To me the Literary Book Blog Hop is a great event. I read and post on mostly classics, short stories, Asian Fiction and what I see as literary novels.
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"Greetings to All Hoppers" Charles-coeditor of The Reading Life
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This week I was happy to see that the question of a week is one I had suggested!
Not long ago I read and posted on The Harp of Burma by Michio Takeyama, 1966. It is one of the very best novels about WWII, written from the point of view of a Japanese Buddhist who was drafted as a combat soldier. He had no idea how long he would be gone or if he would really ever return. He had room in his backpack for one book, so he took The Red and the Black by Stendhal. He carried it through the jungles of South Asia for 4 years. He said it helped keep him sane in the face of all the horrors he saw. This made me wonder what work of literary fiction I would take with me under similar circumstances."
If you were going off to war (or some other similarly horrific situation) and could only take one book with you, which book would you take and why?
Assuming I was taking a literary work, I think I would take Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. I realize this may seem an odd decision to almost all book bloggers. To me Gravity's Rainbow is an encyclopedia of a war torn civilization and a handbook to survival in a post apocalyptic world. I have been reading this book on and off for many years. It also serves as a puzzle to work on to keep my mind occupied and has many set pieces I can place in my mind. I know from my 1.5 years in the book blog world that this will seem like odd answer to most. . If I could take two books and wanted to take another book about surviving a war, I would take Ford Madox Ford's Parade's End.
Mel u
21 comments:
A few years ago I wrote a novel about a young man who fought in WWII in Italy, and the book he took with him was "Paradise Lost", though unfortunately he never made much headway with it.
It would have to be War and Peace for me, obvious choice though it may be.
Hmmm...I'm not familiar with either of the titles mentioned. Gravity's Rainbow is a piece of non-fiction then?...
I'm about to start reading Gravity's Rainbow so I'll think about this as I read. I suspect it would be a bit too complex to work for me in the middle of a combat zone but interesting choice anyway!
Gravity's Rainbow is on my TBR list. I'm really intrigued by it. I had to choose a book that I've already read & cherish deeply. Here's mine.
Thanks for your question this week! I just realized I didn't put "literary work" in the question so I just changed it. :) Thanks!
I think for me, I'd want a book that didn't have anything to do with a literal war, to balance out what I was seeing every day. I like your perspective about having a guidebook of sorts, though. Thanks for the question!
Gravity's Rainbow is a really interesting choice. I'm not a big Pynchon fan but I could see how his writing would be distracting and engrossing during a bad situation.
I think it is such a personal question that really touches on sensibilities that there cannot be any odd answer.
I still have to read Gravity's Rainbow...
Em
I've not read this book, so thank you so much for suggesting it. All I know is that it is big and complex. Both of these qualities would be good in a book to be read during war, I think.
Thank you for suggesting this question.
Here's my post: www.readerbuzz.blogspot.com
I haven't read Gravity's Rainbow so I can't say it's an odd choice. But since it's about a post-apocalyptic world, it seems interesting to me. Maybe something I should read, too.
Good question this week! I went with the literary equivalent of comfort food for me: The Lord of the Rings. It's something I can get lost i,n the characters have been my lifelong friends, and it has the valuable lesson in the end that even with the last battle is done, war is not really over. It's also a good reminder that those left behind at home have their own sets of struggles.
Wow - interesting choice! Pynchon would definitely not be on my list, because he drives me crazy. I would certainly want to be challenged enough to be distracted, but I think I would want something just a tad more lighthearted and accessible - I think I would be mentally strained enough with all that was happening out there in the war.
Love pynchon, so great choice, me a went with an anthology of verse.
Gravity's Rainbow is one of those books that I've heard of and heard of, and have never really thought about. I should give it another look.
www.newcenturyreading.com
Absolutely fabulous question, Mel. I haven't read Gravity's Rainbow, but from all that I have read about it, I do find your answer surprising. A puzzle-like, complex book seems a good choice, though, if we have to bring a book to war.
Great question, Mel!
I gotta check out your pick!
Here is my Literary Blog Hop post!
I need to check that out too!
I'm following from the hop.
ecwrites.blogspot.com
Pynchon! He's a tough one to read at the best of times. But at least he takes your mind away from what's happening around you right?
I really have to get Inherent Vice. It's been sitting on my TBR list forever. Excellent question Mel, well done!
Seeing this reminds me that I still haven't read this one, and I've wanted to for years!
Thanks for stopping by eclectic / eccentric!
Interesting. It would have to be something lighter for me.
I haven't read Parade's End. Thanks, will add it to my tbr list.
Great comments.
I would choose Tim O'Brien's book of VietNam The Things They Carried With Them.
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