Describe yourself in six books or less

Attila the Professor

Attila the Professor

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Staff member
Oh, absolutely. I like that a lot, in fact. The whole bit about identifying with really undesirable characters is a very common experience of mine, as I touched on in my discussion of "Uncle Vanya" above. And then I'm doing "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" this coming spring, which basically offers a projection of what I could be in thirty years if I'm not careful.
 
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ResidentAlien

Guest
My own "Sally" has been raving about One Hundred Years of Solitude for some time so I think once I finish reading 2001: A Space Odyssey, I'll make that my next text. But from what she tells me, it sounds like Catcher in some way... at least as a purging exercise.

Great art helps us grow.
 
Pale Horse

Pale Horse

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Staff member
A noted Revision

I don't want to discount the other books listed earlier, they certainly provide a solid foundation for this more detailed description. These books directly affect my life with Thanatosis and Jr. on a daily basis. So for this present time, these would be an accurate insight into that mythical man Pale Horse.

1.The Pleasure of God by John Piper

If you're going to define your life by faith, you'd better really understand just "what you believe in".

2.The Book of James by James

Most likely, the oldest book of the New Testament, written my Jesus' half brother.

3.Bushido by Inazo Nitobe'

Given the two above, and nature of marriage and fatherhood, this book helps as a man defines himself by redeeming his Justice, Courage, Benevolence, Loyalty, Honor, Self-control, and Sincerity.

4.The Annotated Alice... by Lewis Carroll

Where else can you learn how "A Raven is like a writing desk"?, or any of the other deeply philosophical questions about identity and life?

5.Expect Nothing by Clarice Bryan

One of the most simple and yet profound statements on the selfishness of mankind.
"Putting expectations on another is a travesty, ...because I burden them with my needs for their behavior." (paraphrased).
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6.The Los Angeles Diaries: A Memoir By James Brown.

No, not that one. My writing mentor. It's all about knowing your story, and knowing how to craft it.
 
B

Benudo

New member
Nice original thread.

1) Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse -- I would say the Bible, but it's been mentioned a lot already, so I throw in this one b/c I don't think faith or religious beliefs hold much meaning unless someone has been through a period of doubt and questioning -- you may end up in a far different place than you may have expected, but you're better for the experience (incidentally, I no longer believe the Bible is the literal Word of God, though I still value it, and I am totally at peace with that belief)

2) The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway -- this book makes me feel like a sucker -- hard to explain, so I won't try, but I would refer you to the title (and its reference), which I think is one of the best titles ever

3) The Lord of the Rings, by Tolkien -- the little boy in me wishes he was Aragorn (not unlike Indiana Jones), as well as a composite of several other characters

4) anything by Hunter S. Thompson (but right now I'm reading Fear and Loathing in America, a collection of his letters) -- captures my sense of humor, but I only wish I could articulate it a fraction as well as he does

5) Small Is Beautiful, by E.F. Schumacher -- my environmental ethic, and way ahead of its time (sure, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring started it all, but I really didn't care for it)

6) anything by Dr. Seuss -- lots of social commentary here that I was too young to understand when I was first introduced to his books. He's the one who started it all for me.
 
Rocket Surgeon

Rocket Surgeon

Guest
The King James Bible - I've actually read it!

A Brief History of Time - I've actually read it, ( a few times!)

J.Edgar Hover The Man and His Secrets - tough to pick one book, but this one has it all. History, power, corruption, astonishing references, an expose on the man who may have been as influential as the American Presidents from 1935 to 1972.

Paddy Whacked - Much more than a simple chronicle of Irish Gangsters

James Taylor's Greatest Hits/Sheet Music - First purchased sheet music, has some odd but sweet chords and still have it...

The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark - self explanitory I hope.
 
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roundshort

Active member
Wow major thread bumpage. So dead, pale, Attila, Joe, any new booked after 4 or 5 years? I just finished a 6 hour dinner at recondo in St sebastain with wines going back to 1890. I am feeling very contemplative.

I have read read one back I lastb5 years that I have to switch out,

Confederacy of dunces. Wow
 
M

Montana Smith

Active member
Heart of Darkness, a novella by Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski. It peeled back the surface of the human condition, and laid bare the illusions of civilization.

The message is so powerful that the book is quoted in all manner of media, often unconciously of it's real intent.

It shaped my outlook. After reading it my insight into other novels deepened, so that it became second nature to peel back the layers of each book, to reveal what lay beneath. Almost every English Literature essay I wrote afterwards was graded 1st Class, with one lecturer commenting that he was "dragged kicking and screaming" into agreement with my argument! So, you could say that this short novel had a profound effect on me.

However, it's dangerous to look too deep into the black abyss of Conrad's mind. I gave up my Ph.D on the man's work because it was becoming too intense. I needed to break out into the beckoning illusory light!
 
Rocket Surgeon

Rocket Surgeon

Guest
Since we're taking this current...

Been reading The Road to Serfdom...

