Top 10

georgeorwell.DeleteThis@email.com wrote:
> It's world book day - who knew?
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2023899,00.html
> People nominated the top ten titles that they could not live without.
> Some good and some bad and some that I would pick also. I made up my
> own list and sticking strictly to the criteria 'can't live without',
> nothing by Orwell is on it - though I would pick the CEJL if it could
> pass as one book.
> B.
>

Looks to me like *1984* is tied for eighth.

But do you think these are the books people really love most, or are
they the ones they think they ought to love most?

/M
 >> Stay informed about: Top 10 

On 1 mar, 00:14, Martha Bridegam <bride....TakeThisOut@pacbell.net> wrote:
> georgeorw....TakeThisOut@email.com wrote:
> > It's world book day - who knew?
> >http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2023899,00.html
> > People nominated the top ten titles that they could not live without.
> > Some good and some bad and some that I would pick also. I made up my
> > own list and sticking strictly to the criteria 'can't live without',
> > nothing by Orwell is on it - though I would pick the CEJL if it could
> > pass as one book.
> > B.
>
> Looks to me like *1984* is tied for eighth.
>
> But do you think these are the books people really love most, or are
> they the ones they think they ought to love most?
>
> /M

The poll is skewed to be sure - it's an online poll and people
responded because they already had some ideas. The results of a truly
random poll might be a sad document indeed. But this list is pretty
respectable and certainly one could even make up their own list of ten-
books-I-can't-live-without from it alone and not suffer too much. I
would move Les Misérables to near the top and perhaps put the Potter
series near the bottom and the Da Vinci Code last (however there are
several books on the list that I am not familiar with which might be
worse for all I know). I see that Winnie the Pooh is ahead of Animal
Farm and - at the risk of being tarred and feathered - I agree.

I tend to go with a literalist's view and think of the deserted island
scenario. So just because I love a book, is it the one I really want
to spend the rest of my life with? The Complete Works of Shakespeare
and the Bible are on the list, and maybe these are the only two books
that anyone really needs. If you take this to its logical conclusion
perhaps works of poetry are the sole choice. After all, a poem is a
sort of novel, distilled down to its essential points. Well now I am
sounding dreary. Ok, put the Potter books first and let's just have
some fun.

The article says 'Richard and Judy's television show, legendary for
creating bestsellers' (my heart beats faster) but 'they appear to have
little influence on this list'. The world is safe, after all.

B.
Not sure what you mean about the New Statesman, but can we meet at the
Reichenbach falls and discuss it??
 >> Stay informed about: Top 10 

georgeorwell DeleteThis @email.com wrote:
> On 1 mar, 00:14, Martha Bridegam <bride... DeleteThis @pacbell.net> wrote:
>> georgeorw... DeleteThis @email.com wrote:
>>> It's world book day - who knew?
>>> http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2023899,00.html
>>> People nominated the top ten titles that they could not live without.
>>> Some good and some bad and some that I would pick also. I made up my
>>> own list and sticking strictly to the criteria 'can't live without',
>>> nothing by Orwell is on it - though I would pick the CEJL if it could
>>> pass as one book.
>>> B.
>> Looks to me like *1984* is tied for eighth.
>>
>> But do you think these are the books people really love most, or are
>> they the ones they think they ought to love most?
>>
>> /M
>
> The poll is skewed to be sure - it's an online poll and people
> responded because they already had some ideas. The results of a truly
> random poll might be a sad document indeed. But this list is pretty
> respectable and certainly one could even make up their own list of ten-
> books-I-can't-live-without from it alone and not suffer too much. I
> would move Les Misérables to near the top and perhaps put the Potter
> series near the bottom and the Da Vinci Code last (however there are
> several books on the list that I am not familiar with which might be
> worse for all I know). I see that Winnie the Pooh is ahead of Animal
> Farm and - at the risk of being tarred and feathered - I agree.
>
> I tend to go with a literalist's view and think of the deserted island
> scenario. So just because I love a book, is it the one I really want
> to spend the rest of my life with? The Complete Works of Shakespeare
> and the Bible are on the list, and maybe these are the only two books
> that anyone really needs. If you take this to its logical conclusion
> perhaps works of poetry are the sole choice. After all, a poem is a
> sort of novel, distilled down to its essential points. Well now I am
> sounding dreary. Ok, put the Potter books first and let's just have
> some fun.
>
> The article says 'Richard and Judy's television show, legendary for
> creating bestsellers' (my heart beats faster) but 'they appear to have
> little influence on this list'. The world is safe, after all.
>
> B.
> Not sure what you mean about the New Statesman, but can we meet at the
> Reichenbach falls and discuss it??
>
>
>

Please, no Moriarty menace intended. Just riffing off of this in *Wigan
Pier*:

"I am a degenerate modern semi-intellectual who would die if I did not
get my early morning cup of tea and my *New Statesman* every Friday."

