this question is impossible to answer. There is so rich literature out there. but if push comes to shove I will say swallows and amazons by Arthur Ransome
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I nearly forgot General Woundwort. A great villain. If young rabbits were bad they were told the General would get them. That was his epitath and one that would not displease him.
Houdini in Omaha
For myself I would choose Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes but for humanity? 1984. It is a cautionary tale without a shred of mercy.
Yeah, I'd probably have to go with that one, too. The allegory in it carries the exact poignancy the human race would need in a world without any other books (and, yes, I know Tolkien specifically intended LotR to not represent allegory...that's probably why it particularly excels at being such).
One thing's for damn sure--it wouldn't be the Bible or the Quran.
When you and Cordial Jim remember these books, could you forget all the elf, hobbit, wizard, dwarves, men, ents, orcs, trolls, wargs, dragons and Whitney Houston songs they sing throughout the book? If I had to listen to one more damn song, I was going to shove that ring up bilbo's bumhole.
I only felt that way about Tom Bombadill, the excision of whom was Peter Jackson's most inspired and well-reasoned directing decision.
Thought we were talking about the books, not the movies here? In the books, the stories and the songs are just to give a glimpse of the history of midgard. Never been such a big fan of the movies. And youre right... It is easy to get bored with whitney houston.
All seems a bit "My favourite author is Stephen King! What's that? Memorize a book for posterity, you say? Um...anything but stuff by Stephen King?"
I'd memorize two, just to show off.
(SK) Bag of Bones (which is a great story IMO) and (non-SK) The War of the Worlds.
I'd memorize two, just to show off.
(SK) Bag of Bones (which is a great story IMO) and (non-SK) The War of the Worlds.
All seems a bit "My favourite author is Stephen King! What's that? Memorize a book for posterity, you say? Um...anything but stuff by Stephen King?"
Well, nobody beats King for entertainment purposes, but "one book for all time" carries a lot of weight. It's kind of like, we all have our own personal favorite bands/singers and favorite albums/songs from them, but everyone on the planet knows, if we only get to keep one album for generations thousands of years from now to know us by, it's gotta be "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".
We are talking about the books. I listened to this on audio and whenever one of these characters sang, the narrator sang. And since we would be memorizing these books for oral history, it would have to be spoken/sang when related.
OK, i can see that getting a bit frustrating. Especially as they had to make up the melodies since they arent there. And likely very different too.
I love Pittsburgh ladies so much I married one
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Houdini in Omaha
NO! That's what was crazy. EVERY SINGLE TIME somebody sang, the narrator did the exact same cadence and tune! Drove me to the point of insane!
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne,
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
Houdini in Omaha