Advice for the Summer

beppe · 07-26-2010, 07:36 AM

Yesterday, in an Italian paper on the Cultural section, I found this advice on how to choose the books to carry along for the summer. The author imagines someone that goes around in the the bookstore picking up a book here and there and wondering if it is worth reading it or not. With "all these novelties and classics that every day increase."

The method to choose a book. Take the first words in the book, take the last, put them together in a phrase. And if the phrase that comes out makes some sense, it means that the book has some value.

The article lists a number of examples. Italians and not, among which The Red and the Black by Stendhal, The old man and the sea (the old men fished lions). Proust, Daniel Defoe, F.S Fitzgerald.

I just made a quick check and those are my findings.

Sophie's World by Jostein Gardner
Sophie Amundsen was on her way home "We'll both go, Dad"

The inimitable Jeeves
"Morning Jeeves," I said.
"Very good, sir," said Jeeves

To have and have not
You know how it is against the stream

More die of heartbreak Saul Bellow
last year was not remote enough

Travels with Charley Steinbeck
when i was home again

white teeth Zadie Smith
Early in the morning, thought Archie.

The Complete Polysillabic Spree Nick Hornby
So this is good to have it back

The shipping news Annie Proulx
Here is an account without pain or misery.

What am I doing here Chatwin
What am I doing on this advice

St. Urbain's Horseman Richler
Sometimes Jack, an ordinary, decent man.

Goodbye Columbus Roth
The first time I was back in plenty of time for work.

Wait until Spring, Bandini John Fante
He came along, a small star-shaped snowflake.

Will you please be quiet. Please? Carver
I felt moving over him.

H.M.S. Ulysses Alistair Maclean
Slowly, deliberately, Starr limped out into the sunshine.

Funny. I am picking up books and verifying that it works. I will stop now to list examples, but I saw that it works with Triplanetary also. Practically with every book I pick up.
I do not need this as I have ebooks galore for the Summer, but to buy a gift it might come handy.

Ea · 07-26-2010, 11:53 AM

That sounds a silly idea. It's something that comes down to chance. And how would one judge what is meaningful. While it's grammatically correct, I don't think the following sentence has much meaning:
"When Mr. Bilbo of Bag End announced, 'Well I'm back,' he said."

Also, I would think that such books as De Gesta Danorum, Howards End, and Berlin Stories "have value" - but in neither case does the method work very well.

beppe · 07-26-2010, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ea

That sounds a silly idea. It's something that comes down to chance. And how would one judge what is meaningful. While it's grammatically correct, I don't think the following sentence has much meaning:
"When Mr. Bilbo of Bag End announced, 'Well I'm back,' he said."

Also, I would think that such books as De Gesta Danorum, Howards End, and Berlin Stories "have value" - but in neither case does the method work very well.

It is a very silly idea. Chance, the hidden path of destiny. I tried it with Gibbon, no success. But...

Your sentence makes some sense, Excellent book, not only for a Summer read.

Thank you Ea. Let's see if some one finds more.

But this is so silly that I might ask to one of the powerful moderators to move this to the lounge.

Ea · 07-26-2010, 12:38 PM

I tried Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain(?) in danish translation - it made a very nice sentence. But Karen Blixen's Ehrengard just didn't work at all, and neither Mrs. Dalloway and a few more (Stormland by Halgrímur Helgason and Nordkraft by Jakob Ejersbo). Perhaps it works better in Italian?

edbro · 07-26-2010, 12:38 PM

I'd be afraid of reading some spoiler in the last few words.

beppe · 07-26-2010, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edbro

I'd be afraid of reading some spoiler in the last few words.

Exactly, that is why it is nice to shop books with a friend.

beppe · 07-26-2010, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ea

I tried Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain(?) in danish translation - it made a very nice sentence. But Karen Blixen's Ehrengard just didn't work at all, and neither Mrs. Dalloway and a few more (Stormland by Halgrímur Helgason and Nordkraft by Jakob Ejersbo). Perhaps it works better in Italian?

I have not checked personally in Italian yet. But my list in English is there.

This I find marvelous

More die of heartbreak Saul Bellow
last year was not remote enough

and this
Goodbye Columbus Roth
The first time I was back in plenty of time for work.

I had a good time picking up old pbooks in different state of dusting, to check the silliness of it all.

