We are safe but deported somewhere. In spite of himself, Flann O'Brien is the author of the new dominant ideology unique law : "A PINT OF PLAIN IS YOUR ONLY MAN" (Thanks Arnie). So, time has gone for humility. Here comes the end of our favorite epicurean words orgies. We are forced to throw our official identity cards over the ocean of all our wordy toys and fetishes and constrained also to bring with us one book. "ONLY ONE BOOK" ! The one that we will support to be, forever, our last "identity card" ... right to the end.

For obscur reasons that we are not authorized to elucidate, few books are forbidden and burned in an unspeakable autodafé : Bible, Koran, Torah, Marx Capital, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, MS-Word User Guide for all versions except the last compatible with Windows 3.11 and all books referenced on "wordcraft.infopop.cc" since its creation (or else too easy, no ?).

Dear words lovers, time has gone, which book do you choose ?

Safi

Safi, you may think me to be an idiot, but I would choose a little "children's story" by your countryman, Antoine de St-Exupery, Le Petite Prince. Within this petite histoire is the best wisdom regarding the importance of human relationships that I have ever read.

Wow! What an excellent question. I am thoroughly enjoying "Dialogues of Plato", and I would choose that because it teaches us to think critically, rather than to just respond with the masses.
However, I would also need to have a fun book, such as one by Anne Tyler. I love her stories about human relationships and her down-home humor.

I'm not much of a reader, and nothing jumped to mind, so I looked at my bookshelf to see what is most dog eared. Two books jump out at me.

The first is by Gilda Radner, "It's Always Something" about her battle with cancer. She lost her battle before she finished writing the book, and the last few pages are written by her husband, Gene Wilder. I drew strength from her words. And even though she lost the war, she taught me how to fight the battles we face in life. To face our tormenters with laughter and love, and above all else, a tremendous sense of humor.

The second seems very pale by comparison. I won't even mention the name. It is a trashy romance novel that I have read repeatedly. It just makes me feel good!

"ONLY ONE BOOK" ! The one that you will support to be, FOREVER, your LAST "identity card" ... !! Right to the end !!!

Safi

smilla's sense of snow by peter hoeg

smilla's sense of snow by peter hoeg
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I wonder if there are any other novels set in Iceland in modern times, as was this one.

Only one book?

That would have to be the old German hymnal left to me by my grandfather. In addition to the stirring songs and music, handwritten in the front and back, is a family history, written by my great grandmother around 1900.

Sorry, Safi, but I stand by, "Dialogues of Plato" because there is a lot to learn about life in those texts (Apology, Crito, Phaedo, Symposium, and Republic), though I could probably do without Anne Tyler.

[This message was edited by Kalleh on Wed Aug 21st, 2002 at 12:04.]

You did not resist to the temptation my friends ! As Lot's wife leaving Sodom under fires and sulfurs, as Orphée returning from the hells ... you looked back at your dear regrets.

You sinned by pride, adorning yourself your last identity with the words of the others, and what words ! And what authors ! The most beautiful of them, the most rare, the most illustrious, the most harrowing, the most inimitable forever, those for whom there are not enough superlatives in all merged dictionaries, thesaurus and encyclopaedias of Babylon.

What a perfect taste my friends ! But what a criminal choice !

As Orphée condamning himself Eurydice to Hadès hells , referencing them in our UBB forum, you betrayed them, you denounced them and delivered them to the autodafé of the cachinnators

Your dear volumes will be confiscated (And now Kalleh, those of Anne Tyler down-home humor too), and you'll be so afflicted, so destitute, that you'll be envious of Lot's wife destiny, and hope to become salt statues for ever crystallized along the dead sea shore.

.../...

Safi

Fortunately, I have chosen the BOOK OF THE BOOKS, the only one which can give us the freedom and the way to resist and to defeat the "pint of plain" censorship.

It gives us, proud, ambition and bravery.

It will not be confiscated. I have chosen the most humble so that our revolt be the most powerful and decisive.
I have chosen the most plain, the most unaffected one, the most modest one, so that it can be proudly the most ambitious for us.

I propose you the infinite exhilaration of a pint of words, of two hundreds pints of oxymorons, of two millions pints of unknown verbs conjugated in two billions unknown tenses to dream up. We will throw our star-words in ocean of phrases, aphorisms, jokes and allusions. We will give sense to words, we will create sense, to defeat, even a short moment, the entropic death promised by the submission.

Each letter, each syllabe, each starlighted word will be a war cry and ... "will make the difference !"

"One can robs you what you have, no-one can robs you what you give" (I'll don't denounce this author)

"To read is to take, to write is to give, to give is to love" (neither this one)

I know that you know now, what BOOK I've chosen !
I know that you know now, that I only want to share it !
I know that you know now, with who !

Let's go ! Don't look back, no more ! And don't forget your pencils and your gum erasers.
If it's necessary, we will sharpen them with our nails and our teeth.

Now, my dear friends, "A pint of plan is our only main" !

So long ! (I've to leave you some time !)
...
..
.

Safi

Yes, I agree with you, Safi. However, what I like about the choice of philosopical books, particularly Plato, is that they encourage clear, critical thinking. This would be essential under these circumstances.