Entry tags:
Lit Geek Meme
I saw this at ![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dudley_doright and couldn't resist.
You have received this note because someone thinks you are a literary geek. Copy the questions into your own note, answer the questions, and tag any friends who would appreciate the quiz, including the person who sent you this.
As usual, I'm not going to tag. Just do this because you think it's fun. (And trust me, it is.)
1) What author do you own the most books by?
Hmmmm… Probably Lindsey Davis (she’s certainly the one I have the most books by in hardcover), Mary Stewart (I, for some bizarre reason, collect as many different editions of her books as I can find), or Lucy Maude Montegomery (mostly because of all her short story collections).
2) What book do you own the most copies of?
I own five copies of A Swiftly Titling Planet by Madeleine L’Engle.
3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
Nope. Not even a little.
4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
There are plenty of characters I adore, but I wouldn’t say I’m in love with any of them. I do have what qualifies as a girl-crush on Serafina Pekkala from His Dark Materials trilogy.
4a) What fictional character would you most like to be?
Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird
4b) What fictional character do you think most resembles you?
Patricia MacLachlan’s Minna Pratt with a little of Madeleine L’Engle’s Meg Murray mixed in for good measure.
5) What book have you read the most times in your life?
Oh, for crying out loud! I have no idea. Probably A Wrinkle In Time or The Facts & Fictions of Minna Pratt
6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
A Wrinkle In Time
7) What is the worst book you've read in the past year?
I’m assuming that stuff I had to read of my historiography class doesn’t count. I’m going to stretch and say the worse book I read was actually a manga. (Just to be clear, I really like manga. It’s the storyline I had a problem with, not the genre.) It was only the first volume that I read. I didn’t even bother to continue with the series.
8) What is the best book you've read in the past year?
Dingo by Charles de Lint
9) If you could force everyoneyou tagged on your f-list to read one book, what would it be?
Hmmm… that’s actually hard. Everyone has such different taste. I like to tailor my recommendations based on who the person is rather than offering a blanket recommendation. That said, I think everyone should read A Wrinkle In Time at least once. (And Garth Nix’s Sabriel, if you like fantasy. I had to sneak a mention of him in somewhere.)
10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature?
I’m the last person you should ask. I don’t follow that at all. I remember reading a really interesting article in Slate about how Americans are generally ignored, so I guess I’ll go with someone like Phillip Roth, not that I’ve read anything by him.
11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Heh. I know all the Jane Austen novels are always getting adapted and readapted, but I’d love a faithful, high production adaptation of Persuasion. I also would also like to see an adaptation of Mansfield Park that managed to capture Fanny without completely changing her character or mistaking her gentle goodness with being a wet blanket.
12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
I love love love Lindsey Davis’s Marcus Didus Falco series, but between trying to capture the details of ancient Rome, in addition to explaining the more complicated elements, I think this project would just be destined for failure. Besides, half the fun is in Falco’s “storytelling”!
13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
I don’t really remember any off hand. I’m sure I’ve some strange ones, but I have trouble remembering my dreams after a day or two.
14) What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult?
Hmmm…. Probably some random Harlequin romance novel.
15) What is the most difficult book you've ever read?
The Brothers Karamazov. Difficult, but very much worth the effort.
16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you've seen?
Hmmm… maybe A Winter’s Tale? I live in DC. Between the Folger and the Shakespeare Theater, nothing is too obscure. I’m just lame because I don’t go nearly as much as I should.
17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
From what little I’ve read of either, definitely the Russians.
18) Roth or Updike?
Embarrassed to admit that I’ve read neither.
19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
I’ve actually read Sedaris.
20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
Shakespeare, hands down. (And, yes, I’ve read all three.)
21) Austen or Eliot?
Austen
22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I have a strong background in the classics, but I don’t read much modern literature, no matter if it's considered the best of the best or simply just what everyone is reading. I have Memoirs of a Geisha and Jonathan Franzen’s Corrections gathering dust on my shelf, because I’d rather read fantasy or mysteries. Jhumpa Lahiri is the only exception to that.
23) What is your favorite novel?
Just one?! Fine. To Kill A Mockingbird
24) Play?
Much Ado About Nothing
25) Poem?
"Forgetfulness" by Billy Collins
26) Essay?
“A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”
27) Short story?
"Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl
28) Work of non-fiction?
Right now it’s Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s Goodwives, which just goes to show that I’ve officially changed disciplines. A few years ago, I would have probably named a lit crit or something involving religious studies.
29) Who is your favorite writer?
Madeleine L’Engle
30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
Probably the author of the Twilight books.
31) What is your desert island book?
Can I bring an omibus with me? Like the complete works of Jane Austen or William Shakespeare? I might be stuck on a desert island, but I‘d still like a little variety.
32) And... what are you reading right now?