I've wondered in fact if he went to Spain next in order to test the theory.

I'd forgotten what came next in that paragraph. It's mildly hair-raising
to reread from outside the twentieth century:

"...Clearly I do not, in a sense 'want' to return to a simpler harder,
probably agricultural way of life. In the same sense I don't 'want' to
cut down my drinking, to pay my debts, to take enough exercise, to be
faithful to my wife, etc. etc. But in another and more permanent sense I
do want these things, and perhaps in the same sense I want a
civilisation in which 'progress' is not definable as making the world
safe for little fat men..."

/M
 >> Stay informed about: Top 10 

On 1 Mar, 18:39, georgeorw... DeleteThis @email.com wrote:
> On 1 mar, 00:14, Martha Bridegam <bride... DeleteThis @pacbell.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > georgeorw... DeleteThis @email.com wrote:
> > > It's world book day - who knew?
> > >http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2023899,00.html
> > > People nominated the top ten titles that they could not live without.
> > > Some good and some bad and some that I would pick also. I made up my
> > > own list and sticking strictly to the criteria 'can't live without',
> > > nothing by Orwell is on it - though I would pick the CEJL if it could
> > > pass as one book.
> > > B.
>
> > Looks to me like *1984* is tied for eighth.
>
> > But do you think these are the books people really love most, or are
> > they the ones they think they ought to love most?
>
> > /M
>
> The poll is skewed to be sure - it's an online poll and people
> responded because they already had some ideas. The results of a truly
> random poll might be a sad document indeed. But this list is pretty
> respectable and certainly one could even make up their own list of ten-
> books-I-can't-live-without from it alone and not suffer too much. I
> would move Les Misérables to near the top and perhaps put the Potter
> series near the bottom and the Da Vinci Code last (however there are
> several books on the list that I am not familiar with which might be
> worse for all I know). I see that Winnie the Pooh is ahead of Animal
> Farm and - at the risk of being tarred and feathered - I agree.
>
> I tend to go with a literalist's view and think of the deserted island
> scenario. So just because I love a book, is it the one I really want
> to spend the rest of my life with? The Complete Works of Shakespeare
> and the Bible are on the list, and maybe these are the only two books
> that anyone really needs. If you take this to its logical conclusion
> perhaps works of poetry are the sole choice. After all, a poem is a
> sort of novel, distilled down to its essential points. Well now I am
> sounding dreary. Ok, put the Potter books first and let's just have
> some fun.
>
> The article says 'Richard and Judy's television show, legendary for
> creating bestsellers' (my heart beats faster) but 'they appear to have
> little influence on this list'. The world is safe, after all.
>
> B.
> Not sure what you mean about the New Statesman, but can we meet at the
> Reichenbach falls and discuss it??- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Another day another list.

Where are all the books by that titan of twentieth century letters and
all round genius (I will show you the path to enlightenment. Give me
all of your money) L R** H*bbard? Wot, no Ayn Rand?

Personal critical opinion apart, the majority of the entries are
predictable enough and crop up in most similar exercises. There are a
few entries I do find curious:

Cold Comfort Farm - a charming little book but I wouldn't have
imagined so many people would have thought so highly of it.

The Faraway Tree Collection - I might have picked it for my own desert
island - when I was five.

Am I the only person who's clocked it that Shakespeare has slipped in
there twice?