The Road to Serfdom is a book written by the Austrian-born economist and philosopher Friedrich von Hayek (1899?1992) between 1940?1943, in which he ?warned of the danger of tyranny that inevitably results from government control of economic decision-making through central planning,? and in which he argues that the abandonment of individualism, liberalism, and freedom inevitably leads to socialist or fascist oppression and tyranny and the serfdom of the individual. Significantly, Hayek challenged the general view among British academics that fascism was a capitalist reaction against socialism, instead arguing that fascism and socialism had common roots in central economic planning and the power of the state over the individual.
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A few eminent domain rulings that I personally know of really fuel the philosophy espoused by this book...
 
Pale Horse

Pale Horse

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Staff member
PM me when you come into town!

roundshort said:
I just finished a 6 hour dinner at recondo in St sebastain with wines going back to 1890. I am feeling very contemplative.
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Here's been my light reading for the past 6 months:

Shakedown Socialism: Unions, Pitchforks, Collective Greed, The Fallacy of Economic Equality, and other Optical Illusions of "Redistributive Justice" by Oleg Atbashian

...if you pay people justly, they will be unequal. But if you pay them all equally, the result will be injustice. ...

You Caught Me Kissing: A Love Story By Dorothy Bridges

Dorothy Bridges, wrote a love poem every valentine's day to her husband, Lloyd Bridges. After his passing in l999, she continued to write the poems out of love and memory

The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy And Its Geostrategic Imperatives by Zbigniew Brezinski

If you are looking for a great analysis in how geopolitical objectives were assessed and considered in the 1980s or some 1990s, and the general perspectives, this is one of many great sources of information.

Privacy For Sale: How Big Brother And Others Are Selling Your Private Secrets For Profit by Michael Chesbro

Privacy law in a way that is simple to understand, and teaches you the best ways to use the law to protect your own personal privacy

And a nod to Joe Brody and Deadlock


Don Quixote: Complete and Unabridged by Miguel de Cervantes

read about that HERE
 
Pale Horse

Pale Horse

Moderator
Staff member
It goes without saying that "Privacy" will entertain you then, as well...

But for my buck, The Art of Deception trumps them all.
 
kongisking

kongisking

Active member
I can only think of about three (at the moment) that truly represent some of my mindset:

Frankenstein: I respond very strongly to the book's poignant philosophy, that people, especially bad ones, are not born evil; it is their surroundings and their treatment by their fellow man that makes them into monsters. Plus, there's tons of child-abandonment metaphors and jilted-lover analogys in this as well, both things that I passionately disagree with.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Ah, what to say about this glorious novel? One of the most emotional reads ever, for me personally, because it not only changed my perceptions of certain characters, but also said characters' beliefs and morals. I wish I could go into more detail about how powerful this book was, and why it connects so strongly with me, but I might be forced to unleash spoilers for those crazy enough-sorry, unfortunate enough:rolleyes: -to have not yet read it.

Series of Unfortunate Events (the whole damn thing): This one took me kind of a while to think of, but as I ponder it, it becomes more clear that this series kind of perfectly epitomizes my general look at life. Basically, I tend to view existence as a series of unfortunate events; a terrible, wrenching, vicious beast that will give you flowers just as soon as kick you in the nards. And yet, I recognize that there are good things in this world, and that they are worth fighting for, and therefore life is, in the end (and trust me, there WILL be an end), worth the hardship. I think that's what Lemony Snicket was trying to get across with his series, and does a magnificent job of it.
 
Rocket Surgeon

Rocket Surgeon

Guest
kongisking said:
I can only think of about three (at the moment) that truly represent some of my mindset:

Frankenstein: I respond very strongly to the book's poignant philosophy, that people, especially bad ones, are not born evil; it is their surroundings and their treatment by their fellow man that makes them into monsters. Plus, there's tons of child-abandonment metaphors and jilted-lover analogys in this as well, both things that I passionately disagree with.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Ah, what to say about this glorious novel? One of the most emotional reads ever, for me personally, because it not only changed my perceptions of certain characters, but also said characters' beliefs and morals. I wish I could go into more detail about how powerful this book was, and why it connects so strongly with me, but I might be forced to unleash spoilers for those crazy enough-sorry, unfortunate enough:rolleyes: -to have not yet read it.

Series of Unfortunate Events (the whole damn thing): This one took me kind of a while to think of, but as I ponder it, it becomes more clear that this series kind of perfectly epitomizes my general look at life. Basically, I tend to view existence as a series of unfortunate events; a terrible, wrenching, vicious beast that will give you flowers just as soon as kick you in the nards. And yet, I recognize that there are good things in this world, and that they are worth fighting for, and therefore life is, in the end (and trust me, there WILL be an end), worth the hardship. I think that's what Lemony Snicket was trying to get across with his series, and does a magnificent job of it.
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You're not some wispy goth dude who wears eye liner are you?
 
WillKill4Food

WillKill4Food

New member
Montana Smith said:
Heart of Darkness, a novella by Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski. It peeled back the surface of the human condition, and laid bare the illusions of civilization.
Click to expand...
I appreciated the book, and I'm pretty sure I had a good grasp on Conrad's message, but it wasn't a book I really enjoyed reading. In part, that could be because the story has become so well-known, and I probably lost some interest due to having already read sections of the work for an English class before reading the entirety of the text, but I was never really engaged in the book itself. That's a pity, too, since the locales are so Indy-esque.

On that note, does anyone know of any adventure books that have literary merit? I own Lord Jim, which also features Marlow, but I have never taken the time to read much of it.
 
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