You’re stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?
Like qB, I haven’t read the book, assuming it’s a book – but I understand that the question actually means If you had to memorise a book, which book would you memorise?
From a lazy perspective, and that usually is my perspective, I’d say Julius Caesar, since I memorised it once already. Only, I further understand that the idea is to memorise a book that you wouldn’t like to see lost to humanity, so I’d have to say Wuthering Heights. I expect it is terribly cliched to choose a Bronte novel, but there you are. Wuthering Heights really shouldn’t be lost to humanity.
Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?
Well, there’s Heathcliff. Biggles (and his co-pilots). Aragorn. Ged. The Amazons (I know they were girls, but the Swallows were so wet). Oh, any rescuing hero, you can bet I would’ve had a crush on him. The somewhat darker, tragic heros were the ones I liked; none of yer Darcys for me, apart from Laurence in Little Women, but he was artistic. And totally gay, I should think. Owen Meany, I’m afraid. Endless, endless list; impossible to name them all.
The last book you bought is?
The Rough Guide to New York, wither I head in May. But I think I’m supposed to be telling you about fiction, in which case it’s The World According To Garp, which was 20p in the library sale. Bargain. Libraries are ace, and I will have to go back there soon, as my to-read pile is all but empty again.
What are you currently reading?
See last question. Both of those, and No Logo by Naomi Klein.
Five books you would take to a deserted island:
1. Midnight’s Children, which I keep meaning to read again.
2. The Lord of the Rings; I don’t remember how many times I’ve read it, but I’m sure it’s good for a few more.
3. A Jane Austen anthology, because that would last me ages.
4. The Northern Lights trilogy. Definitely one to re-read, because it had so many levels and I’m bound to have missed a few.
5. Brewer’s Phrase & Fable, because assuming there’s no internet connection on the island, this is the next best thing for browsing.
It really depends how long I’m going to be on the deserted island, of course, but if we’re just talking holiday reading, I’d probably pack something quite light that I hadn’t read yet.
Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why?
Pete – because I always want to know what he’s thinking [insert winky icon]
Dr Pockless – because he reads the best books, and he gives me the best books as presents.
Mr AdHoc – because I have no idea what he reads, but he writes very well, so it’s safe to assume that he reads very well.

Book #17
An Equal Music, by Vikram Seth
At first I thought this was pretentious, verbose rubbish, all arty-farty music-loving claptrap of the wrong sort, and very slow to get going. I almost didn’t perservere with it, but then it started to get interesting, and I began to care about the pathetically tragic hero and his two main crises; namely his doomed attempt at reviving an ancient love affair with a hopelessly afflicted musician; and the potential loss of his beloved violin.
If you have a good technical understanding of string quartets, you will be able to appreciate this book much more than I did; I was forced to skim occasional passages where Seth’s first person narrator started to blather on in fragmented sentences about the sound of the larks, blah blah blah.
I expect that proper literary critics will have made use of some sort of orchestral analogy when reviewing this book, with its pianissimo start and its dramatic crescendo. Unfortunately that’s all the music words I can think of, woefully ignorant of Bach and Schubert, and still slightly under the impression that a viola is smaller than a violin, as I am. The proper critics will certainly have used the word beautiful, and in places it is frustratingly so.
There are some particularly pleasant scenes set in Venice, and in these parts it is easier to relate to the passionate writing about music. From Venice onwards, the novel becomes absorbingly gripping, but is never quite sad enough to move me to tears.
3/5

Actor Christopher Eccleston has quit as Doctor Who after just one episode of the new series has been screened, the BBC has confirmed.

Shame that. I thought he was quite good. Read all about it.