N
 >> Stay informed about: Top 10 

On 1 mar, 12:12, Martha Bridegam <bride....DeleteThis@pacbell.net> wrote:
> georgeorw....DeleteThis@email.com wrote:
> > On 1 mar, 00:14, Martha Bridegam <bride....DeleteThis@pacbell.net> wrote:
> >> georgeorw....DeleteThis@email.com wrote:
> >>> It's world book day - who knew?
> >>>http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2023899,00.html
> >>> People nominated the top ten titles that they could not live without.
> >>> Some good and some bad and some that I would pick also. I made up my
> >>> own list and sticking strictly to the criteria 'can't live without',
> >>> nothing by Orwell is on it - though I would pick the CEJL if it could
> >>> pass as one book.
> >>> B.
> >> Looks to me like *1984* is tied for eighth.
>
> >> But do you think these are the books people really love most, or are
> >> they the ones they think they ought to love most?
>
> >> /M
>
> > The poll is skewed to be sure - it's an online poll and people
> > responded because they already had some ideas. The results of a truly
> > random poll might be a sad document indeed. But this list is pretty
> > respectable and certainly one could even make up their own list of ten-
> > books-I-can't-live-without from it alone and not suffer too much. I
> > would move Les Misérables to near the top and perhaps put the Potter
> > series near the bottom and the Da Vinci Code last (however there are
> > several books on the list that I am not familiar with which might be
> > worse for all I know). I see that Winnie the Pooh is ahead of Animal
> > Farm and - at the risk of being tarred and feathered - I agree.
>
> > I tend to go with a literalist's view and think of the deserted island
> > scenario. So just because I love a book, is it the one I really want
> > to spend the rest of my life with? The Complete Works of Shakespeare
> > and the Bible are on the list, and maybe these are the only two books
> > that anyone really needs. If you take this to its logical conclusion
> > perhaps works of poetry are the sole choice. After all, a poem is a
> > sort of novel, distilled down to its essential points. Well now I am
> > sounding dreary. Ok, put the Potter books first and let's just have
> > some fun.
>
> > The article says 'Richard and Judy's television show, legendary for
> > creating bestsellers' (my heart beats faster) but 'they appear to have
> > little influence on this list'. The world is safe, after all.
>
> > B.
> > Not sure what you mean about the New Statesman, but can we meet at the
> > Reichenbach falls and discuss it??
>
> Please, no Moriarty menace intended. Just riffing off of this in *Wigan
> Pier*:
>
> "I am a degenerate modern semi-intellectual who would die if I did not
> get my early morning cup of tea and my *New Statesman* every Friday."
>
> I've wondered in fact if he went to Spain next in order to test the theory.
>
> I'd forgotten what came next in that paragraph. It's mildly hair-raising
> to reread from outside the twentieth century:
>
> "...Clearly I do not, in a sense 'want' to return to a simpler harder,
> probably agricultural way of life. In the same sense I don't 'want' to
> cut down my drinking, to pay my debts, to take enough exercise, to be
> faithful to my wife, etc. etc. But in another and more permanent sense I
> do want these things, and perhaps in the same sense I want a
> civilisation in which 'progress' is not definable as making the world
> safe for little fat men..."
>
> /M- Masquer le texte des messages précédents -
>
> - Afficher le texte des messages précédents -

I thought he was being sarcastic and self mocking. It's funny though
how glad he was to get fresh milk for his tea when he returned from
Spain.

People might find Orwell's Luddite proclivity mildly hair-raising.
B.
 >> Stay informed about: Top 10 

Martha Bridegam wrote:
> georgeorwell.TakeThisOut@email.com wrote:
>> It's world book day - who knew?
>> http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2023899,00.html
>> People nominated the top ten titles that they could not live without.
>> Some good and some bad and some that I would pick also. I made up my
>> own list and sticking strictly to the criteria 'can't live without',
>> nothing by Orwell is on it - though I would pick the CEJL if it could
>> pass as one book.
>> B.
>>
>
> Looks to me like *1984* is tied for eighth.
>
> But do you think these are the books people really love most, or are
> they the ones they think they ought to love most?
>
> /M

Marfa, what would youre top ten books be?

Mine are, in no order of preference,

Crime and Punishment
Charlie and the Chocolate factory
1984
The Abolition of Britain
To the Lighthouse
The Old Devils
Notes from Underground
Flags of the World
Any Sherlock Holmes
Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners
 >> Stay informed about: Top 10 

On 1 mar, 15:40, "Adam" <vaneyc....RemoveThis@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Martha Bridegam wrote:
> > georgeorw....RemoveThis@email.com wrote:
> >> It's world book day - who knew?
> >>http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2023899,00.html
> >> People nominated the top ten titles that they could not live without.
> >> Some good and some bad and some that I would pick also. I made up my
> >> own list and sticking strictly to the criteria 'can't live without',
> >> nothing by Orwell is on it - though I would pick the CEJL if it could
> >> pass as one book.
> >> B.
>
> > Looks to me like *1984* is tied for eighth.
>
> > But do you think these are the books people really love most, or are
> > they the ones they think they ought to love most?
>
> > /M
>
> Marfa, what would youre top ten books be?
>
> Mine are, in no order of preference,
>
> Crime and Punishment
> Charlie and the Chocolate factory
> 1984
> The Abolition of Britain
> To the Lighthouse
> The Old Devils
> Notes from Underground
> Flags of the World
> Any Sherlock Holmes
> Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners- Masquer le texte des messages précédents -
>
> - Afficher le texte des messages précédents -


