Saturday, February 18, 2012

The Natty Hat Comp #3


Literary Giveaway Blog Hop
It’s becoming a bit of a tradition for The Parrish lantern to take part in The Literary Giveaway Blog Hop, run by Judith at Leeswammes' Blog. The idea behind the hop is that although there are a lot of hops aimed at YA readers, this one is aimed at those whose persuasions are more literary, by this she means that the prize given should be of literary merit.  It does not have to be the most difficult classic ever, but please no romance, urban fiction or YA. Thrillers, poetry and non-fiction are fine, as are contemporary fiction, literary fiction and any other genres not in the categories above. All participants run their own hops but are linked under the umbrella of Judith’s The Literary Giveaway Blog Hop title, making this the fourth hop, but the third The Natty Hat Comp.

Jaxon-Houndstooth-Trilby-Hat
The Natty Hat Comp #3
Now as it’s a literary hop I try to make who ever takes part - think a bit -  that’s all I ask, no need to follow unless you want to, nowt else but answer a question. The first time was to choose a favourite poem, the second a favoured word, so I had to come up with a new idea, which I found whilst browsing the internet a couple of weeks ago. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, people memorize books, literally becoming the embodiment of a particular book, so….. my question is what book would you be?
All those who enter the competition and leave me some way of contacting them (E,mail, Twitter etc.), will receive, what would be my(one of) choices. This book is by a writer, I discovered for myself, back in my youth and whose work I devoured, and yet apart from his poetry I had not read in a long time, part scared that it was a youthful flirtation, part whatever other reason sprung to mind?. My choice is Lawrence Durrell’s Alexandria Quartet, this wonderful tetralogy as Durrell explains in his preface to Balthazar, “are  four novels(Justine (1957), Balthazar (1958), Mountolive (1958), and Clea (1960) that are an exploration of relativity and the notions of continuum and subject–object relation, with modern love as the subject”, but beyond that it’s a book of words that have a poetic urgency that will make you gasp, with the realisation that language can be expressed with such a painful beauty and yet still be human.The Alexandria Quartet.
Here is the link list to my fellow cohorts, compadres,collaborators,  comrades and partners in crime, please check them out and pass on my regards – Oh and enjoy. Thanks again..
  1. Leeswammes/ Curiosity Killed The Bookworm/ Lit Endeavors (US)/ The Book Whisperer/ Rikki’s Teleidoscope/ 2606 Books and Counting/ Sam Still Reading/ Bookworm with a view/ Breieninpeking (Dutch readers)/ Seaside Book Nook/ Elle Lit (US)/ Nishita’s Rants and Raves/ Tell Me A Story/ Living, Learning, and Loving Life (US)/ Book’d Out/ Uniflame Creates/ An Armchair by the Sea (UK)/ bibliosue/ Lena Sledge’s Blog (US)/ Roof Beam Reader/ Misprinted Pages/ Mevrouw Kinderboek (Dutch readers)/ Under My Apple Tree (US)/ Indie Reader Houston/ Book Clutter/ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer (US)/ Lizzy’s Literary Life/ Sweeping Me/ Caribousmom (US)/ Minding Spot (US)/ Curled Up With a Good Book and a Cup of Tea/ The Book Diva’s Reads/ The Blue Bookcase/ Thinking About Loud!/ write meg! (US)/ Devouring Texts/ Thirty Creative Studio (US)/ The Book Stop/ Dolce Bellezza (US)/ Simple Clockwork/ Chocolate and Croissants/ The Scarlet Letter (US)/ Reflections from the Hinterland (N. America)/ De Boekblogger (Europe, Dutch readers)/ Readerbuzz (US)/ Must Read Faster (N. America)/ Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry/ carolinareti/ Ephemeral Digest/ Scattered Figments (UK)/ Bibliophile By the Sea/ The Blog of Litwits (US)/ Kate Austin/ Alice Anderson (US)/ Always Cooking up Something.

25 comments:

buddyt said...

Thank you for the giveaway.

I find it very difficult to consider myself a book so all I can say is that it would have to contain adventure, travel, new discoveries and have a happy ending.

Carol T

buddytho {at} gmail DOT com

Unknown said...

I would be Anthony Trollope's Barchester Chronicles. All six of them. About 3000 pages in total.

Excuse me while I head off and make a start on memorising them...

Ceri said...

I would want the book I become to embody qualities I like. In short to be funny, quirky and a little bit controversial. I would choose Wise Children by Angela Carter.
Email cerievans1[at]gmail[dot]com
Twitter @CeriKay

Reading Mind / The Loyal Book said...

i would be pride and prejudice. I see myself in Elizabeth bennet!

aliasgirl at libero dot it

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

I would be a clever and deeply meaningful children's book, Green Eggs and Ham. I already have it memorized, so I'm well on my way if Fahrenheit 451 ever really happens.

I love your Natty Hat Competition. Thank you.

And here's my e-mail address: debnance at gmail dot com

Healing Woman said...

I love all of Ray Bradbury's books. If I were to become a book, it would be "Dandelion Wine" by Bradbury. It is one of the most nostalgic and well written books I've ever read and would love to recite that particular story in this book of short stories.

Very clever idea to have your readers choose a book they would become.

Laura said...

I don't know if it embodies my personality or not, but I would be To Kill A Mockingbird, just because I wouldn't want it to ever be lost ever! But I'd have to memorise quite a few books, I reckon...

devouringtexts [at] gmail [dot] com

curlygeek04 said...

Great question! The books that came to mind were Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy and Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver. Enjoy the Giveaway Hop!

Falaise said...

