I found this meme on Floor to Ceiling Books, who in turn encountered it on Un:Bound. I thoroughly enjoyed reading both Amanda and Adele's responses to the questions posed and so I decided to do this myself. Many hours later, here is my contribution...
1) One Book That Changed Your Life:
I first read this book as a teenager in Northern Ireland, around the time of the Hunger Strikes. To say it had a profound effect on how I perceived the world and my place in it is an understatement. Soon after finishing it I had decided that no matter what, I was leaving N.Ireland at the first available opportunity.
I re-read Siddhartha regularly, often when I am in a period of change in my life. While it is a simple story, beautifully written, there are layers upon layers of meaning hidden within Hesse’s words. Every time I read it, I learn a new truth about myself. A truly inspirational book.
“A classic of twentieth-century fiction, Siddhartha is the story of the spiritual awakening of a man living in India at the time of the Buddha. Born into a wealthy Brahmin family, he leaves his home for the contemplative life, then, restless, discards that life for one of the flesh. He conceives a son, but bored and sickened by lust and greed, moves on again. Near despair, Siddhartha comes to a river where he hears a unique sound. This sound signals the true beginning of his life-the beginning of a new understanding of suffering, a growing sense of peace, and, finally, wisdom.”
[Synopsis from amazon.co.uk]
2) One Book You Have To Read More Than Once:
When I read The Lords of the Rings trilogy as a student, I was too immature to appreciate both the language and the symbolism of Tolkien’s Middle Earth. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, fell in love with Aragorn and willed Frodo to succeed in his mission, but it was only when I re-read it in advance of the 1st film release that I realised there was so much more to this trilogy.
The Lord of the Rings is a complex work, full of allegory and metaphor, that benefits from at least a second reading. I doubt anyone can grasp the depth of meaning on the first pass and certainly, as was the case for me, a second reading allows the reader to focus less on the narrative and instead absorb the beauty of the prose. The parallels with industrialisation and the destruction of the environment in pursuit of power became clear on my second reading, as did the religious symbolism. I think The Lord of the Rings will remain a firm favourite of mine, not just because it is an amazing book, but because I will always find something new within it’s many pages.
3) One Book You'd Want On A Desert Island:
Just one? Personally I would want a fully loaded e-reader with unlimited battery and internet connection to download new books!
If I had to pick only one it would have to be Evolution by Stephen Baxter: the story of mammals from the time of the meteor strike that wiped out the dinosaurs to their decline under the dying red sun. I read a lot of Stephen Baxter’s work and he is one of the best writers of alternate history around today. Evolution is an imaginative journey through time, intercut with a near future scenario involving Joan Useb. This is the hinge on which Evolution hangs… the first half follows the rise of mammals culminating in Useb’s direct ancestor, and the second brings us to the far future to witness the decline of life on earth. There is a strong message throughout and that is to remind us that our actions have consequences, something particularly relevant to our reckless society, plundering the earth’s resources to depletion.
In the early part of the book, Baxter has a tendency to be overly anthromorphic, however, this does help move the story along as, let’s face it, shrew-like creatures are not that interesting in themselves. I found the early hominid and proto-human stages fascinating, and the chapter ‘Mother’s People’ is pivotal in human development and very well imagined. There is a lot to think about in Evolution, and if I was on a desert island I would have plenty of time to ponder on how evolved (or not) we humans really are.
4) Two Books That Made You Laugh:
What can I say? It is possibly the funniest book ever written. Arthur Dent, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Trillion, the Vogons, Slartibartfast et al make a trip through the Galaxy a pleasure to read. I defy anyone not to laugh out loud at least once while reading the first book in a trilogy of five. Douglas Adams, now sadly deceased, created a radio series that subsequently became a book, TV series and film. The world of The Hitchhikers Guide has been imprinted on popular culture and continues to have a strong following today, over 30 years after the first radio broadcast. Best read with a large Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster!
