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The last book to burn


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 A french author Frédéric Beigbeder recently published Premier bilan après l'Apocalypse, ( first look back after the apocalypse) 

in this book he gives a list of his 100 favorites books, calling the number one, the last book to burn, the book that HAS to survive,even if all the other burn. 

 

For him it's American Psycho de Bret Easton Ellis.

 

What do you think of that idea?

Could you choose a book among all others to be the last one?

 

What would be, for you, the book that must survive the apocalypse?

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American Psycho would be one of the first on the fire for me, just after Tess by Thomas Hardy.

 

The one I would preserve would be Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada although choosing to save just one book is harsh because there are so many great books.

Edited by Brian.
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For me, Federico Moccia's books MUST be burn. He is an italian "author", his stories are stupid and insificant, and all emulate each other.

 

I couldn't say it better, Many!! He's not even a writer, he's just a person who use words to earn money, giving thousands of teenagers terrible stories.

But I'm not too sure which book I would absolutely save, they are too much to pick only one out. I'll think about it and then I'll let you all know.

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Ok, I think I got it. I definitely would save If this is a man by Primo Levi. It's a cruel description of humanity in the inhumanity of the concentration camp of Auschwitz. It's harsh but, as Philip Roth said, this is "one of the century's truly necessary books".

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I couldn't say it better, Many!! He's not even a writer, he's just a person who use words to earn money, giving thousands of teenagers terrible stories.

But I'm not too sure which book I would absolutely save, they are too much to pick only one out. I'll think about it and then I'll let you all know.

 

TRUE STORY. i would kill him whith my hands! ahahahah

 

Ok, I think I got it. I definitely would save If this is a man by Primo Levi. It's a cruel description of humanity in the inhumanity of the concentration camp of Auschwitz. It's harsh but, as Philip Roth said, this is "one of the century's truly necessary books".

 

 I also would save if this is a man, it's a book that everyone should read in their life. 

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I think mine would have to be The Sleepless Moon by H E Bates (or any of his books actually) - such a wonderful writer.  The first books on the heap would be Dan Brown ones :smile:

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American Psycho would be one of the first on the fire for me, just after Tess by Thomas Hardy.

 

The one I would preserve would be Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada although choosing to save just one book is harsh because there are so many great books.

I'll throw a bit more gas on the fire right after you throw it in, just to be sure it burns

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  • 4 weeks later...

American Psycho would be one of the first on the fire for me, just after Tess by Thomas Hardy.

 

The one I would preserve would be Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada although choosing to save just one book is harsh because there are so many great books.

 I would throw all of Thomas Hardy's books on!

I think the last book to go would have to be Anne of Green Gables as it has so many memories of my childhood.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Germans and burning books.... not a welcome activity at all.

 

Nevertheless I wouldn´t hesitate to throw Friedrich Schiller´s Maria Stuart on a burning pile (of course I would, it´s a shame to burn decent books, which this indisputable is). However my dislike for this book most certainly derives from the forced read I had to do in German class.

 

On the topic of the most worthy book of not burning I can't decide. I vary between Fight Club and 1984. I think, Fight Club is in the lead.

 

To all the books mentioned and still to be mentioned to ignite last: I think there are going to be some nice inspirations on what to read next. Keep it up :)

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All books of Agatha Christie are enjoyable so they would be the last ones I'd burn! I just love her :D. There's a book called Wake of an author called Lisa Macmann...I don't know and I don't want to know LOL. Anyway, I just hated that book...BLEEEH! x_x'

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  • 6 months later...

 

On the topic of the most worthy book of not burning I can't decide. I vary between Fight Club and 1984. I think, Fight Club is in the lead.

Thinking about reading American Psycho next, but jeez, this thread is harsh lol I agree with Tobi, I'd save 1984, hands down.

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Only one book left?  That cuts into the very fabric of what defines us as human.  It would have to be something big. Of what I've read, or at least partially read, it would probably have to be JM Roberts's History of the World.  or possibly Peter Watson's two volume History of Ideas (i.e. Ideas: A History, and Terrible Beauty, in one volume!):

 

If only in terms of fiction?  I haven't a clue.  To Kill A Mocking Bird ?  It may not be quite my favourite fiction (although it's up there), but it has a huge amount to say (positively!) about humanity.  So much other 'important' fiction seems to concentrate on the negative aspects, and I've only got one to read!  Perhaps The Canterbury Tales ?  Humanity in its full variety!

Edited by willoyd
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Orwell's 1984 is a good choice, I must say. Especially now in the technological era. It's so easy for a state to listen in on people's conversations or read them. You can see everything someone does on the computer and you can easily freeze someone bank account. 

 

But I could also go with something in the genre of philosophy. Like Plato. 

 

I would never say the Bible. Why? Because religion is all due to where you were born & raised, really. If I was born in India, I'd probably be part of hinduism, and not question that. And if I was born in China, I'd probably be a buddhist and not question that. So I don't give much for religion, other than I think it's very personal and should not be decided for you. Christianity may be the biggest religion in the world, but it's still "only" 2 billion christians in the world out of the world's 7 billion people. 

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Funny how so many would save 1984. If restricted to one book being left, it certainly wouldn't be such a blackly dystopian view on the world. The world may turn out like that eventually, but would I actually want to read about it to the exclusion of everything else even then, however great?  No thank you!

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  • 2 weeks later...

 A french author Frédéric Beigbeder recently published Premier bilan après l'Apocalypse, ( first look back after the apocalypse) 

in this book he gives a list of his 100 favorites books, calling the number one, the last book to burn, the book that HAS to survive,even if all the other burn. 

 

For him it's American Psycho de Bret Easton Ellis.

 

What do you think of that idea?

Could you choose a book among all others to be the last one?

 

What would be, for you, the book that must survive the apocalypse?

 

I'd put American Psycho in my last ten to burn :)  Last book to burn would either be Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (which would be quite appropriate given the question), or Emma by Jane Austen.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think I would make the last book to burn something long as it is going to have to keep me occupied again and again for a very long time, and if it's too short I will need to read it several times a week!  :D Something like Gone With the Wind, or The Lord of the Rings; nothing I can make any claim for its intellectual merits, just a good long story that will bear many re-readings and could be read out loud to entertain others maybe?

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