Being literature...

[fajrdrako]

I got this from acampbell:


Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose. You are a
mystery novel dealing with theology, especially
with catholic vs liberal issues. You search
wisdom and knowledge endlessly, feeling that
learning is essential in life.


Which literature classic are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

And I didn't even much like that book, though I loved the library-labyrinth....

What book would I want to be? "Our Mutual Friend", I think. By Dickens. Or any of the Lymond novels.

Comments

what a surprise!

[maaseru.livejournal.com]

Saw it on Jean's LJ and tried it. I'd so rather be something quiet and obscure.

Virginia Woolf: Orlando. You are a challenge, for outer events, the outside world, the time etc. play no importance to you. Your focus is in writing, in gender issues, and inside your own head. Self-analysis and exploration of yourself as well as the outer world hold great importance to you.

Re: what a surprise!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I still haven't got around to reading "Orlando". It's on my TBR lists. Have you read it?

I'd say, Woolf aside, the description fits you fairly well! Explorer and observer.

Re: what a surprise!

[maaseru.livejournal.com]

hmmm. well, you seek endlessly for wisdom and knowledge. We are both seekers. But do we ever know when we have found what we seek?

Re: what a surprise!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

you seek endlessly for wisdom and knowledge

That I do. But Catholic and liberal? I'm not even sure what the parameters of those terms are!

do we ever know when we have found what we seek?

I think it depends how narrowly we define out search. Or how broadly. We do occasionally find, say, lost video-tapes or misplaced glasses. But when it comes to big things like health, happiness and enlightenment, those are elusive for everyone.

[ceruleancat.livejournal.com]

That quiz wasn't constructed as well as I would have liked, and bound to have inaccuracies re the theological/spirituality issue. The relevant responses were all too limited. Maybe 'catholic' is meant to be read as 'orthodox' or 'traditional' rather than actual Roman Catholic.

I can see how this book applies to me, although i'm not sure how much of it they meant. If that book is me, though, I'd skip the boring parts.

I dont' know the other books you sited. Why would you want to be them?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Why did I say Our Mutual Friend? I'm not sure, but it explores the individual in relationship to society and issues of greed and selflessness, discovering truths and finding true values. Issues of outward appearance and inner worth. I relate to the characters.... especially Eugene Wrayburn, the lawyer who never bothers to practise law, and John Harmon, the man who forms a new identity for himself after his own murder. I like the way this books has strong values but doesn't present any of the issues as simple ones.

Hmm. I should think further as to why I said it.

The Lymond books by Dorothy Dunnett are simply my favourite books; and the protagonist, Lymond, my favourite hero. Swashbucklers with depth and a bit of bite and a flair for language. Some people like them, some don't, but they reverberate for me.

Of the books on this quiz - the only other one I know of is "The Lord of the Rings" (since I didn't look at the other answers), and it's also one of my favourite and most formative books. But I'm not sure it describes me or applies to me in any way; I am neither as heroic as the heroes or as evil as the villains. The book gave me a way of viewing history and humanity that is invaluable to me, but doesn't reflect my thought in the same way as Dickens or Dunnett (or Shakespeare, for that matter).

Food for thought!

[ceruleancat.livejournal.com]

Ooooh. Book discussion *rubs hands happily*

hmmm. That quiz didn't list other answers, so I only know there was Orlando (which is interesting in its historical outlook, but I really didn't like the character or relate to it], and there was 1984 (Orwell is way too dark and transparently political for my tastes). I love LotR, in its depth and scope, but it's very much not me. Of these options, Name of the Rose does at least cover a lot of accurate points about me :)

I should check out that Lymond thing (if I ever find it in this country). I love a good swashbuckler with depth. I fell for Monte Cristo when I was 9. I was so sad when it ended, that I just opened it back in the first chapter, and read it 11 times in a row.
mmm. I wonder if I ever posted my formative books list, or the one I made of formative movies/series.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I have yet to read the whole of Orlando, though I've started it a few times. I liked 1984 well enough but it isn't the kind of book that moves me. LOTR has been a tremendous influence on me and is one of my favourite books, but I don't see it as 'fitting' myself as much as some others. There are probably worse choices than The Name of the Rose, though I confess that something about that book annoyed me and I can't, in retrospect, remember what that thing was....

I could probably fine and send you a second-hand copy of the first Lymond novel if you really want to try it. (Here I am, like all fans, eternally pimping my fandom....) Some people love the books (as I do); some find the style intolerable or difficult; and though I don't know for sure I suspect anyone who loves The Count of Monte Cristo will at least understand the mindset and ambience of the Lymond books even if they don't fall in love with the stories as I did.

[ceruleancat.livejournal.com]

Oh, how sweet of you! Thank you. :) That would be lovely. But wouldn't postage be a big deal? I know it is from the US.

I havn't actually finished Orlando. Well, I reached the end, but skimmed a lot. Didn't like it enough.
Name of the Rose had intolerably long and boring bits of meaningless theological discussions and catholic politics. I tend to ignore those. And I always mourn all the lovely books at the end...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I don't think the postage would be too bad. Send me your address at azurite@rogers.com and I'll give it a try.

Yes, I mourn the books in The Name of the Rose. And some of the lost potential.