fucking hilarious, and eminently
re-readable, but not exactly 'great' in the same way as the above. So
does that make it more 'favourite' because I might pick it up more
often? Catch-22 and 1984 really make you think, and have been borne
into modern language, culture, thought...lets face it, you can't
imagine the world now *without* them having existed. If you came
across someone who'd not read them or who didn't understand some of
the concepts in them, that would be well,odd to say the least. But
does that make them my favourite? Loved Catch 22 when I first read it,
couldn't get into it a second time.

The kids books? Do kids books ever remain 'favourites' once you become
an adult? Any that I have had the misfortune of re-reading (apart from
Roald Dahl) have left me wishing I'd left them well alone.

And I think I just can't be a proper girl, coz books like Jane Eyre
and Wuthering Heights, etc...groan, yawn, snooze. So at least I can
cross some off my list!

 

There you go. Well, I liked it. Man goes in serch of himself,
discovers sandwiches by accident and the world ends, really, this
time.

 

FFS Harry Potter? What is it with people that always nominate the last
book/film/video they've seen?

I'd go for this to be honest:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1859846149/ref=sr_aps_books_1_2/026
-6070518-5407605

[rant warning]
Not full of wizards and goblins but living in the real world and all the
better for it imho.

JH

 

I rather enjoyed Joseph Heller's response when people came up to him
complaining that he hadn't written anything as good as 'Catch 22' ....

"Well, nor has anyone else."

 

But it's not fiction. Though admittedly, many of Jose Bove's stunts
sound like they might be...

 

I've actually read 12 of those, which surprised me. I've just voted
for "To Kill a Mockingbird"

 

I think the BBC probably realise that it's more trouble than it's worth to
try to include the Bible as a non-fiction book.

Even if they did I think it would be disqualified as only novels are
allowed, whereas it is essentially a book of short stories by a variety of
authors.

Maybe they'll get round to Britain's favourite non-fiction book at some time
soon, since it seems to be a formula they like.


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Uhoh, you're go straight to hell for that one!

JH

 

And the Bible will probably not be allowed in that either...

 

Me too. I remember quite clearly where I was when I finished reading
it, (in the garden of the cottage I tented for TT week on the Isle of
Man) and I threw it across the garden in disgust.

 

Nice gag.