These are the archived discussions. To participate in active "Talk Literature" discussions go to the
homepage of ReadLiterature
Back To "Talk Literature" Archives
Posted by Dave on 27/2/2002, 2:48:47
I'm wondering if I'm the only one who experiences the phenomenon I'm about to describe. You own a lot of books that you have not read yet. Several times you have picked up a certain one of them with the intention of reading it... and for one reason or another, the book has landed up back on the shelf, unread. You try again later, and the same thing happens. It's been years, and you still haven't read the elusive book. You know that one day you will read it, but that day has not arrived.
For me, I've noticed it with two books in particular. One is Cervantes' "Don Quixote" and the other is Homer's "Odyssey." How many times I have picked each of these up... only to set them down, and read something else. "I must read that one day" I keep saying to myself. To make matters worse, the back of my Putnam edition of Cervantes says "Not less than three times in his or her life should everyone read Don Quixote, in youth, middle age, and old age." So... I am already due for my second reading, and I have not even had the first.
Anyways, I would be interested to know if there is anyone else out there who has a similar dilemna. And if so, what is your elusive book?
Posted by Anna van Gelderen on 27/2/2002, 20:27:16, in reply to "Which book eludes you?"
Dave, I am sure it must have something to do with the epithet Great World Literature. I have the same with War and Peace. I have had a very nice hardback copy for over 20 years now and somehow I have been too daunted to read it. I think that secretly I am afraid that maybe I will be disappointed by the book and then will feel stupid for being unable to properly appreciate a piece of Great World Literature.
Posted by Lale on 3/3/2002, 13:43:42, in reply to "Re: Which book eludes you?"
For me, that would be JJ's Ulysses.
Also Cervantes' "Don Quixote" but that one is a little different. First, I read illustrated children's versions of Don Quixote many times when I was little, therefore familiar with the concept. Second, after trying the book a couple of times and after trying to listen to it on CD, I decided that I didn't want to read (or listen to) this book afterall. I am going with the Michael Sympson approach on this, i.e. if a grown woman says that she loves Don Quixote, she is lying through the teeth. So, Don Quixote no longer eludes me. I just chose not to read it.
Another thing about elusive books: I will again refer to something Michael had said in another posting. He once asked which book we would take with us if we were about to embark on a journey into space and we could take only one paperback with us. I have been thinking about this. I don't think I would take with me a book I've read and loved. I will be stranded in space with only one book and I don't want that book to be something I've already read, not even if it warrants multiple readings. I would take an elusive book with me. I would take Ulysses or Odyssey or something. Since I'll have nothing else to do and no other book to read, I will have no choice but to read one of those books that have always eluded me. Good idea, no?
Posted by Len Fehskens on 4/3/2002, 16:48:49, in reply to "Which book eludes you?"
Several of the books proposed by this group...
Posted by Lale on 4/3/2002, 18:07:53, in reply to "Re: Which book eludes you?"
He is not kidding, it is true. 4 out of 7 books didn't get past the first 50 pages. He bought Jeffrey Lent's "In The Fall", Louis Couperus' "The Hidden Force", William Somerset Maugham's "The Razor's Edge" and Mario Vargas Llosa "The War of the End of the World", each of which eluded him. Thanks to us, Len will have a special shelf in his 5000-book-library, the shelf of unread books. All the better for the time of retirement.
Posted by Len Fehskens on 4/3/2002, 16:51:58, in reply to "Re: Which book eludes you?"
No. If I can only choose one book, I want a sure thing.
BTW, what compels people to come up with these ridiculous "hypothetical" questions? You're on a *starship* and you're only to bring one book?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Posted by Lale on 4/3/2002, 18:12:44, in reply to "Re: Which book eludes you?"
It is a variation of the time old "desert island" question. I think you would have liked it better if we said "you are going to middle earth ... "
Posted by Dave on 4/3/2002, 4:29:06, in reply to "Re: Which book eludes you?"
Lale, this whole catastrophic trip to outer-space thing has got me intrigued and so I've been wondering what I would like to take along with me. It may sound crazy, but I think I would probably be hesitant and undecided (as usual) until the final countdown. Then I'd probably lunge for my one-volume "Works of Thomas Hardy" which is a compendium of all his depressing poetry, and if Dickens' "David Copperfield" also fell into the NASA backpack somehow, that would just be a total bonus.
Posted by Lale on 3/3/2002, 14:39:26
By the way, the new 50 cent coin has Cervantes on it. As you may or may not know, one side of euro coins and banknotes are standard for all 12 euro-countries. The other side is country-specific. Spain has put Cervantes on their 50 cent coin. It is my favourite euro coin, it is absolutely delightful. (See the "Spanish" page.)