who was it who said, "we read to know we're not alone"? i have wept so many times reading passages that spoke to my heart, that spoke of the essence of life, that told me i was not alone.YF wrote:When I first read this I was going through a broken heart (many years ago) this passage in particular seemed to capture everything I felt -- I must have read it 1000 times. Although it may seem depressing, reading it somehow gave me much needed company at the time. I knew I was not the only one who had felt like this--surely Goethe had felt this as well.
My idea of Heathcliff is a raw elemental force, wild as the typhoon, and just as uncontrollable. In other words, the perfect Gothic hero. I can't for the life of me see Cliff Richards as Heathcliff either, unless we're talking about the cartoon catBubbs wrote: Heathcliff needs to be dark with mad black brooding eyes. Tall and slim, but not thin, arrogant and hateful and dour. But someone you can relate to anyway, even though you wish him to be haunted forever. I cannot think at the moment who would be perfect to play him as he is such a 'large' character.
Interesting recommendations. Rob, is it okay if we sidetrack and talk about books we enjoyed the most instead? I don't think it's possible to narrow down on a single passage when it comes to a great book because we'd spoilt for choice.Bubbs wrote:The only book I've ever read which made me physically sob was 'I Dreamed Of Africa' by Kuki Gallman.
It is not a patch on the film, if you've seen it, and almost made me take up my pen and write to her. She is a brave and fantastic woman.
The part which made me upset was when she held her young teenage son in her arms as he was dying from a snakebite and he says, 'Mamma, mi mouro' (sic) (It may not have been that spelling, but similar words, I read this book many years ago) Which must mean, in Italian, 'Mother, I'm dying'....it sounds very sickly til you realise that this is a true story.
The film did the book no favours and I advise people to read it. Also, a book by Patrick Suskind called Perfume, which is weird beyond belief but has some of the most beautiful descriptions of smells and perfume making, it's incredible how someone can be so damned clever with words.
Anyway, I could go on and on and on about books and poetry etc, but that's enough from me I think...well, for the moment anyway.
So there's where it came from! I'm not religious but trust me on this, you're not done with Donne till you've finished his Holy Sonnetsbanana wrote:A man expressing stronger love for God than pussy? Ironic wouldn't be the word I'd use.
Holy Sonnets XIV is beyond my knowledge of Donne. The passage came from the opening of Neil Gaiman's Stardust.
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