Two excellent authors collaborate to produce the funniest account of Armageddon you are ever likely to encounter. Complete with footnotes, Good Omens is “A Narrative of Certain Events occurring in the last eleven years of human history, in strict accordance with: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter.” There are Supernatural Beings, Apocalyptic Horsepersons and a full chorus of “Tibetans, Aliens, Americans, Atlanteans and other rare and strange Creatures of the Last Days". I haven’t read this for ages, not since it first came out in paperback, around 1991, so am long overdue a re-visit. Despite this lapse, Good Omens is possibly the funniest apocalypse in literary form.
5) One Book That Made You Cry:
This short book should be required reading for all secondary school pupils. It is a powerful and emotive story of a 9-year old boy who moves to a German death camp with his family when his father, a Nazi officer, is posted there. Everything is told from Bruno’s point of view and he is a naïve child, with a sheltered upbringing. He isn’t aware of the horror taking place on the other side of the fence and doesn’t understand the violence that is gradually creeping into his life. While exploring near his home he encounters another boy, Shmuel, on the other side of the fence. It is their friendship that provides the climax to the story and reduced me to tears. The ending is not unexpected, given what most people know about Auschwitz, however Boyne delivers it in such simple, straightforward prose, making it more shocking.
6) One Book You'd Wish You'd Written:
I have chosen this not because I would be a multi-millionaire by now if I had written the Harry Potter novels (though that would be rather nice!), but because it got children reading books like never before. J.K.Rowling created a magical world, full of wizards, mythical creatures and adventure that captured the imagination of a generation that had children all over the world queuing up for the next book in the series. I admit I enjoyed Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and could see why so many children identified with the main characters of Harry, Hermione and Ron. Mainly set in Hogwarts School, we follow Harry as he discovers his heritage and learns how to use his magical powers. His arch enemy, Lord Voldemort, is a nasty villain and there are plenty of thrills, escapades and scary bits to keep any 8 – 13 year old happy. Suitable for adults too!
7) One Book You Wish Was NEVER Written:
This book made me very angry. The lead character, Thomas Covenant, commits rape early on in the book and is never punished or even challenged about his actions. The author creates a bitter, self-pitying anti-hero who whinges and whines throughout. We are not meant to like him, but his justification for the rape is both demeaning and patronising. As I progressed through the novel I expected, then hoped he would face consequences for his actions, but no, nothing. This cast a dark cloud over the book for me and I have no interest in continuing with the rest of the series. It was a Tolkienesque epic good guys versus evil Lord set in an alternate reality. Nothing original in my view other than the despicable Thomas Covenant.
8) Two Books You Are Currently Reading:
This was recommended to me by several fellow bloggers and although I am only at page 51, I am intrigued already. Alien Influences is set on an inhospitable planet, Bountiful, with a small human colony who make a powerful and sought-after narcotic from native plants. So far we have horrific murders of children being investigated by a xenopsychologist with a haunted past. The indigenous sentient creatures, known as The Dancers, are chief suspects.
There is a lot of hype surrounding this newly released book and I have read several reviews that indicate that this book not only lives up to the hype but exceeds it. The following review snippet from The Guardian sums it up nicely…
"Cronin's massive novel transcends its clichés and delivers a feverishly readable post-apocalyptic-cum-vampire chiller. It's not only a brilliantly told story, with thrilling plot twists and graphic action sequences, but a moving psychological portrait of survivors facing up to the poignant fact of a lost past and a horrifically uncertain future."
9) One Book You've Been Meaning To Read:
Yes, I know, everyone has read this and it’s a new classic, genre-breaking and all round fabulous, but I can’t seem to find the enthusiasm to start reading it. It has been on my TBR pile for about 2 years now, and the final book in The First Law trilogy (of which this is the first) was published in paperback well over a year ago. Some day I will get round to reading The Blade Itself, and maybe then I will know why Joe Abercrombie is held in such high esteem by his peers.
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