A couple of Japanese language textbooks, Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn (almost done) and Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (just started).
dudley_doright and couldn't resist. You have received this note because someone thinks you are a literary geek. Copy the questions into your own note, answer the questions, and tag any friends who would appreciate the quiz, including the person who sent you this.
As usual, I'm not going to tag. Just do this because you think it's fun. (And trust me, it is.)
1) What author do you own the most books by?
Hmmmm… Probably Lindsey Davis (she’s certainly the one I have the most books by in hardcover), Mary Stewart (I, for some bizarre reason, collect as many different editions of her books as I can find), or Lucy Maude Montegomery (mostly because of all her short story collections).
2) What book do you own the most copies of?
I own five copies of A Swiftly Titling Planet by Madeleine L’Engle.
3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
Nope. Not even a little.
4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
There are plenty of characters I adore, but I wouldn’t say I’m in love with any of them. I do have what qualifies as a girl-crush on Serafina Pekkala from His Dark Materials trilogy.
4a) What fictional character would you most like to be?
Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird
4b) What fictional character do you think most resembles you?
Patricia MacLachlan’s Minna Pratt with a little of Madeleine L’Engle’s Meg Murray mixed in for good measure.
5) What book have you read the most times in your life?
Oh, for crying out loud! I have no idea. Probably A Wrinkle In Time or The Facts & Fictions of Minna Pratt
6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
A Wrinkle In Time
7) What is the worst book you've read in the past year?
I’m assuming that stuff I had to read of my historiography class doesn’t count. I’m going to stretch and say the worse book I read was actually a manga. (Just to be clear, I really like manga. It’s the storyline I had a problem with, not the genre.) It was only the first volume that I read. I didn’t even bother to continue with the series.
8) What is the best book you've read in the past year?
Dingo by Charles de Lint
9) If you could force everyone
Hmmm… that’s actually hard. Everyone has such different taste. I like to tailor my recommendations based on who the person is rather than offering a blanket recommendation. That said, I think everyone should read A Wrinkle In Time at least once. (And Garth Nix’s Sabriel, if you like fantasy. I had to sneak a mention of him in somewhere.)
10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature?
I’m the last person you should ask. I don’t follow that at all. I remember reading a really interesting article in Slate about how Americans are generally ignored, so I guess I’ll go with someone like Phillip Roth, not that I’ve read anything by him.
11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Heh. I know all the Jane Austen novels are always getting adapted and readapted, but I’d love a faithful, high production adaptation of Persuasion. I also would also like to see an adaptation of Mansfield Park that managed to capture Fanny without completely changing her character or mistaking her gentle goodness with being a wet blanket.
12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
I love love love Lindsey Davis’s Marcus Didus Falco series, but between trying to capture the details of ancient Rome, in addition to explaining the more complicated elements, I think this project would just be destined for failure. Besides, half the fun is in Falco’s “storytelling”!
13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
I don’t really remember any off hand. I’m sure I’ve some strange ones, but I have trouble remembering my dreams after a day or two.
14) What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult?
Hmmm…. Probably some random Harlequin romance novel.
15) What is the most difficult book you've ever read?
The Brothers Karamazov. Difficult, but very much worth the effort.
16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you've seen?
Hmmm… maybe A Winter’s Tale? I live in DC. Between the Folger and the Shakespeare Theater, nothing is too obscure. I’m just lame because I don’t go nearly as much as I should.
17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
From what little I’ve read of either, definitely the Russians.
18) Roth or Updike?
Embarrassed to admit that I’ve read neither.
19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
I’ve actually read Sedaris.
20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
Shakespeare, hands down. (And, yes, I’ve read all three.)
21) Austen or Eliot?
Austen
22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I have a strong background in the classics, but I don’t read much modern literature, no matter if it's considered the best of the best or simply just what everyone is reading. I have Memoirs of a Geisha and Jonathan Franzen’s Corrections gathering dust on my shelf, because I’d rather read fantasy or mysteries. Jhumpa Lahiri is the only exception to that.
23) What is your favorite novel?
Just one?! Fine. To Kill A Mockingbird
24) Play?
Much Ado About Nothing
25) Poem?
"Forgetfulness" by Billy Collins
26) Essay?
“A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”
27) Short story?
"Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl
28) Work of non-fiction?
Right now it’s Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s Goodwives, which just goes to show that I’ve officially changed disciplines. A few years ago, I would have probably named a lit crit or something involving religious studies.
29) Who is your favorite writer?
Madeleine L’Engle
30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
Probably the author of the Twilight books.
31) What is your desert island book?
Can I bring an omibus with me? Like the complete works of Jane Austen or William Shakespeare? I might be stuck on a desert island, but I‘d still like a little variety.
32) And... what are you reading right now?
A couple of Japanese language textbooks, Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn (almost done) and Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (just started).