Ea · 07-26-2010, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beppe

....

I had a good time picking up old pbooks in different state of dusting, to check the silliness of it all.

When I - a bit hastily - checked books, it struck me how naturally I chose to check p-books. It just is that much simpler still to grab a p-book and look up the beginning and end.

I just checked a couple other danish classics (by St. St. Blicher and Johannes V. Jensen) - still.... Not really. Should we choose to abide by the italian professor, we can conclude that danish literature is not worth much at all

Not even the most eminent nobel prize winner J. V. Jensen

beppe · 07-26-2010, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ea

When I - a bit hastily - checked books, it struck me how naturally I chose to check p-books. It just is that much simpler still to grab a p-book and look up the beginning and end.

I just checked a couple other danish classics (by St. St. Blicher and Johannes V. Jensen) - still.... Not really. Should we choose to abide by the italian professor, we can conclude that danish literature is not worth much at all

Not even the most eminent nobel prize winner J. V. Jensen

Well, he is not a professor but a writer doubling as journalist. and it is not his idea but of one of his friends.
Of Danish authors I know Andersen and Blixen, (plus the ones you told me once that i have not read yet, thanks to Stefano Dedalo, that I have on ebook) who wrote out of Africa in English, but I cannot find the book. I remember it is red Penguin, but who knows where is it. I got the idea, that you Ea, being a Scandinavian lady look for a perfect fit.

Look, I can't find them.

But I got A Jonathan Livingston in Italian. Hold yourself:

It was early morning: he had started to learn

Ea · 07-26-2010, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beppe

Well, he is not a professor but a writer doubling as journalist. and it is not his idea but of one of his friends.
Of Danish authors I know Andersen and Blixen, (plus the ones you told me once that i have not read yet, thanks to Stefano Dedalo, that I have on ebook) who wrote out of Africa in English, but I cannot find the book. I remember it is red Penguin, but who knows where is it. I got the idea, that you Ea, being a Scandinavian lady look for a perfect fit.

Look, I can't find them.

A red penguin? But you did find a seagull. Wouldn't that do?

Wasn't it something from the Icelandic sagas? Egils' Saga. Or it was Völuspa. I can 't really remember.

Quote:

Originally Posted by beppe

But I got A Jonathan Livingston in Italian. Hold yourself:

It was early morning: he had started to learn

From Thomas Mann, Magic Mountain (my translation from danish):

"A quite normal young man put the rainy evening sky on fire?"

It sounds like poetry.

beppe · 07-26-2010, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ea

A red penguin? But you did find a seagull. Wouldn't that do?

Wasn't it something from the Icelandic sagas? Egils' Saga. Or it was Völuspa. I can 't really remember.

From Thomas Mann, Magic Mountain (my translation from danish):

"A quite normal young man put the rainy evening sky on fire?"

It sounds like poetry.

One, slightly off axis, might use it as a signature

recluse · 07-26-2010, 04:42 PM

Here I am!

Miss me?

I missed me!

Ea · 07-26-2010, 04:45 PM

Hi! have you tried if it works with books you own? Not all of them obviously but a few you might find "worthy" for the test...

recluse · 07-26-2010, 05:01 PM

The Jewel of the Seven Stars by Bram Stoker
"It all seemed so real that I could hardly imagine that it had ever occurred before; it was merciful I was spared the pain of hoping."

The Pet by Charles L. Grant
"A cool night in late September, he whispered 'Where are you?' to the prowling shapes out there, darker than shadow and waiting for his call"

Ea · 07-26-2010, 05:08 PM

Very good choices. Very interesting results!

Perhaps the aim of this thread could be to find the most curious/appropriate/poetical sentences.

