Saturday 18 January 2014

One sentence life lessons from literature


Anyone who knows me knows I'm a book nerd, so when I come across random posts like this http://bookriot.com/2013/12/27/30-one-sentence-lessons-literature/ I immediately want to contribute with some of my own.

The Book Riot lesson that most got me chuckling was

"20. Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy: Just when you thought that life couldn’t get any more unfair, you read Tess and lost any last shred of hope."

Anyone who's read Tess knows that life just really kicks her in the nuts. Repeatedly. Just because she wants to be an honest person. It's an amazing novel.

Dracula is another of my favourite novels; Book Riot life lesson from Dracula is "If you have a choice between Count Dracula’s castle and the Holiday Inn, stay at the Holiday Inn." I actually think I can do better, the life lesson I can take away is - "Men, do not leave your lady folk sleeping alone while you go out and hunt vampires- they will be preyed upon".

Anyway, I got caught up in this game from that point, and here's a few more of my own life lessons from literature whittled down to a sentence.

Captain Corelli's Mandolin by  Louis de Bernières: Dudes, learn an instrument, chicks dig musicians.

Charlotte's Web by EB White: Don't make friends with animals that only have a one year life span; you'll get hurt.

Maya by Jostein Gaarder: Learning a secret language in order to cheat at cards is easier than it seems.

Children of Men, Oryx and Crake, and other dystopian/end of humanity novels: Keep plenty of canned food in your pantry- when the world's population dives into anarchy, chances are someone will come searching through your house, and thank you for these stores.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck: DON'T name your children after biblical figures with tragic stories, it's a self fulfilling prophecy, really.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: DO name your children after Atticus Finch; they will grow up to be the noblest, most ethical person ever!

I could go on and on, but I won't. Happy reading!