A Book! A Book! My Kingdom For A Book!

With apologies to : KING RICHARD III: "A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!"

From: The Atheist Jew: ~ I Knew I'd Eventually Get Tagged For The Book Meme

A book that changed my life: ~

"Steppenwolf" by Hermann Hesse
Yeah, probably a weird choice. The book deals with the duality of human nature, but more than that, to me it represented the social persona VS the nature of mankind. I read it when I was quite young, only about 18 and the darkness, gloominess and esoteric nature of the writing has haunted me, (in a literal sense) ever since. I was fascinated by the depiction of the bourgeoisie life of the main character juxtaposed against his inner life. Reading Hesse is like listening to Pink Floyd with your eyes. (Yes, I know that doesn't really make sense!)

A book I’ve read more than once:~

Well, I could say "Steppenwolf" again, but I won't, even though it is a book which I have read more than once. Most novels by Hess I have read more than once.

Ok, how about "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde?

Once again what interests me about this novel is the appearance of the world VS the reality. Both books have a sense of forboding. I guess I like the idea of being tantalizingly frightened. The focus of the novel was a portrait of the main character which aged so its owner didn't. Scary stuff for a young mind, and a dream for a middle aged woman! Buy me one of those for my birthday please!

A book I would take with me if I were stuck on a desert island: ~

Would it be too obvious to say "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding? It has become clear to me that I enjoy books which present a civilised world with the threat of nature running rampant at any moment. lol

A book that made me laugh: ~

Oh.. "The Twits" by Roald Dahl

It is a children's book but what the hey, who said I wasn't juvenile?

A book that made me cry: ~

The first time I remember crying while reading a book was when I read "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson. There is a passage in the novel where the pirates throw this poor old,blind cat from the pier. I was a child reading it in bed and I burst into tears. My mother flew into the room because she heard me crying and it took her a while to work out why I was so upset, and I couldn't tell her because I was too busy bawling my eyes out. I have been a cat lover ever since.

A book that I wish had been written: ~

Wow! That is difficult...
"The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
"On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux" (It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye). A strange selection for an atheist, I agree.

Ooops, I misread this as "A book I wish I had written." Oh well, how about "My Pastlife as The Queen of Sheba"? That should be good for a laugh.

A book I wish had never been written: ~

These questions are harder than I thought! It goes against the grain for me to suggest that some books should never have been written, but if I had to choose some, I would suggest anything written by Ann Coulter. She seems such a heartless bitch to me, so if her books didn't exist it would be no great loss to humanity as far as I am concerned.
Example : "God gave us the earth. We have dominion over the plants, the animals, the trees. God said, 'Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It's yours."

A book I've been meaning to read: ~

"Jesus Christ,Sun of God" by David Fideler
Notice the title is "Sun of God" not "Son of God". This is a book I have been meaning to read for a long time. I gotta buy a copy from the net as it is no longer in publication.

I'm currently reading:
"Oedipus Judaicus" (Allegory in the Old Testament) by William Drummond

Drummond examines parts of the Old Testament commonly interpreted as being historical, and suggests that they are allegories. The twelve labours of Hercules, and the twelve tribes of Israel (according to Drummond), are allegories for the twelve signs of the zodiac.

Now it is time to tag 5 bloggers.
Not sure that many people read my blog regularly in order to tag them, but here we go.

• Silly Humans
• The Uncredible Hallq
• The Galloping Beaver
• Dikkii's Diatribe
• (parenthetical remarks)

If you have been tagged, you are politely requested to answer the book questions which I have also answered and to tag 5 other bloggers. :) Have fun.

'Then, when I had given up and gone back to the alley, a few colored letters were dropped here and there, reflected on the asphalt in front of me. I read:
FOR MADMEN ONLY!' - from Steppenwolf