07-26-2010, 07:36 AM	#1
beppe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,161 Karma: 81026524 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Italy Device: Kindle3, Ipod4, IPad2	Advice for the Summer Yesterday, in an Italian paper on the Cultural section, I found this advice on how to choose the books to carry along for the summer. The author imagines someone that goes around in the the bookstore picking up a book here and there and wondering if it is worth reading it or not. With "all these novelties and classics that every day increase." The method to choose a book. Take the first words in the book, take the last, put them together in a phrase. And if the phrase that comes out makes some sense, it means that the book has some value. The article lists a number of examples. Italians and not, among which The Red and the Black by Stendhal, The old man and the sea (the old men fished lions). Proust, Daniel Defoe, F.S Fitzgerald. I just made a quick check and those are my findings. Sophie's World by Jostein Gardner Sophie Amundsen was on her way home "We'll both go, Dad" The inimitable Jeeves "Morning Jeeves," I said. "Very good, sir," said Jeeves To have and have not You know how it is against the stream More die of heartbreak Saul Bellow last year was not remote enough Travels with Charley Steinbeck when i was home again white teeth Zadie Smith Early in the morning, thought Archie. The Complete Polysillabic Spree Nick Hornby So this is good to have it back The shipping news Annie Proulx Here is an account without pain or misery. What am I doing here Chatwin What am I doing on this advice St. Urbain's Horseman Richler Sometimes Jack, an ordinary, decent man. Goodbye Columbus Roth The first time I was back in plenty of time for work. Wait until Spring, Bandini John Fante He came along, a small star-shaped snowflake. Will you please be quiet. Please? Carver I felt moving over him. H.M.S. Ulysses Alistair Maclean Slowly, deliberately, Starr limped out into the sunshine. Funny. I am picking up books and verifying that it works. I will stop now to list examples, but I saw that it works with Triplanetary also. Practically with every book I pick up. I do not need this as I have ebooks galore for the Summer, but to buy a gift it might come handy. Last edited by beppe; 07-26-2010 at 10:00 AM. Reason: Adding Will you please be quiet. Please?

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Summer Reading	leebase	Reading Recommendations	5	06-10-2010 01:37 PM
Summer in your City	ravenne	Lounge	29	07-07-2009 02:21 PM
Summer Reads?	TadW	Reading Recommendations	2	07-27-2007 11:37 AM
Must-have Books for this Summer?	Colin Dunstan	Reading Recommendations	10	04-29-2006 11:05 AM
This is where I will spend my summer :)	Alexander Turcic	Lounge	9	07-07-2003 10:47 AM

07-26-2010, 11:53 AM	#2
Ea Wizard Posts: 3,490 Karma: 5239563 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kindle 3\|iPad air\|iPhone 4S	That sounds a silly idea. It's something that comes down to chance. And how would one judge what is meaningful. While it's grammatically correct, I don't think the following sentence has much meaning: "When Mr. Bilbo of Bag End announced, 'Well I'm back,' he said." Also, I would think that such books as De Gesta Danorum, Howards End, and Berlin Stories "have value" - but in neither case does the method work very well.

07-26-2010, 12:38 PM	#4
Ea Wizard Posts: 3,490 Karma: 5239563 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kindle 3\|iPad air\|iPhone 4S	I tried Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain(?) in danish translation - it made a very nice sentence. But Karen Blixen's Ehrengard just didn't work at all, and neither Mrs. Dalloway and a few more (Stormland by Halgrímur Helgason and Nordkraft by Jakob Ejersbo). Perhaps it works better in Italian?

07-26-2010, 12:38 PM	#5
edbro Banned Posts: 640 Karma: 4911 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Grapevine, TX Device: iPad4	I'd be afraid of reading some spoiler in the last few words.

07-26-2010, 04:42 PM	#12
recluse Banned Posts: 3,724 Karma: 535488 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: the Mortuary Device: Kindle 2	Here I am! Miss me? I missed me!

07-26-2010, 04:45 PM	#13
Ea Wizard Posts: 3,490 Karma: 5239563 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kindle 3\|iPad air\|iPhone 4S	Hi! have you tried if it works with books you own? Not all of them obviously but a few you might find "worthy" for the test...

07-26-2010, 05:01 PM	#14
recluse Banned Posts: 3,724 Karma: 535488 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: the Mortuary Device: Kindle 2	The Jewel of the Seven Stars by Bram Stoker "It all seemed so real that I could hardly imagine that it had ever occurred before; it was merciful I was spared the pain of hoping." The Pet by Charles L. Grant "A cool night in late September, he whispered 'Where are you?' to the prowling shapes out there, darker than shadow and waiting for his call"

07-26-2010, 05:08 PM	#15
Ea Wizard Posts: 3,490 Karma: 5239563 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kindle 3\|iPad air\|iPhone 4S	Very good choices. Very interesting results! Perhaps the aim of this thread could be to find the most curious/appropriate/poetical sentences.

Advert

Advert