If you are allowed Flags of the World, I get to include Snyder's
Northern Renaissance Art.
And:
The Complete Works of Shakespeare
The Bible
an anthology of poetry, maybe Norton
A la recherche du temps perdu
The Idiot
Middlemarch
The Brothers Karamazov
Les Misérables
The Wings of the Dove

Making a list like this is too difficult - every choice means
something else gets left behind.
<sob>
B.
 >> Stay informed about: Top 10 

On 2 mar, 18:37, Martha Bridegam <bride....TakeThisOut@pacbell.net> wrote:
> georgeorw....TakeThisOut@email.com wrote:
> > On 1 mar, 15:40, "Adam" <vaneyc....TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >> Martha Bridegam wrote:
> >>> georgeorw....TakeThisOut@email.com wrote:
> >>>> It's world book day - who knew?
> >>>>http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2023899,00.html
> >>>> People nominated the top ten titles that they could not live without.
> >>>> Some good and some bad and some that I would pick also. I made up my
> >>>> own list and sticking strictly to the criteria 'can't live without',
> >>>> nothing by Orwell is on it - though I would pick the CEJL if it could
> >>>> pass as one book.
> >>>> B.
> >>> Looks to me like *1984* is tied for eighth.
> >>> But do you think these are the books people really love most, or are
> >>> they the ones they think they ought to love most?
> >>> /M
> >> Marfa, what would youre top ten books be?
>
> >> Mine are, in no order of preference,
>
> >> Crime and Punishment
> >> Charlie and the Chocolate factory
> >> 1984
> >> The Abolition of Britain
> >> To the Lighthouse
> >> The Old Devils
> >> Notes from Underground
> >> Flags of the World
> >> Any Sherlock Holmes
> >> Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners- Masquer le texte des messages précédents -
>
> >> - Afficher le texte des messages précédents -
>
> > If you are allowed Flags of the World, I get to include Snyder's
> > Northern Renaissance Art.
> > And:
> > The Complete Works of Shakespeare
> > The Bible
> > an anthology of poetry, maybe Norton
> > A la recherche du temps perdu
> > The Idiot
> > Middlemarch
> > The Brothers Karamazov
> > Les Misérables
> > The Wings of the Dove
>
> > Making a list like this is too difficult - every choice means
> > something else gets left behind.
> > <sob>
> > B.
>
> I'm gonna temporize: are we talking about the books we most enjoyed
> reading for the first time or the books we would most want for repeated
> desert island reading?
>
> /M- Masquer le texte des messages précédents -
>
> - Afficher le texte des messages précédents -

Books you can't live without. I took it very literally. You could
frame it however you want, I guess - books you love but would not
necessarily take with you to the island? the 10 books you most want to
read but haven't yet? that is risky, you might be stuck with something
you hate.
B.
 >> Stay informed about: Top 10 

georgeorwell RemoveThis @email.com wrote:
> On 1 mar, 15:40, "Adam" <vaneyc... RemoveThis @hotmail.com> wrote:
>> Martha Bridegam wrote:
>>> georgeorw... RemoveThis @email.com wrote:
>>>> It's world book day - who knew?
>>>> http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2023899,00.html
>>>> People nominated the top ten titles that they could not live without.
>>>> Some good and some bad and some that I would pick also. I made up my
>>>> own list and sticking strictly to the criteria 'can't live without',
>>>> nothing by Orwell is on it - though I would pick the CEJL if it could
>>>> pass as one book.
>>>> B.
>>> Looks to me like *1984* is tied for eighth.
>>> But do you think these are the books people really love most, or are
>>> they the ones they think they ought to love most?
>>> /M
>> Marfa, what would youre top ten books be?
>>
>> Mine are, in no order of preference,
>>
>> Crime and Punishment
>> Charlie and the Chocolate factory
>> 1984
>> The Abolition of Britain
>> To the Lighthouse
>> The Old Devils
>> Notes from Underground
>> Flags of the World
>> Any Sherlock Holmes
>> Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners- Masquer le texte des messages précédents -
>>
>> - Afficher le texte des messages précédents -
>
>
> If you are allowed Flags of the World, I get to include Snyder's
> Northern Renaissance Art.
> And:
> The Complete Works of Shakespeare
> The Bible
> an anthology of poetry, maybe Norton
> A la recherche du temps perdu
> The Idiot
> Middlemarch
> The Brothers Karamazov
> Les Misérables
> The Wings of the Dove
>
> Making a list like this is too difficult - every choice means
> something else gets left behind.
> <sob>
> B.
>

I'm gonna temporize: are we talking about the books we most enjoyed
reading for the first time or the books we would most want for repeated
desert island reading?

