Journal du jour, and the book meme thing

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vanilla-vanilla's avatar
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Hello again everyone. I have been way out of the loop for a while, working hard on that meeting and on second draft of the current project, etc. I logged into DA tonight and realized I have 70+ journals in my inbox and 450 deviations... Gosh. (Yes, I've read some of the journals but still have some comments to go...) Nothing to do but add some verbiage to everyone else's pile for now!

So... My friend lilianmarvolo.deviantart.com/j… Lilian Marvolo did this book meme thing a few days ago, and I figured I'd go ahead and try it, because it's not that difficult and it sounds amusing, and it allows me to share some opinions about good stuff.

1.One book that changed your life?
The Narrow Road to the Deep North and other Travel Sketches (Matsuo Basho) One of the seminal books of Japanese literature. It was one of the greatest influences of my early teen-age years.

2. One book you have read more than once?
Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkein) Yeah, I've read it at least half a dozen times.

3. One book you would want on a deserted island?
Finnegan's Wake (James Joyce) It's a never-ending story of great depth, subtlety and humor. And so hard to read that it could well be the only book you'd need on a desert island.

4. One book that made you laugh?
Only one!? The Cruise of the Kawa; Wanderings in The South Seas (Walter E. Traprock)

5. One book that made you cry.
The Well of Loneliness (Radclyffe Hall) Girl meets girl in the 1920s.

6. One book you wish you had written?
Dreaming of Babylon (Richard Brautigan) Amusing story of an unsuccessful detective.

7. One book you wish had never been written?
The Bible Ahem, well the only thing I'll say is it should have been banned long ago for causing mass insanity and genocide.

8. One book you are currently reading?
Two For The Lions (Lindsey Davis) Ancient Rome; detection; thrills. What more do you need?

9. One book you have been meaning to read?
No Purdah in Padam (Antonia Deacock) It's on my list and in my pile, along with many other books.

10. One book that was difficult to read?
The Sonata in the Baroque Era, The Sonata in the Classic Era, and The Sonata Since Beethoven (All 3 by William S. Newman) Difficult for two reasons: first, they're fairly technical, and very long, circa 2500 pages all together.

11. Favorite childhood book?
Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (Hugh Lofting) I always wanted to talk with the animals and visit the jungle...

12. Popular book you have no desire to ever read?
Anything at all by Stephen King. (I really can't read or watch horror.)
© 2010 - 2024 vanilla-vanilla
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bethywilliams's avatar
Here's the thing about the Bible: there are people who will defend it as good as mythology and literature, and I can't argue with that. I enjoy the Bible as a good read. However, if you read, say, the Epic of Gilgamesh (one of my favorites, by the way), you realize that the same literary ideas were covered elsewhere, and done much better. The story of Noah's ark is really dim-witted compared to the complex and emotionally-affecting story of Ut-Napishtim.

As for the idea that the Bible contains redeeming moral content? Does anyone really need to be told to "love thy neighbor"? People all over the world are good to each other without the Bible. So, in summary, I think the importance of the "good" parts of the Bible are somewhat overblown.