Unfortunately, I'd probably want to be a different book every day, which might give my memory conniptions,

But today, Parrish, I'd be Macbeth by Shakespeare......which worries me somewhat.

debbie said...

That is really tough. There are so many books I love. I would probably go with little house on the prairie, since it was the first book I fell in love with.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

Leeswammes (Judith) said...

Great giveaway, Gary! I love discovering a new book.

My own book? I have no idea! Maybe a mystery, say Murder on the Orient Express. I'd be mysterious, and have lots of adventures and visit lots of countries. That's not quite me, but I would like to be just that. :-)

@parridhlantern said...

Hi Carol, Great idea, thanks for commenting.

Hi Tony, I though about several books including poetry (was considering Crow) let me know when you've mastered them & I'll test ya.

Hi Ceri, not read this, but it does sound interesting by your description.

Hello Reading Mind, not one I'd choose, but at least it's covered now.

Hi Deb, love Green Eggs & Ham, in fact posted on it with my daughter.

Hello Healing Woman Bradbury's a great writer & Dandelion Wines a wonderful Book.

Hi Laura, doesn't have to embody you, just be one you'd not see lost, making yours a great choice.

Thanks curlygeek04, Love Thomas Hardy, although mine would have been Jude the Obscure.

Hello Falaise, to be honest my choice was based on the moment, ask tomorrow & it could be different, If worried about Macbeth, change it tomorrow.

Hi Debbie,Good idea to choose something with long-term resonance.


Hi Judith, I think there'd be a lot of Agatha Christies wandering around.Thanks for Hosting this Hop.

Lilian said...

Thank you for the giveaway~

IF I was a book, I would love to the entire Roald Dahl collection. He was my first literary love at about five years old when my mother read me Charlie and the Great Class Elevator to sleep. The Witches, Matilda, The Twits, Fantasc Mr. Fox, Esio Trot, The BFG, including his autobiographies, rhymes, and short stories...you name it I voraciously devoured it.

And then maybe Garfield or Fox Trot since I consider myself a decent artist. =)

And for classics, Mark Twain and Steinbeck's of Mice and Men for it's controversial merit.

I need some serious brain power.

lilianxcheng AT gmail.com

Leslie (Under My Apple Tree) said...

Thanks for the fun giveaway. I'm Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy.

AnnaZed said...

Dante's 'Inferno' the greatest poem ever written (in Italian) is who I would be. I am actually part of the way there. (a very small part, but still)

AnnaZed said...

I thought my post would have given you my email link, but here it is in hopefully spam-proof format: m a r g u e r i t e c o r e (at) gmail (dot) com

DMS said...

I would be Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I can already recite much of it from heart thanks to listening to Jim Dale read it to me over 50 times. :) I just love his voice and I also love HP.

Thanks for the giveaway. I am a follower already and have been for a while (Jess/Fairday).

email: haightjess at gmail dot com
http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorrow.blogspot.com

Chinoiseries said...

Tough question! :-) I think I'd be Chocolat by Joanne Harris, because I'm a romantic at heart, who likes to make others happy with tasty, comforting and nourishing food. Or The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson because I keep repeating the same patterns in life (er, in this incarnation at least ;-)) and have difficulty changing them.

@parridhlantern said...

Hi Lilian, that's an ambitious aim, maybe you'd better start now.

Hi Leslie,thanks for joining.

Hi,AnnaZed, great call, I posted on a book of Italian poetry last year if you're interested.http://parrishlantern.blogspot.com/2011/04/faber-book-of.html.
PS, as a keen cyclist, I'm a bit scared of your avatar.

Hi Jessica, Thanks for your comment, my daughter is a big HP fan, although I've recently introduced her to Neil Gaiman.

Hi Tze-Wen, have seen some of your food ideas & liked what I've seen,also not keen myself but my wife likes Joanne Harris.

Katrina said...

Oh gosh. I would like to think I would be something dignified, like Pride and Prejudice. But in reality, I'm pretty sure I'd end up as a Stephanie Plum novel. My life is a hot mess. lol. :) Thanks.

oneagainst at hotmail dot com

Helen said...

The Jungle Book I would love to live with the animals
helldog3 at aol.com

Anonymous said...

Shoot, this is hard.

Now I assume if 451 did happen than millions of people would memorize books. So, that means that, most likely, my favorite popular books would be covered by someone. I would just have to find them. I will also assume that that poets whose works I love (say Milosz or Szymborska) would also be covered by their fellow citizens.

So then it would be prudent to choose an African book. Okay then, getting closer.

Stay with me. The "big" books would be memorized by someone also. Lost of people will pick Achebe's Things Fall Apart for instance or Soyinka's plays and poetry.

I would have to go with the plays and novellas of African women writers. Given that they are short I choose: The Marriage of Anansewa by Efua Sutherland, A Question of Power by Bessie Head. Then I'd add The Cry of Winnie Mandela by Njabulo Ndebele.

It's been fun!

@parridhlantern said...

Hi Katrina, how about do both, that will cover both your serious & fun side.

Hi Helen, is that the bare necessity.

Hi Kina, I don't think it would matter so much if another was the book you wanted to be, because you wouldn't all be in the same place, also you'd want replacements, in case another was caught or killed, but I reckon yours is a good call.

@parridhlantern said...

Thank you all those that took part in this giveaway, it is now officially closed & all your names will be placed in the Natty Hat & my daughter will pick one. I will publish the results on friday, after informing the winner. Thanks once again for taking part.
Parrish

Darlene said...

If I was a book, I'd like to be either Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone or the entire Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. I think being a Ward book would be more fun :) Can't get enough of those brothers!!

Thanks for the giveaway!

darlenesbooknook at gmail dot com