Crossdressers-Haven.com

...and it's called "Acute Chronic Bibliophilia."

Hi all,

I've been spending the last couple of days paring down my bookshelves, trying to make some space in this two-bedroom apartment. So far, I've filled up five large boxes with books to give away. My heart is breaking. I love books. Too damn much, it seems. I'm an inveterate yet unrepentant bibliophile. I'm one sick puppy.

Now, let me turn this into another "desert island" thread. I've searched through the forum but couldn't find a thread about our "absolute must" lists of desert island books. I'm sure there's probably one buried in the forum archives somewhere but no matter; tastes change with time, anyway.

Several years ago, when I left everything behind, here in Montreal, to go live in British-Columbia, I had only my (admittedly full and heavy) backpack with me. The pack contained, amongst other things, close to twenty books I couldn't live without. I have no idea what possessed me to believe that these books couldn't be found in a large city such as Vancouver or even Victoria but, there it is. I guess I didn't want to take the chance. But that's neither here nor there.

This time around, as I reorganize my bookshelves, I'm pulling out a dozen books that would absolutely, categorically have to follow me (no doubt in a watertight, sealed wooden crate) to my shipwreck home. Here are the books, with a short explanation or reason given for their inclusion on the list.

1. The Norton Shakespeare, Based on the Oxford Edition

This mammoth tome (hardcover, three inches thick, 3,420 rice-paper thin pages) is one of the most expensive books I own. But that's not why I'd bring it with me. I'd drag it along with me because, finally, finally! I'd have time to read the complete works of Shakespeare. Maybe even twice. There's so much in the Bard's writing that speaks to what is most human in us all--for better or for worse--that I couldn't pass up the necessity of being reminded, while alone on a desert isle, that this, a human being, is what I am.

2. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary

3. Le Nouveau Dictionnaire de Français Larousse

These two books (again, massive hardcover tomes ) I would bring for several reasons, not the least of which is that they would serve as silent interlocutors, as mute but erudite partners, in conversations I would have with myself. It's very pleasant to--like the French 19th century poet Beaudelaire--"know the language of flowers and of silent things," but there's no way that would be enough for me. I'm a creature of the "word"; I sometimes feel like my whole being is structured around language and thought. I'd go mad if I couldn't talk to my dictionaries. Another reason to bring those two books along: to look up words while I'm writing, duh! I've got it all figured out: like a Tibetan Buddhist monk who spends days on end creating an intricate mandala in the sand only to completely erase it once it's done, I'd write in the sand on the beach with a sturdy twig and watch the tides carry my thoughts out to sea every day with no regrets. I'd just want to make sure that I'm spelling words correctly and that I'm using them well.

4. The Iliad by Homer

5. The Odyssey by Homer

In both cases, the Robert Fagles translations. I'd bring these just to remind me of my own heritage as someone of European descent. The Iliad is the most powerful and moving tragedy I know. I would pore over the story of Achilles over and over again simply in order to be reminded that a great downfall follows from a great anger. Although the opportunities for hubris are somewhat limited on a desert island, being stranded and alone can lead someone to greatly exaggerate her own importance in the scheme of things. I wouldn't want that. The Odyssey I'd read for the simple pleasure of following wise Ulysses in his travels and adventures while allowing myself to fantasize what it would feel like to wave the sorceress Circe goodbye.

6. The Chronicles of Narnia

For obvious reasons. Not that I'd go about my island hunting for a wardrobe, mind you. My own mind ought to be wardrobe enough.

7. The Harper Collins NRSV Study Bible

Another massive hardcover tome. No, I'm not a Christian (nor am I Jewish) but this book contains so many different texts--from myths and love poems to ethical diatribes and metaphysical homilies--that I would surely, somewhere within its pages, find some solace and comfort in the face of my unenviable plight. I suspect the Book of Job would have its pages well and truly dog-eared. Also, the Bible is another one of those cultural pillars propping up the civilization I'd have left behind. I'd want to be reminded of that world, however much I may have a spiritual disagreement with some of the Bible's contents.

