Oh, what about Northanger Abbey? Isn't the heroine captivated by a Gothic novel?
See how I'm not punching him? I think I've grown.
Mal ,'Shindig'
Literary Buffistas 3: Don't Parse the Blurb, Dear.
There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."
Dana - Jun 24, 2013 3:31:14 pm PDT #20950 of 28370
I'm terrifically busy with my ennui.
megan walker - Jun 24, 2013 3:38:38 pm PDT #20951 of 28370
"What kind of magical sunshine and lollipop world do you live in? Because you need to be medicated."-SFist
Okay, here's what I have so far for books where one specific book is a plot point.
Flaubert’s Parrot
(Julian Barnes) [Madame Bovary]
Little Women
(Louisa May Alcott) [Pilgrim’s Progress]
Mister Pip
(Lloyd Jones) [Great Expectations]
Treasure Island!!!
(Sara Levine) [Treasure Island]
When You Reach Me
(Rebecca Stead) [A Wrinkle in Time]
Strega - Jun 24, 2013 4:26:08 pm PDT #20952 of 28370
The Club Dumas, by Arturo Pérez-Reverte) [The Three Musketeers]
Lots of other books (real and fictional) come up in it as well, but Three Musketeers drives the action on several levels.
WindSparrow - Jun 24, 2013 6:55:46 pm PDT #20953 of 28370
Love is stronger than death and harder than sorrow. Those who practice it are fierce like the light of stars traveling eons to pierce the night.
Does John Gardner's Grendel count, cf, Beowulf ?
DavidS - Jun 24, 2013 7:01:18 pm PDT #20954 of 28370
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
Does John Gardner's Grendel count, cf, Beowulf ?
I think it might. It's a great book.
javachik - Jun 24, 2013 7:16:36 pm PDT #20955 of 28370
Our wings are not tired.
The Red Tent, based on the Bible.
Polter-Cow - Jun 24, 2013 7:18:03 pm PDT #20956 of 28370
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!
The Shadow of the Wind also comes to mind, but it revolves around a fictional book.
megan walker - Jun 25, 2013 6:29:33 am PDT #20957 of 28370
"What kind of magical sunshine and lollipop world do you live in? Because you need to be medicated."-SFist
Lots of great ideas here, everyone, thanks so much! I think I need to ruminate on this one more and perhaps come up with a couple of different topics out of it. I think there's probably a whole one on The Iliad/Odyssey/Aeneid concept alone.
The Shadow of the Wind also comes to mind, but it revolves around a fictional book.
Yeah, we've actually already done a whole salon on books about books in general, which is why I was looking for a twist. The great thing about books based on actual classics would be that others could probably relate more to the books other people choose.
Luckily, the two books that put it in mind ended up on another list, No Man Is An Island (books with island settings). Other new topics are Fractured Fairytales and Le Jazz Hot: Flappers, Feminism, and Fitzgerald. I have a feeling that the latter is going to be chosen due to the Gatsby movie.
I can't believe we're having our 28th salon next week!
Matt the Bruins fan - Jun 25, 2013 7:01:01 am PDT #20958 of 28370
"I remember when they eventually introduced that drug kingpin who murdered people and smuggled drugs inside snakes and I was like 'Finally. A normal person.'” —RahvinDragand
There's also lots of stuff re-writing the Bible. My fav is Mark Twain's "Diary of Adam and Eve".
Mine would probably be Paul Rudnick's play The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told. But you'd really have to be sure of your readers to avoid someone getting offended.
Kat - Jun 25, 2013 1:58:31 pm PDT #20959 of 28370
"I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret." Leigh Bardugo
I very much enjoyed When You Reach Me but not as much as I like her most recent book.