Literary Survey
1) What author do you own the most books by? Either Peter S Beagle or Neil Gaiman.
2) What book do you own the most copies of? Books on i-Go or tea. And I own at least two copies of The Innkeeper's Song.
3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions? Aren't most of the questions in a survey? Isn't that what we are ultimately here for?
4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with? Everyone knows that all woman MUST fall in love with Mr. Darcy as a literary obligation. Secretly though... hmmm, who would secretly have a mental affair on Mr. Darcy? What a hussy.
Eduardo de Sousa, tight skin and all.
5) Who is your favorite fictional character? See above. ...Kidding! The Fox, Lal, Nyateneri and Soukyan from The Innkeeper's Song.
6) What book have you read the most times in your life? Probably The Innkeeper's Song or Alice Through the Looking Glass.
7) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old? The Odyssey by Homer, but I was re-reading it. I remember because the first time I read it someone commented on a young person reading "such an old novel." Which I thought was a rather silly thing, because it has everything small children who love adventure yearn for.
For a first read, I would pick Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder. Or probably something by Peter S Beagle or The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. Ten was a long time ago, and there were so many good book discoveries...
8) What is the worst book you've read in the past year? You're A Horrible Person, But I Like You. Also I was GREATLY surprised by how little I enjoyed Shirley Jackson as a short story author.
9) What is the best book you've read in the past year? That's a little difficult, see I read a number of terrific Shirley Jackson novels this year (she's my new favourite author), along with Anita Diamant's The Red Tent AND Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell - another old favourite), which were hands down two of the very greatest books I've read in a very long time! And I am in the middle of (Muriel Barbery's) Elegence of the Hedgehog! Ahhh, what to choose, what to choose...
10) If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be? Either Elegence of the Hedgehog or We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson because I want to talk about them with someone.
11) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature?
12) What book would you most like to see made into a movie? ...I will likely regret it, but if it could magically be done well Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.
13) What book would you least like to see made into a movie? DaVinci Code.
14) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character. I once dreamed that T.S. Eliot and I were walking along a moor in the rain. I think we were having a chat, but I can not remember what it was about. It was pretty romantic though, for a dream about a very old man indeed.
15) What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult? Jewels by Danielle Steele... unfortunately I am not kidding. I cannot think of WHAT possessed me to read it in the first place, but I read it when I was about thirteen and I don't think I ever recovered. I plan to follow up with "Perscription for Love" which looks promising and challenging!
16) What is the most difficult book you've ever read? I think it will be the aforementioned "Jewels." Gravity's Rainbow was a real bitch too though, mostly due to the size.
17) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer? Shakespeare. He can serve God, love me AND mend.
18) Austen or Eliot? Depends on the Austen - or Eliot for that matter. Jane - yes. T.S. - Double yes~!
19) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading? Not being able to read most books in their original languages!
20) What is your favorite novel? Don't ask readers this question. Especially those prone to migraines.
21) Play? Much Ado About Nothing, Waiting for Godot (Beckett) and the version of The Metamorphosis with Mikhail Baryshnkov.
22) Short story? Anything by Neil Gaiman, PSB, or Maurice Sendak.
23) Work of non-fiction? Lu Yu's Tea Bible.
24) Who is your favorite writer? Far too many to name. Neil Gaiman, Peter S Beagle, Lalkhomsinlal, Shirley Jackson (t.y. Tod!), David Mitchell, Eliot, Austen (both of which, thanks again goes to my Tod), Murakami Haruki, Kawabata Yasunari ... oy these are a small handful of fish in a VERY large pond, but they will have to do for you.
2) What book do you own the most copies of? Books on i-Go or tea. And I own at least two copies of The Innkeeper's Song.
3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions? Aren't most of the questions in a survey? Isn't that what we are ultimately here for?
4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with? Everyone knows that all woman MUST fall in love with Mr. Darcy as a literary obligation. Secretly though... hmmm, who would secretly have a mental affair on Mr. Darcy? What a hussy.
Eduardo de Sousa, tight skin and all.
5) Who is your favorite fictional character? See above. ...Kidding! The Fox, Lal, Nyateneri and Soukyan from The Innkeeper's Song.
6) What book have you read the most times in your life? Probably The Innkeeper's Song or Alice Through the Looking Glass.
7) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old? The Odyssey by Homer, but I was re-reading it. I remember because the first time I read it someone commented on a young person reading "such an old novel." Which I thought was a rather silly thing, because it has everything small children who love adventure yearn for.
For a first read, I would pick Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder. Or probably something by Peter S Beagle or The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. Ten was a long time ago, and there were so many good book discoveries...
8) What is the worst book you've read in the past year? You're A Horrible Person, But I Like You. Also I was GREATLY surprised by how little I enjoyed Shirley Jackson as a short story author.
9) What is the best book you've read in the past year? That's a little difficult, see I read a number of terrific Shirley Jackson novels this year (she's my new favourite author), along with Anita Diamant's The Red Tent AND Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell - another old favourite), which were hands down two of the very greatest books I've read in a very long time! And I am in the middle of (Muriel Barbery's) Elegence of the Hedgehog! Ahhh, what to choose, what to choose...
10) If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be? Either Elegence of the Hedgehog or We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson because I want to talk about them with someone.
11) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature?
12) What book would you most like to see made into a movie? ...I will likely regret it, but if it could magically be done well Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.
13) What book would you least like to see made into a movie? DaVinci Code.
14) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character. I once dreamed that T.S. Eliot and I were walking along a moor in the rain. I think we were having a chat, but I can not remember what it was about. It was pretty romantic though, for a dream about a very old man indeed.
15) What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult? Jewels by Danielle Steele... unfortunately I am not kidding. I cannot think of WHAT possessed me to read it in the first place, but I read it when I was about thirteen and I don't think I ever recovered. I plan to follow up with "Perscription for Love" which looks promising and challenging!
16) What is the most difficult book you've ever read? I think it will be the aforementioned "Jewels." Gravity's Rainbow was a real bitch too though, mostly due to the size.
17) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer? Shakespeare. He can serve God, love me AND mend.
18) Austen or Eliot? Depends on the Austen - or Eliot for that matter. Jane - yes. T.S. - Double yes~!
19) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading? Not being able to read most books in their original languages!
20) What is your favorite novel? Don't ask readers this question. Especially those prone to migraines.
21) Play? Much Ado About Nothing, Waiting for Godot (Beckett) and the version of The Metamorphosis with Mikhail Baryshnkov.
22) Short story? Anything by Neil Gaiman, PSB, or Maurice Sendak.
23) Work of non-fiction? Lu Yu's Tea Bible.
24) Who is your favorite writer? Far too many to name. Neil Gaiman, Peter S Beagle, Lalkhomsinlal, Shirley Jackson (t.y. Tod!), David Mitchell, Eliot, Austen (both of which, thanks again goes to my Tod), Murakami Haruki, Kawabata Yasunari ... oy these are a small handful of fish in a VERY large pond, but they will have to do for you.