8. The Hackett Complete Works of Plato

What is it with this fetish I seem to have for huge hardcover books? The writings of Plato and the teachings of Socrates spread across 1,808 pages? I'm in. I'd bring this one along just to help me remember how to think clearly. If, while gazing at a sunset--when the wide ocean wants to swallow the lonely ball of the sun--I feel an episode of self-pity coming on, I'd turn to the master and see what ol' Socrates has to say about courage and virtue and moral strength.

9. The Harvard Classics Edition of the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius and the Manual of Epictetus

In my circumstances, I'd no doubt need to re-learn the meaning of equanimity and steadfastness in the face of adversity. So, I'm stuck on a desert island? Is there anything I can do about this at the moment? No? Then what use is there in whining? I'd put my energies to better use by going hunting for coconuts and a spot in the shade.

10. World Poetry: An Anthology of Verse from Antiquity to Our Time

Another tome. From ancient Akkadian and Sumerian poems "penned" anonymously to Armand Schwerner's "Tablet XXVI," this 1,338-page volume would allow me to hear just how rich and beautiful the human voice and the human heart can be. The very last line of the very last poem in the book: "...he will surely never die. / The world is made of his voice." Yes, indeed. Just like my own world, on a desert isle, would be made of my voice.

11. The Body Electric: America's Best Poetry from The American Poetry Review

Sorry, but this is another 820+ pages hardcover. I'd bring it with me for pretty much the same reasons as the one above it in the list; just to hear other human beings talk and sing to me. Also, in a world that now consisted of palm fronds, pebbles, insects, and grass, I'd want to be reminded of the kind of place I left behind. Such a place can be found within the pages of this anthology of resolutely modern and postmodern verse.

12. Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy

This one's easy. I'd have it with me and I'd read it over an over, just to be reminded that there's more than one way to tell the human tale. There's the tale of beauty and of art. There's the tale of the spirit and of the soul. And then there's the tale of the mind. Russell does it some justice in this book and obviously takes great pleasure in the telling of it.

Well, there you have it. My own personal Canon of desert island vade mecums. Now, back to the task at hand. Let's see if I can donate another three boxes, at least.

Love,
CJ

Dear CJ: I too have a lot of books (and more come in all the time). CD's (I am a music journalist, and write over 40 CD reviews a year), and DVD's too.
My ONE bedroom apartment is pretty stuffed!
It's comparatively easy to get rid of outdated magazines and newspapers, much harder to part with books and CD's.
If I was forced into making a decision about keeping just a small number of books, what would they be??-- Well, let's see--
a. Far and away-- #1 my several editions of LORD OF THE RINGS I have the edition my mother bought for me 30 years ago, and two other special editions-- one with great illustrations by English artist Allan Lee) 2. a book about Hingham, MA where I lived from Kindergarten through 7th grade; autographed by the author who passed away some time ago 3. my grandmother's high school book (which includes entries in her own hand writing).
b. high school yearbooks
c. ELECTRIC MUSE (four essays tracing the history of British folk and folk-rock; originally published in 1975).
d. CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSE (bought for me when I was very young by my grandmother or parents).
These are not books I dip into frequently, but they are probably my most cherished.
I have many books on music, political/environmental issues, films and the film industry, and a number of comic book histories. It would be hard to part with those, but I'll simply repeat that the items in the short list above are my MOST cherished.
Choosing just a few CD's would be almost impossible-- maybe we'll save that for another time (another thread?)
Peace-- Kendra Lynn ("hippie cheerleader").

Hi Fellow Bibliomaniac CJ,

I can discard or give away or throw out anything I own - except for books. It is a physical pang of pain to get rid of a book - even a paperback. After my wife died (12 years ago), and she was also a bibliophile, I sold our house and moved into a much smaller condo. I had to get rid of books. But try to find a good home for a 20 year old biology college textbook, or a tattered, yellowed paperback of John Reed's "Ten Days that Shook the World". I did find a home for several liquor boxes full of LP records - our local library has a music archive.

I still have an overload of books in my condo apartment, and I would be tortured to make a list of the one's I could not live without. There are a few on your list that I might include on mine, but it is difficult to decide on which to choose: those to read for pleasure or to consult for reference. The latter function could be served by a computer with access to Google. That desert island must have WiFi.

