About Literature
May. 11th, 2011 04:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
birdienlI've finally finished the book I've been reading for the past three weeks: Knielen op een bed violen (translation: To kneel on a bed of pansies) by Jan Siebelink. The semi-autobiographical book, about the life of a man who comes under the influence of a strict protestant sect and the way this influences his company and the relationship with his wife and children, was a bestseller when it was first published in 2005. Because of it's content, it was also much discussed in Christian circles. I have been thinking about reading it a few years, mainly because so many of my friends talked about it. But to read this book, I had to overcome a big prejudice and a promise made to myself...
When I was in secondary school, ofcourse I had to read contemporary Dutch literature to write book reports about. I almost immediately started to dislike these books. Most of them were either depressive, vulgar or both. So I promised myself never again to read Dutch literature after I finished secondary school. And I never did for almost 10 years. But sometimes when you grow up, you've got to reconsider decision you made. I believed it would be well to test this decision again, so I read Knielen op een bed violen.
I was more able to appreciate the book than I would have been 10 years ago. Yes, it was depressive, even pitch-black in places and vulgar here and there. But it was also a moving story and well written. Still, it'll probably be a few years until I read another work of contemporary Dutch literature. It just costs lots of energy and time I'd much rather spent on reading books I can fully say I love. Why should literature always be a better choice than non-literature? (and what is the precise distinction anyway?) And if very clever people ask me what I read I can in all honesty say I read and enjoy literature (18 and 19 century British literature, yay!)
Anyway, onto something nicer about books (taken from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
caffeinatedlife ):
Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility. I looked it up and I used the same answer in a previous movie meme in which this question was asked ! Like Elinor, I'm a practical person, I'm not easily swept of my feet. Also, the character differences between Elinor and Marianne are rather similar to those between my sister and me.
Two quotes of Elinor I could also very well use in daily life:
I think it’s best not to hope too fervently for something that may never happen.
In such a case it is perhaps better to use one's head.
When I was in secondary school, ofcourse I had to read contemporary Dutch literature to write book reports about. I almost immediately started to dislike these books. Most of them were either depressive, vulgar or both. So I promised myself never again to read Dutch literature after I finished secondary school. And I never did for almost 10 years. But sometimes when you grow up, you've got to reconsider decision you made. I believed it would be well to test this decision again, so I read Knielen op een bed violen.
I was more able to appreciate the book than I would have been 10 years ago. Yes, it was depressive, even pitch-black in places and vulgar here and there. But it was also a moving story and well written. Still, it'll probably be a few years until I read another work of contemporary Dutch literature. It just costs lots of energy and time I'd much rather spent on reading books I can fully say I love. Why should literature always be a better choice than non-literature? (and what is the precise distinction anyway?) And if very clever people ask me what I read I can in all honesty say I read and enjoy literature (18 and 19 century British literature, yay!)
Anyway, onto something nicer about books (taken from
caffeinatedlife ):01. A fictional character you identify with and why01. A fictional character you identify with and why
02. Your earliest memory of reading or being read to
03. Your favourite book aged 9 ½, or 13 ¾, whichever you remember best.
04. The book that’s been on your shelves the longest.
05. A book you acquired in some interesting way
06. A book with a story for you, that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time).
07. What fictional character are you (secretly) in love with
08. The last book you acquired, and how (begged, bought, borrowed?)
09. Your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next.
10. What author do you own the most books by and why?
11. Do you own multiple copies of any book? What are they? Why do you have multiple copies?
12. Book borrowing – do you use the library? Do you prefer to try before you buy? What about lending your books to friends? Are you a good borrower, do you remember to return books?
13. Do you reread a lot? Why (not)? Name a book you have reread many times.
14. What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
15. Do you recommend books to other people? If you could force everyone you know to read one book, what would it be?
16. Adaptation: What book would you most like to see made into a film? Do you like to read the book first or see the film? Any books you have read after seeing the film version?
17. What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
18. Your favourite book series & your favourite book out of that series
19. Your favourite picture, junior fiction and Young Adult books
20. Least favourite plot device employed by way too many books you actually enjoyed otherwise
21. A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
22. Your "comfort" book
23. Favourite book cover including a picture!
24. Favourite fictional relationship (romantic, friendship, familial)
25. Most annoying character ever
26. Most quotable novel or 5 of your favourite quotes from any books.
27. Any five books from your "to be read" stack. What makes you select a book for your “to be read” stack?
28. Some firsts: First book you remember loving/being obsessed with. First book that made you cry. First book you gave to someone else as a gift.
29. Saddest character death OR best/most satisfying character death (or both!)
30. The End: do you prefer everything tied up or to be able to 'make up your own mind'? What is the worst ending to a book you have read? And the best? (careful, spoiler tags!)
Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility. I looked it up and I used the same answer in a previous movie meme in which this question was asked ! Like Elinor, I'm a practical person, I'm not easily swept of my feet. Also, the character differences between Elinor and Marianne are rather similar to those between my sister and me.
Two quotes of Elinor I could also very well use in daily life:
I think it’s best not to hope too fervently for something that may never happen.
In such a case it is perhaps better to use one's head.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-05-11 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 09:30 am (UTC)You could always shorten it, like you did at the Dickensblog!
no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 02:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-11 06:32 pm (UTC)I do know some nice Dutch literature authors, of whom I'd voluntarily read more books (Theo Thijssen and Cees Nooteboom). Those are the only two though from the list of Dutch literature books we could choose from in high school that I liked. When choosing books, I focused on the books having to do with history or taking place in the past. My mother said she didn't touch books for 10+ years after having to read 40+ books for Dutch... which is NOT good. So, I tried to read only books which had to do with history, as that was/is one of the topics I like to read about.
Still, my opinion of Dutch literature has not risen :P I did avoid all the "well-known famous" books, because I was pretty sure I wouldn't like them (and didn't want to spend my time reading them).
no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 09:32 am (UTC)That is such a pity that your mother was put of reading because of the %^&(* Dutch literature. I hope by now she's found out there's a lot of nice things to read as well?
no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 09:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-13 05:44 pm (UTC)Elinor is such a wonderful character :D