/M
 >> Stay informed about: Top 10 

georgeorwell.TakeThisOut@email.com wrote:
> On 2 mar, 18:37, Martha Bridegam <bride....TakeThisOut@pacbell.net> wrote:
>> georgeorw....TakeThisOut@email.com wrote:
>>> On 1 mar, 15:40, "Adam" <vaneyc....TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Martha Bridegam wrote:
>>>>> georgeorw....TakeThisOut@email.com wrote:
>>>>>> It's world book day - who knew?
>>>>>> http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2023899,00.html
>>>>>> People nominated the top ten titles that they could not live without.
>>>>>> Some good and some bad and some that I would pick also. I made up my
>>>>>> own list and sticking strictly to the criteria 'can't live without',
>>>>>> nothing by Orwell is on it - though I would pick the CEJL if it could
>>>>>> pass as one book.
>>>>>> B.
>>>>> Looks to me like *1984* is tied for eighth.
>>>>> But do you think these are the books people really love most, or are
>>>>> they the ones they think they ought to love most?
>>>>> /M
>>>> Marfa, what would youre top ten books be?
>>>> Mine are, in no order of preference,
>>>> Crime and Punishment
>>>> Charlie and the Chocolate factory
>>>> 1984
>>>> The Abolition of Britain
>>>> To the Lighthouse
>>>> The Old Devils
>>>> Notes from Underground
>>>> Flags of the World
>>>> Any Sherlock Holmes
>>>> Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners- Masquer le texte des messages précédents -
>>>> - Afficher le texte des messages précédents -
>>> If you are allowed Flags of the World, I get to include Snyder's
>>> Northern Renaissance Art.
>>> And:
>>> The Complete Works of Shakespeare
>>> The Bible
>>> an anthology of poetry, maybe Norton
>>> A la recherche du temps perdu
>>> The Idiot
>>> Middlemarch
>>> The Brothers Karamazov
>>> Les Misérables
>>> The Wings of the Dove
>>> Making a list like this is too difficult - every choice means
>>> something else gets left behind.
>>> <sob>
>>> B.
>> I'm gonna temporize: are we talking about the books we most enjoyed
>> reading for the first time or the books we would most want for repeated
>> desert island reading?
>>
>> /M- Masquer le texte des messages précédents -
>>
>> - Afficher le texte des messages précédents -
>
> Books you can't live without. I took it very literally. You could
> frame it however you want, I guess - books you love but would not
> necessarily take with you to the island? the 10 books you most want to
> read but haven't yet? that is risky, you might be stuck with something
> you hate.
> B.
>
>
>

OK, for the actual desert island I would take Shakespeare, the Bible and
Sherlock Holmes of course, all of those for sheer density and
inventiveness. Also, I think, *Bleak House*, any of LeGuin's major
novels, *Homage to Catalonia*, *The Lord of the Rings* (if it counts as
one book -- otherwise *The Hobbit*), *Don Quixote*, *The Hitchhiker's
Guide to the Galaxy*, and (what the hell) *Moby Dick*.

Hm. I didn't expect so many of those to be sci-fi/fantasy (arguably
including *Moby Dick*) but it's an honest list so I'll let it stand.

/M
 >> Stay informed about: Top 10 

On 4 mar, 13:03, henry... RemoveThis @eircom.net (Henry) wrote:
> <georgeorw... RemoveThis @email.com> wrote:
> > ... suppose you are being sent to
> > prison ... and they allow you only 10 books ...
>
> Books?!? In _prison_? I thought they were being punished?
>
> cheers,
>
> Henry


I know you are joking but I am reminded of Dostoyevsky's New
Testament, quite a famous book. It is on display at the Manuscripts
Collection of the Lenin Library. Read about it here:
http://www.utoronto.ca/tsq/DS/04/095.shtml

It was the only book he was allowed in prison, and he always kept it
with him.
"Compassion - that is the whole of Christianity, "he wrote
aphoristically in his notes for *The Idiot*...In the final editing of
the novel this thought was even more strongly emphasized:"Compassion
is the most important and perhaps the only law for the whole of human
life"

B.
 >> Stay informed about: Top 10 

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