BTW, I recently purchased a hard copy edition of the 1926 John Reed book - only $10! Still a great read.

Love from one bookworm to another,

Lydia

I reckon I'd hold onto all the early westerns written by J.T. Edson, as they are a rare find.

And the Time Life collection of Louis L'Amour westerns, which were my dads beffore his passing.

So the books. I find it hard to throw those away also.

Well in this list, I am a language nerd, as a certain mod already knows... SO....

Concise French dictionary - Tho not a formal course in French, it has a LOT of examples of not only words and usage but how to create formal papers, like a mini-course in technical French. I have relied on it many times.

French Grammar - Something else to help me learn more...

La mystère de la chambre jaune - A good story with French verb tenses that one doesn't find too often nowadays.

Better reading French - Uses plenty of both old and new French, and has some interesting reading and trivia about French history and modern subjects.

Bedford handbook - This one is about English grammar. I use it when I run into a grammar question that I just cannot figure out otherwise.

I guess none of these would help my hearing and speaking but I would be able to read and write French like no one's business.

Well, I hate to admit it, as it may tell too much about this girl, but I like the "Bathroom" books edition. Don't get too mad at me. I would think you ladies were familiar with them. There are three editions so far and they simply take "things" like most of the books you have mentioned, speeches, theories, ideas, etc., and condense them down to a paragraph upto a couple of pages.

Please, it is not that I don't like to read or am lazy, but with all the modern, time saving conveniences we have at our finger tips, I can "read" three books while my nails are drying. Maybe it is just a different means to an end, huh? Anyway, I have all the "ladies" mags to read too, Vogue, Cosmo, Elle, to keep up on the latest make-up and fashions!

Read on ladies.

Love ya,

Virginia

Hi all,

Hey, Virginia, I love Uncle John's quirky books! I actually always try to have one laying around somehwere in the, uh, bathroom.

Love,
CJ

I've never heard of bathroom books. Have I led a very sheltered life?

As much as I love reading, I'm not worried about keeping books after I've
read them. Of course, I do have old books about the place but a lot are packed away and never looked at due to lack of space. As long as I have something new to read I'm happy I don't feel attached to any particular book so much that I have to keep it and I could name a few books that have had a big impact on my life. (fiction and non-fiction) I just don't revisit old books, I don't know why, it just doesn't feel right to me. I think I might be scared that they won't live up to my memory of them, just as revisiting an old film can often spoil the memory too. I could list a lot of favourites but I don't need to have them anymore, just the memory of them

So...my desert island books would be my collection of books that I have but haven't found the time to read! That is exciting and also frustrating as I have so many great books here waiting to be read. I love the anticipation of reading a really good book

Love,
Curly

I'm not one to part with books. Most of mine are of a technical nature, though - programming and mathematics, mainly. I keep them for reference. If someone absconds with them, I tend not to let the matter pass.

-Celia

at over 4000 and counting

I LOVE my books - aint no one going to take them away from me

They are being recycled by my children now

Susan

Great thread CJ. I am in awe of the quality of your choices. My desert island library as follows:-

‘Dancers at the end of Time’ by Michael Moorcock.
I don’t know what it was about this book, the notion of a romantic science fiction novel I guess, I first read it over 30 years ago.

‘The Foundation Trilogy’ by Isaac Asimov.
Another science fiction classic series from the days of my youth, sitting at home reading instead of going out kicking footballs around with the boys.

‘The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ – A trilogy in four volumes by Douglas Adams.
Hmmm, bit of a sci-fi theme building up here,. It’s taken me a long time to really know where my towel is but I think I’m getting there now!

‘The Lord of the Rings’ by J.R.R. Tolkien.
It’s been on my bookshelf for more years than I care to remember, an absolute must in my mind.

‘The Austin Seven Source Book’ by Freddie Henry and Brian Purves.
More than 500 pages of this great British car, I’ve owned 4 of them in various states of disrepair the earliest being a 1927 ‘Chummy’ tourer which I actually had street legal and was a delight to look at but a devil to drive.

The complete works of Terry Pratchett, continuously updated with new volumes delivered by any passing Albatross - Paperback editions of course to save weight.

