Lonelygirl15

Kasdeja wrote:I dunno, either Grapes of Wrath, Huckleberry Finn or Metamorphosis.

I totally agree with the Grapes of Wrath idea, Kasdeja. That would be an exceptionally tough memorization, seeing as it's 400+ pages.

But so worth it.

I'm so desperately desperate to talk about books!
As I stated earlier, lordgreystoke422, great question.


(I've never commandered anything before. It feels kinda good.)

lordgreystoke422, did you know it was banned book week?

But if there are no books, how will Bree' s dad do the bibliomancy? Maybe he'll just poke someone really hard, and see what line they're startled into spewing.

Of course, that may not go well.

Bree's dad: says lots of very old words that have do with opening the bibliomancy ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Everyone: looks on in wonder ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Bd: closes eyes, walks into the crowd ommmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Everyone: looks on in wonder ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Bd: randomly jabs his finger into someone's side ommmmmmmmm
Victim: OW MUTHERFU***
Bd: THE BIBLIOMANCY HAS SPOKEN
Everyone: breaks for coffee and discussion of this most sacred revelation.

But back to the books. I cannot imagine books being banned. Ugh. What an awful thought. The practical side of me is telling me to pick something like a first aid manual or a survival manual or an encyclopedia. But really... hmmm.

I think maybe a book of poetry. And, silly as it might sound, I'd probably pick my one a day book of poetry, because it has a wide variety, all very accessible.

Well, you said if ALL books are burned, and what are great books without being able to understand the words in them? I really wish I could memorize a book called the dictionary. I am pretty sure once I hit 30, the part of my brain that stores word definitions for the more complicated words of our language started losing cells..LOL I find myself having to look up words now that I am sure I used to know. So I really do wish I could memorize the dictionary..LOL

NO..I didn't...I had some links I wanted to bring over from the drudge report that I found after I posted the topic...I wonder if they had to it do with it being banned book week. Let me see if I can find them.

Nope..gone...the link wouldnt work yesterday..it was about teens burning books in the midwest...bastards!

My, we have a literary crowd here.

Like Bree, I am an admirer of Dr.(Mr.) Feynman. Although the book I would want to memorise is a series of lectures known as The Feynman Lectures (3 Vol.) that he created for Freshman/Sophmore Undergrads at California Institute of Technology in (I think) '63. They are still the best concise readable description of 20th century physics available.

You did say - which would you LIKE to memorise - not that we were capable of memorising.

Very interesting coincidence of it being Banned Book Week and the birth of this topic.

I love this. There can never be enough topics about books.

Off the top of my head...The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Gibbon. Just for posterity, not really because it would be fun.

It's also technically, three books but I'm sneaking it in under the auspices that it's a single "work".

If that's not allowed, I'd have to go with Plato's Dialogues.

Awesome question, btw, and it's interesting to note that the Vedas were passed down in this manner.

The inception of the idea came when someone mentioned Fahrenheit 451 while making a point and I even posted..I have a great idea for an "off the cuff question".
Basically it's straight out of Fahrenheit 451...
What was funny was later that day after I had created the topic, I got onto the Drudge Report to find out about the nutjob that shot the 2 cops and the police dog in Florida. I saw an article about teens burning books in the midwest I think but the link wouldn't work and I couldnt get to it or I would have posted it here. How interesting to find out it was banned book week.

I would definatly memorize "The Giver". I love that book. There is no telling how many times I have reread it since the first time in 3rd grade. It fits perfectly, its a book about people who have lost all the memories of the past, and one boys struggle to give them back to the people. Its amazing!

I love the Giver!. That's another one of those books that I've seen hook nonreaders and turn them into readers. (Although unlike Ben who read it in the 3rd grade--impressive! --I've shared it with grumbling 9th graders who hated reading and Voila, they loved it!)
By the way, Lowry's The Giver was banned for violence, sexual themes and its approach to euthanasia.

S is for Summer wrote:

I cannot imagine books being banned. Ugh. What an awful thought. The practical side of me is telling me to pick something like a first aid manual or a survival manual or an encyclopedia.

Good thinking!
Then, S is for Summer continued:

I think maybe a book of poetry. And, silly as it might sound, I'd probably pick my one a day book of poetry, because it has a wide variety, all very accessible.

Smart and well-read!
Jana4 wrote:

[W]hat are great books without being able to understand the words in them? I really wish I could memorize a book called the dictionary.

Most important!
Cu_Roi wrote:

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Gibbon.

and toadlguy wrote:

The Feynman Lectures (3 Vol.)...the best concise readable description of 20th century physics available.

Over 700 pages on The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire? Readable physics ?(Isn't that an oxymoron?) Oh snap! Those two titles should be banned!
Just kidding! Cu_Roi and toadlguy, you humble me.

What an interesting crowd with really awesome choices. Thanks for bearing with me as I commandeer lordgreystoke422's awesome topic.

(If you don't know what commandeer means, see Jana4, she's the one with the dictionary.)

I think my choice is obvious... The Kama Sutra

Only kidding! Definitely the Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition (1911).

Bonus: When the dust finally settled I could still solve all of Cassieiswatching's new clues!

ben: the giver oh my gosh, i loved that book so much when i was little. i still think about it all the time. did you ever read "remember the stars" by the same author? it was good as well, but the giver was just amazing.





i wrote my last post smoking a cigarette, so it was sort of hard to type. i didnt know any of kerouacs books were banned, i've read almost all of them. (it was my new years resolution my freshman year of college, to read all of kerouacs books and all of hemingways, and im almost through both resolutions) they're definitely my two favorite authors.

i guess in addition, i would memorize paradise lost. i had to read it for a shakespeare milton and chaucer class last semester, and hated it at the time, but looking back it was a reallllly good story.

The bible.
That would be intence but totally worth it.