Thursday, May 28, 2009

Litt. Meme

I’ve seen this on Monkey’s and thought “fun”, and then I saw it on Flurrious, and thought, “oh crap!” I might as well be illiterate! I read, but obviously not American literature or at least not as much as one ought to… oh well. I must say in my defense that what I lack in litt I make up for in movies. I know it's not the same, but there are so many hours in a day, so... That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

1. What author do you own the most books by?

At the moment, it is J.K. Rowling for English books, and Michel Tremblay for French.

2. What book do you own the most copies of?
I don’t have ANY duplicate. I guess I’m good that way.

3. Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
A prepo…what? Hmmm, no?!

4. What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
I would have to say Jamie Fraser (“Outlander”), despite his poor hygiene (those were the times).

5. What book have you read the most times in your life?

I don’t re-read many books, but I did for Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” and for Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”. Granted it wasn’t really by choice, but more by necessity since I needed to understand the darn books for my English class.

6. What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
I loved reading at this age, the hours I’ve spent at the library… I would have to say books written by La Comtesse de Ségur, especially “Les Malheurs de Sophie” and “Les Mémoires d’un âne”. There was also Jack London’s “White Fangs”.

7. What is the worst book you’ve read?

It would have to be “La vie en prose” by Villemaire. Simply painful, that’s all I really remember about it. I must say it wasn't as painful as "Les Essais" de Montaigne, that was pure agony!

8. What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?

I know, I know, I suck but I did enjoy “Twilight”…

9. If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
I haven’t nor will I tag anyone, but I would say “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert should be read.

10. Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature?

I have no idea whatsoever.

11. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?

”Outlander”, but I can’t decide who would be best to play Jamie. Anyway, rarely does a movie do justice to the book.

12. What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time”, some things are better left on paper.

13. Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
Well, that could be embarrassing, since I’ve had my share of “hot” dreams with Jamie… in my dreams he was so yummy and he didn’t smell! That alone, considering his era is very weird.

14. What is the most lowbrow book you’ve read as an adult?

I guess “Potter’s” and even “Twillight”, but then again… I’ve said from the start I wasn’t the most literate person around. I read for my pleasure, not to please others.

15. What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?

I would have to say the Bible.

16. What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you’ve seen?
Anything Shakespeare for me is always somewhat obscure, since I just don’t really get old English, nor care for it much…

17. Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
I’ve read more French than Russians for sure.

18. Roth or Updike?
No idea, need to Google them, sorry.

19. David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?

Same as above.

20. Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?

Bah, I kind of know Shakespeare but not enough to pick him over anyone else…

21. Austen or Eliot?

No idea, again!

22. What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I’ve read a bit of everything because I had to in school, but I’m not really embarrassed by my gaps… nope.

23. What is your favorite novel?
There are too many to pick one and it changes with time and language.

24. Play?
I really like Michel Tremblay’s plays. If you read French, look him up, it’s really Québécois (French-Canadian).

25. Poem?
Not really a poetic fan.

26. Essay?
Can’t say I have a favorite.

27. Short story?
I think there’s nothing that comes to mind at the moment, maybe because I haven’t read that many or because I just don’t have a favorite. Either way, no answer!

28. Work of non-fiction?
I love anything with lots of imagination. One non-fiction I really enjoyed was Ann-Marie MacDonald’s “The Way the Crow Flies”

29. Who is your favorite writer?
Wow, I would say I really enjoy Gabaldon, and Gilbert – this is now. In French it would be Tremblay (of course!) and Marie Laberge.

30. Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
No clue.

31. What is your desert island book?
Either a dictionary or the Bible…

32. And … what are you reading right now?
“Toutes ces choses qu’on ne s’est pas dites” by Marc Lévy.

Voilà... this explains a lot doesn't it?

10 comments:

flurrious said...

I haven't read any of the Harry Potter or Twilight books. I'll probably try Harry Potter one of these days, but I think I'll pass on the sparkling vampire.

I think you would like David Sedaris. He writes mostly essays, and he's dryly funny.

Anonymous said...

When you read is it mostly French books? When you went to school were the book in your Literature class in French? Did you read mostly Canadian authors?
Sorry for being nosy- I am just curious about how Lit is studied in other countries.

stinkypaw said...

flurrious: What I enjoyed most about both Potter & Twilight was the imagination. It touches me to read something so far fetch and yet so well thought of. I'll have to check Sedaris out, I like dry humour, as you know ;-)

Monkey: Since I've been able to read English, I make it a duty to read a book in the language it was written in. Lately, I've been reading I'd say half and half. In school I had both, in French classes we read French writers, but not only French from Europe, some French-Canadians as well. The two are very different. Like American English and Brit English. In my English classes we would read classics like Steinbeck, Salinger, Twain, V.C. Andrews, London, Jane Austen, E.Allan Poe, Shakespeare, etc. After that I picked and chose what I wanted to read often by referal of friends, more than anything, and as much as I hate to admit it, at times Oprah influenced my picks as well ;-)

Unknown said...

Test

Anonymous said...

Did you honestly read VC Andrews in school? If so- I need to know more.

Charlie said...

"I read for my pleasure, not to please others."

I think that's great, SP.

I wish to heck I could read French because something is always lost in translation. I would have loved to read Madame Bovary in the original.

As far as Sedaris goes, I really liked his book Me Talk Pretty One Day. Goofy title, good book.

kara said...

The answer to 21 will always be Austen. Just so's you know.

Joanna Jenkins said...

Dang, I need get get out more and READ! Very interesting post! Thank you.

I stopped by from Green-Eyed Momster. I'll be back again soon.

Anonymous said...

My sister is not a reader at all but she is reading the Potter books.

David Sedaris is hilarious, makes me laugh often. I'm so stealing this meme.

stinkypaw said...

Monkey: Yes, we did, that one book... kids in the attic...

Charlie: Very true, things do get lost in translation, I live that every day! I'll have to look that Sedaris dude, for sure. Thanks.

kara: Ok, if you say so! ;-)

Joanna: Welcome aboard & hope to see you again!

greenduckies: Steal away, my friend! :-)