I would also add a couple of weighty tomes of music manuscripts and a ‘teach yourself to read music’ book to while the time away on my island, where I can play my squeeze-box in peace learning new tunes and making a heck of a noise without disturbing the neighbours.

Kay

Kay wrote:Great thread CJ. I am in awe of the quality of your choices. My desert island library as follows:-

‘Dancers at the end of Time’ by Michael Moorcock.
I don’t know what it was about this book, the notion of a romantic science fiction novel I guess, I first read it over 30 years ago.

‘The Foundation Trilogy’ by Isaac Asimov.
Another science fiction classic series from the days of my youth, sitting at home reading instead of going out kicking footballs around with the boys.

‘The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ – A trilogy in four volumes by Douglas Adams.
Hmmm, bit of a sci-fi theme building up here,. It’s taken me a long time to really know where my towel is but I think I’m getting there now!

‘The Lord of the Rings’ by J.R.R. Tolkien.
It’s been on my bookshelf for more years than I care to remember, an absolute must in my mind.

‘The Austin Seven Source Book’ by Freddie Henry and Brian Purves.
More than 500 pages of this great British car, I’ve owned 4 of them in various states of disrepair the earliest being a 1927 ‘Chummy’ tourer which I actually had street legal and was a delight to look at but a devil to drive.

The complete works of Terry Pratchett, continuously updated with new volumes delivered by any passing Albatross - Paperback editions of course to save weight.

I would also add a couple of weighty tomes of music manuscripts and a ‘teach yourself to read music’ book to while the time away on my island, where I can play my squeeze-box in peace learning new tunes and making a heck of a noise without disturbing the neighbours.

Kay

Dear Kay

I am also a lifetime fan of Science Fiction and Fantasy

Here is my choice of Desert Island books (single books not series that would have sunk the ship) Only the first three are in order.

! ... Tiger! Tiger! (aka The Stars My Destination) by Alfred Bester (no not the B5 psycop) If you have read it you won't have forgotten it and if you haven't - what a treat you have coming!

2 ... Dune by Frank Herbert

3 ... The Lord of The Rings by J.R.R Tokien

4 ... Hiero's Journey by Sterling E Lanier.

5 ... Anything by Eric Frank Russell but if you were to pin me down I would have to take Next of Kin

6 ... The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman. A classic account of the events of August 1914

7 ... A good star atlas

8 ... The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

9 ... A one volume enclopeadia

10 .. The Witches of Karres by James H Schmidz. I read it to my children and they still love it.

So many more I have left out but I could survive with just these.

Susan

I'd bring my laptop, a solar/wind generator to charge, and a satellite uplink. Then I could have all of the books music movies & games I want.

Paper objects? That is like so last millennium.

Hi all,

A star atlas! ::CJ knocks herself on the forehead:: Now, why didn't I think of that? That's a great idea! Okay, I'll drop the Bible and take the atlas.

A laptop and a working satellite uplink to a shipwreck island, eh, Violet? I think you need a vacation, dear. Like maybe to Regina or something. Then again, if I were in your shoes, and assuming I got all that electronics working, I'd just surf on over to the National Coast Guard web page and tell them to home in on my GPS and come get me the hell off this island. Really, when you think about it, it's not paper that's so last millenium; it's being marooned. For me, there's something sad about that, I guess. It's almost impossible these days to pull a stunt like Henry David Thoreau did and just, you know, retreat from the world. "The world is too much with us," and all that.

Kay, Susan,

Yep, a lifetime "alternative lit" fan here, too. My first love was dark fantasy--what they used to call "horror fiction." The first book I ever read (purchased with my weekly allowance loot) was Stephen King's Salem's Lot (a title I still own two mint first edition copies of--for sentimental reasons, I guess). About the same time, I read Carl Sagan's Cosmic Connection. It's this book, more than any other, that's responsible for sending me down the road to science fiction, a genre I'm still in love with today (just finished reading MIchael Crichton's Prey).

For some reason, though--and aside from Lewis' Narnia--I wouldn't have fantasy or science fiction with me on a deserted island. I guess I'd maybe write my own in the sand. Something like--with a tip of my hand-woven straw hat in Harlan Ellison's direction--"I Have No Boat And I Must Row."

Love,
CJ