Another book rote

[learnedax]

The infamous "they" suggest this diversion: "List 15 books you've read that will always stick with you: list the first 15 you can recall in 15 minutes. Don't take too long to think about it."

1. The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkein


2. Lord of Light - Roger Zelazny


3. The Guns of August - Barbara Tuchman


4. Cyrano de Bergerac - Edmond Rostand


5. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - James Joyce


6. The Warrior's Apprentice - Lois McMaster Bujold


7. The Once and Future King - T.H. White


8. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency - Douglas Adams


9. The Caves of Steel - Isaac Asimov


10. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress - Robert Heinlein


11. A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula Le Guin


12. The Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster


13. Guards! Guards! - Terry Pratchett


14. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut


15. How Much for Just the Planet? - John M. Ford

I found it diverting. My list contains some works that are not lifechanging high literature, but are truly memorable to me, so I think that's fair.

Comments

[bluestocking.livejournal.com]

4 Cyrano de Bergerac - Edmond Rostand

Whee! I knew I adored you for a reason. :-)

[learnedax.livejournal.com]

For my panache!

[teddywookie.livejournal.com]

To keep myself honest, I put my list in a comment on cat9's list since I don't have a paid account and the ability to edit comments. This was the right thing to do because I'd really like to steal your How Much for Just the Planet. Also, huh, I always thought the Phantom Tollbooth was Roald Dahl.

[learnedax.livejournal.com]

Dahl is another of those authors whose works as a whole had a formative effect on me, but none of which I could quickly identify as individually a standout.

[gyzki.livejournal.com]

One cent: I applaud your sticking to the spirit of the game, and not listing whole series and "The Works of..."

Other cent: although there's only two titles of your Top 15 that I put on my list too, I think I've read more of your list than of anyone else's I've seen yet (12.5 out of 15). Therefore I approve :-)

[learnedax.livejournal.com]

Naturally I am moved to wonder, which book have you but half read?

(And since I thought it might be Once and Future King, I see that it could be said to be half on your list, as well.)

[gyzki.livejournal.com]

Once and Future King indeed. I admit to inconsistency in how I count it.

My understanding is that T.H. White wrote Sword in the Stone first, as a standalone, and then later got the urge to write the longer, fuller work, at which point he went back and made some changes to what was now become his preamble (some by necessity, some by change of mind). Me, I devoured the original Sword (one of only three books I had in English, while in Alsace at age 9), but I never have been able to get into Once & Future. De gustibus, and all that.