Sunday, July 27, 2014

Twenty Questions

So, I know there hasn't been a book review for a while, but I'm unfortunately swamped with an assessment this week, so have this instead. Before I start, these questions were taken from 101 Books (specifically this post). Essentially I answer the 20 questions from that post. This is an interactive 'game', so feel free to post your answers below, or on the original site. All credit for the idea and questions goes to 101 Books. Here we go:

  1. Who’s whinier: Holden Caulifield or Scarlett O Hara? Bella Swan. No, I don't care that she wasn't an option.
  2. Do you think it will ever be possible to make digital books emit a book fragrance—kind of like traditional paper? E-books are too hipster for that. "Fun" fact: that book smell- mould. It's actually quite dangerous, and people who have to work around old books all the time often develop problems because of it.
  3. If you could have a beer, or a glass of wine, or an orange juice, with one author, whom would it be? Douglas Adams or Ben Elton. You'd be entertained at the very least.
  4. Does anyone write in cursive anymore? Do they even teach that in schools? All the time. I personally think it's quicker than writing without.
  5. Why are so many of these novels depressing? By “so many,” I mean 99% of them. (Yeah, the original question is based off the premise of the blog- i.e. reading the top 100 books according to Time Magazine. I'm just going to branch out the question to all books). Because it sells. As cynical as that sounds, it's true. You just have to look at the "The Fault in our Stars"'s or "A Game of Thrones" (seriously) or anything by Jodi Picoult to realise all the public wants is a good bit of depression. Some are well-written, others not so much. Let's be honest, people aren't buying the writing, they're buying the story.  
  6. You can read one style of writing the rest of your life…either Woolf or Hemingway. Which one do you choose? Hemingway. 
  7. If you could punch one literary character, who would it be? Oooh, the agony of choice. I'm sure there's many more than I can immediately think of, but the first character who came to my mind was Creon from Seamus Heaney's "The Burial at Thebes". Or "Antigone" as the original play by Sophocles is known. If there was ever anybody in need of an intervention, it's Creon. That man does not like advice.
  8. The worst ever movie adaptation of a successful novel? Many, but "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult is pretty high up there. They completely missed out on the ending. Sigh.
  9. If The Judge from Blood Meridian approached me on a street, how long before I pee my pants  pass out? Instantaneous. 
  10. Napoleon from Animal Farm—tastier as bacon, ham, or maybe a barbecue sandwich? Wow, somebody needs more hugs. If I must, how about Hoisin pork? You're going to be delicious, Napoleon.
  11. If the moon was made of spare ribs, would you eat it? If it didn't result in the apocalypse, then yes, without a doubt. I wonder if rocket fuel makes a good sauce?
  12. What is the fascination with Ayn Rand? Someone? Anyone? She was a woman interested in Philosophy. If nothing else that makes her a trail-blazer of her time. 
  13. Beer pong: Who you got: Hemingway or Malcolm Lowry? Neither. Considering both of them had pretty severe drinking problems, I would suggest a lovely glass of water instead. 
  14. How bad would it suck to be David Foster Wallace’s editor? Eh, you take what you can get.
  15. On a related note, how cool would it be to be David Foster Wallace’s editor? Well he left quite a legacy, so pretty awesome.
  16. You can only speak one word, one time, the rest of your life…what would it be? Crap. That's how all the conversations would end anyway.
  17. Stupider protagonist: Bigger Thomas (Native Son) or Clyde Griffiths (An American Tragedy)? Gonna have to go with Clyde there.
  18. What’s the most frequently spilled liquid on your books? Water. BLOODY RAIN!
  19. Who do you think is the most overrated author (now or in the past)? Ohhohohoho. My cynical side says there's probably quite a few, especially these days. Here's something I think we can all agree on: Freaking E.L. James. More famously known as the author who wrote "50 Shades of Grey". Do I really need to explain? Just terrible. 
  20. What are you currently reading? A couple things. 1: A World of Difference: An Anthology of Short Stories from Five Continents". 2: "Incompatible Twins" (review upcoming). 3: Not strictly books, but I've been hooked to JET related blogs for a while now. Yes, I am living vicariously through them, what of it? and 4: "Kaichou wa Maid-sama". Not even sorry. I have many different interests and manga is one of them. Problems? Take 'em and leave. There is no such thing as a right or wrong kind of book. Everybody needs a little brainless fluff once in a while. 

Well there you have it. Twenty questions courtesy of 101 Books. Please do check out that blog. It's a proverbial goldmine for any bibliophile out there, and an interesting read. I actually had a lot of fun answering these questions, and I look forward to more in the future.

Well, I'm off to finish my assessment work. Sigh. C'est la vie. 

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