Australian Politics Forum - The greatest book ever

Lord Herbert Gold Member Offline Posts: 34441 Gender:	Re: The greatest book ever Reply #15 - Dec 8^th, 2016 at 5:03am Just about all of Dicken's books.
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issuevoter Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 9200 The Great State of Mind Gender:	Re: The greatest book ever Reply #16 - Dec 8^th, 2016 at 6:19am There are so many great books that I am unable to select one. It comes down to favourites, a concept I don't particularly care for in the arts.
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bogarde73

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Re: The greatest book ever
Reply #17 - Dec 8^th, 2016 at 7:07am

I see our small coterie of bibliophiles, we few, have trouble in nominating "the greatest" ie. one.

What does the "greatest" mean for me? If it meant the book I most enjoyed, then like issue voter I could not decide.
If it meant the "most significant", I'd first have to analyse "significant" by which time I'd probably have forgotten the question anyway.

But I guess I was thinking in terms of Herculean task which is why I thought of Domesday Book.
There are in fact two Domesday books, the one normally spoken about and the Little Domesday book, the scribe of which is fairly well agreed upon, but I've forgotten his name.
My reasons for considering it "the greatest" are:
1 it was a huge task, the like of which has never been replicated, carried out within about seven months, across a country of limited roads often barely passable
2 it was of practical use for several centuries as a source of information on land titles
3 at least one of the original copies still exists after nearly 1000 years
4 I just find it amazing that back in the middle of the 1080s such a task could have been envisaged and carried out

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Redmond Neck Gold Member Offline OzPolitic Posts: 21454 ACT Gender:	Re: The greatest book ever Reply #18 - Dec 8^th, 2016 at 8:17am Not a regular reader however did like "To Kill A Mockingbird"
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NorthOfNorth

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Re: The greatest book ever
Reply #19 - Dec 8^th, 2016 at 8:39am

bogarde73 wrote on Dec 8^th, 2016 at 7:07am:

But I guess I was thinking in terms of Herculean task which is why I thought of Domesday Book.

OK...

In that case, you would have needed to have defined "greatest" and "booK"...

While not detracting from the obvious fact of the Herculean effort required for its compilation, the Domesday "Book" is more usually characterised as a document or manuscript.

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issuevoter Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 9200 The Great State of Mind Gender:	Re: The greatest book ever Reply #20 - Dec 8^th, 2016 at 10:19am It seems that mainstream publishers consider the greatest book ever, to be the one that does not end up in the $5 chuck-out bin. Today, the best selling works are fantasy stories. Tells you where the readers are in the development of their overall perspective.
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bogarde73

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Re: The greatest book ever
Reply #21 - Dec 8^th, 2016 at 11:06am

On the other hand, if we didn't limit ourselves to one book, but say a collection or the works of one author, I'd probably plump for those works of Honore Balzac which are collectively know as The Human Comedy or Comedie Humaine I think it is.

I set myself the task once of reading them all but I never finished it, there are just so many books in it.

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bogarde73 Gold Member Offline Anti-Global & Contra Mundum Posts: 18443 Gender:	Re: The greatest book ever Reply #22 - Dec 8^th, 2016 at 11:08am Redmond Neck wrote on Dec 8^th, 2016 at 8:17am: Not a regular reader however did like "To Kill A Mockingbird" At least one American campus, Virginia I think, has now banned it as "racist"
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greggerypeccary Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 136043 Gender:	Re: The greatest book ever Reply #23 - Dec 8^th, 2016 at 11:19am bogarde73 wrote on Dec 8^th, 2016 at 11:08am: Redmond Neck wrote on Dec 8^th, 2016 at 8:17am: Not a regular reader however did like "To Kill A Mockingbird" At least one American campus, Virginia I think, has now banned it as "racist" One silly parent complained. The school hasn't banned it. They are discussing it.
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bogarde73 Gold Member Offline Anti-Global & Contra Mundum Posts: 18443 Gender:	Re: The greatest book ever Reply #24 - Dec 8^th, 2016 at 11:28am Your greatest book Greg?
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greggerypeccary Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 136043 Gender:	Re: The greatest book ever Reply #25 - Dec 8^th, 2016 at 11:45am bogarde73 wrote on Dec 8^th, 2016 at 11:28am: Your greatest book Greg? Very hard to choose just one. The Grapes of Wrath The Catcher in the Rye The Bible These three works of fiction all immediately come to mind, but I don't think I could name just one. I'll meditate on it, and get back to you.
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bogarde73 Gold Member Offline Anti-Global & Contra Mundum Posts: 18443 Gender:	Re: The greatest book ever Reply #26 - Dec 8^th, 2016 at 11:49am I'm no Bible scholar but I wouldn't categorise it totally as a work of fiction. From my limited knowledge, I'd say it does present as good an account as you could get, if you add the findings of archaeology, of the history of a people and their times.
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greggerypeccary

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Re: The greatest book ever
Reply #27 - Dec 8^th, 2016 at 12:15pm

bogarde73 wrote on Dec 8^th, 2016 at 11:49am:

I'm no Bible scholar but I wouldn't categorise it totally as a work of fiction.
From my limited knowledge, I'd say it does present as good an account as you could get, if you add the findings of archaeology, of the history of a people and their times.

Considering I've never seen any credible evidence that shows anything to the contrary, I consider it a work of fiction.

Albeit, a very good piece of fiction.

I think I will stick with The Grapes of Wrath, though.

That's the one book I can read over and over again.

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Postmodern Trendoid III Gold Member Offline Posts: 10259 Gender:	Re: The greatest book ever Reply #28 - Dec 8^th, 2016 at 1:29pm Am I missing something with Catcher in the Rye? I couldn't get half way through it. Quite boring. Wouldn't 1984 be near the top? Orwell's descriptions of 'thought crime', newspeak and doublespeak are so prevalent now, I often wonder if it was a politics manual.
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Postmodern Trendoid III Gold Member Offline Posts: 10259 Gender:	Re: The greatest book ever Reply #29 - Dec 8^th, 2016 at 1:30pm Orwell took his cue from the Soviets, so we know where today's trendies get it from.
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