Book memes
Search on ‘book meme’ in Google and you’ll find a number of variations have been doing the rounds the last few years. I was invited recently, through my affiliation with Penguin Australia (who are distributing my book locally), to answer a few questions about books and reading for The Herald-Sun, a Melbourne newspaper – a hard copy version of a book meme if you like.
I scribbled down the first things that came into my head – as one should I think – and wonder now if that reveals my reading habits as trite and shallow. Ah well, too bad if it does. This is what I submitted and what was published in The Herald-Sun Weekend books section, 13 January 2007, p.25, each question followed in brackets by an ‘off the record’ reflection on what I wrote.
What is the book that changed your life?
I loved the way Jeremy Seal wove the story of his research for The Wreck at Sharpnose Point into the narrative and balanced the demands of non-fiction with a more literary narrative approach. I read this book at a time I only half believed in my ability to write and it not only inspired me to keep going but I found the name of Seal’s literary agent in the acknowledgements and contacted her, which ultimately led to the publication of my first book.
[I’m not convinced that anything I’ve read has changed my life in that ‘ray of light from above’ way that seems to be implied in this question. So, shallow, me? This is the most concrete, real example I could think of. Has having a book published changed my life? I’m not sure that it has, yet, but it’s been a great experience.]
What is the last book you didn’t bother finishing?
I abandoned DBC Pierre’s Vernon God Little after a few pages. It was impossible to feel empathy for any of the characters; the narrator’s voice and deeds were foul and ugly. Life is too short.
[Oh dear! As a friend who came for lunch last weekend said, ‘Wow! Dissing a book club book in print in public. Cool!’ (Or words to that effect.) If you’ve read the book you might understand what it was about the story in those first few pages I didn’t like. I know lots of people who have liked this book, and Nicky, my publicist at Penguin, and I talked about it this week. She loved it, and thinks she might go back and re-read it! Despite a tendency to see life through a glass darkly, I don’t enjoy reading darkly. When I’m feeling very low, I re-read Georgette Heyer. That should explain my difficulties with Vernon.]
What is the best book you were forced to read at school?
While it failed to turn me into a fantasy reader, I still remember Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising, in particular the personification of the bitterly cold midwinter English weather as a force of dark and evil.
[Most of my books are now packed away in the garage, as we need space for the baby in April, so I can’t now find this book, which I still own. Will have to borrow it, as I want to read it again after thinking about this question. A search of the web and Wikipedia reveals there are plans afoot to make it into a movie. Food for thought for the next question, about which I have no further comment.]
What is the best movie adaptation of a book?
There must be some I’ve enjoyed, but none come to mind. Generally I prefer a book to a movie adaptation – it’s hard to improve on the experience of reading and savouring a great book.
So if you have the time and inclination, my few friends who read these posts, feel free to share your answers to these questions. I’d be happy to learn from you!
Great answers, Helen. You have such a way with words, that I couldn’t even begin to answer those questions and have anyone take me seriously. All I know is that I’d much rather read the book than watch the movie adaptation.
Hi Helen, I’ve taken you up on your invitation to complete the meme. See here!
[...] January 31st, 2007 My friend and fellow author Helen Morgan (whose book Blue Mauritius I am currently reading and greatly enjoying) has invited readers of her blog to respond to the same book meme she recently completed for Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper. So I thought I’d have a go at it and invite my readers to do likewise. I agree with Helen’s approach–to write down the first thing that comes to mind–so here goes. [...]
Dear Helen,
I was shocked when I saw your book “BLUE MAURITIUS” in a book shop in Brisbane, Australia, the shock was so strong that my daughter bought the book for us.
Last month I went to Mauritius and a group of my husband’s family whose grandparents had 1 or 3 Post Office stamps (they don’t know exactly how many) called me to talk because 25 years ago during a clean up before an auction I went through some documents and came across an envelope with the inscription ‘POST OFFICE’. At that moment everyone was speechless as the envelope was empty, (as you said in your book “eaten by rat”) I hope that one day we will find the ‘rat’.
Marie – what an excellent story! I wish I had known it beforehand and I would have put it in the book! I hope you enjoy reading it. You will no doubt relate to the little poem ‘A Lay of the Blue Mauritius’ on pp.134-35.