Ask Michael Wombat discussion

An impossible question, I know, but which book (or set of books) would you most like to have on a desert island with you and why? For me, it would be the Pepys diaries, always the Pepys. Endlessly fascinating, entertaining, and HUGE (it takes up 11 fat volumes on my shelves in the classic Latham & Matthews edition). I could probably build a raft out of the books if I husband the paper correctly ;-)

I'd go with Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow. It's the book I am always reading, it is so dense and rich, I always come away with something new. All human life is there, the sacred to the profane, the scientific to the silly, and it is brilliantly written.

It would have to be Bill Bryson's 'Notes from a Small Island', to remind me of this brilliant country of ours and the idiosyncrasies of its delightful, funny and plain weird inhabitants. No matter how many times I pick it up and 'dip in' to it, it makes me cry laughing.

Richard wrote: "I'd go with Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow. It's the book I am always reading, it is so dense and rich, I always come away with something new. All human life is there, the sacred to the profane..."

This one I don't know anything about. Given that description I'll have to investigate.

Erica wrote: "It would have to be Bill Bryson's 'Notes from a Small Island', to remind me of this brilliant country of ours and the idiosyncrasies of its delightful, funny and plain weird inhabitants. No matter ..."

That's one I have read. I agree, it's a good book to read after watching politicians on the news, to reassure one that there is good to be found here.

I couldn't possibly choose a favourite book, well, not and stick to it for more than a few days, but I have got a desert island book, one I haven't read. It's Macauley's Essays and the Lays of Ancient Rome; it's got some of the most beautiful oneliners in it, but they're buried in such a mass of impenetrable period prose that I'd need to be on an island to find them. Also it's got Horatious keeping the bridge in the back, and he'd be excellent for chopping wood to

Alex wrote: "I couldn't possibly choose a favourite book, well, not and stick to it for more than a few days, but I have got a desert island book, one I haven't read. It's Macauley's Essays and the Lays of Anci..."

If you're like me, you rarely get left alone for enough consecutive hours to be able to make inroads into such a book (I'm having trouble finding periods long enough to write with any continuity at the moment). A desert island would be perfect for that.

impossible question, but today it's Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver, because I just finished it, and it's a lovely thing. good storytelling, poignant, pertinent, intense in unusual ways.

I'm always looking for my favorite book!

Yes, quite impossible to answer really? But if I had to pick, I would take Ian M. Banks "Culture" series, or Neal Asher's "Agent Cormac" universe?

I've never heard of this. Must add it to my list.

Patrise wrote: "impossible question, but today it's Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver, because I just finished it, and it's a lovely thing. good storytelling, poignant, pertinent, intense in unusual ways.

I'..."

Oh yes, I'm with you on the Banks - good book.

Jamie wrote: "Yes, quite impossible to answer really? But if I had to pick, I would take Ian M. Banks "Culture" series, or Neal Asher's "Agent Cormac" universe?"