Reader Neil Vogler passed along a recent Guardian post about the number of authors who are auctioning off the chance to name a character in one of their novels.
This sparked Neil’s idea for today’s You Tell Me: if you could inhabit any book, which would you choose?
I’d go with THE GREAT GATSBY. No! THE SUN ALSO RISES. No! HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY.
What about you?
Joel Q says
I'm named after a book of the Bible. Does that count?
Alan Orloff says
The Hobbit.
As long as I was one of the good guys!
Eric says
Not "The Road".
DeborahB says
Oh, yeah, Galaxy, or if not that, then the lead dog in "Fool On The Hill". and, while I'm on here, your last post–the Llama one, I didn't know much about you(even though I'd read all your bio-info) but those pictures and what you did down in South America made me a fan for life. If I ever get one of my books in progress in agent form, I hope you want to read it, just so I can meet you. I'm going to look into that Travelocity trip idea.
Thanks,
DeborahB
Kiersten says
You've got to admit, the Harry Potter world would be a blast.
Mira says
Harry Potter world. If I were a wizard.
I'm not sure about how I feel about the auction thing. It's a great idea in terms of charity. But it does lend some…..feelings about the integrity of a work.
That said, I'll be posting here tomorrow. I'm auctioning off the chance to be named in my post.
It will not go for charity, because Mama (that would be me) needs a new set of wheels. My car is perfectly fine, I just want a new one.
Bidding starts at $10,000 (ice-blue sports car, those things are so over-priced). Let me know. For 20,000, I'll name you in two posts.
Natalie says
I'd only want to be in a book if I was a very minor character. So minor that no one would kill me and nothing bad would happen to me like the main characters.
If that was so, I'm all for Harry Potter as well.
Anonymous says
The Lord of the Rings.
Serenity Bohon says
I just did a post similar to this, after reading THE EYRE AFFAIR. I'd like to be in any book by L.M. Montgomery. I'm writing about her today too – she's one of my favorite themes.
Sarah Laurenson says
I've always wanted to swing a sword around. But kill someone? Hm. Sort of goes against everything I believe in considering I'm vegan and won't even kill bugs. But I read about killing people all the time! Hm.
Not Harry Potter – no more teenage angst for me – at least not where I have to experience it directly.
I think I'll just be happy to write since I'm in all of my characters in one way or another.
DJRM says
The Count of Monte Cristo. (But I should probably learn to speak French first.)
Dawn Maria says
SENSE & SENSIBILITY so I could be rude guest at a dinner party hosted by Fanny Dashwood.
Any book in the HAN SOLO TRILOGY so I could have some quality time (IYKWIM) before Princess Leia sinks her claws into him.
But not necessarily in that order.
Joi says
The book world of the Thursday Next novels. But then, sometimes I feel like I live there already.
Apart from that, either Wrinkle In Time, John Stoddard's The High House, or Garth Nix's Abhorsen Trilogy.
Deaf Indian Muslim Anarchist! says
nah… not a novel. I wanna be in a Diablo Cody-written, Jason Reitman-directed SCREENPLAY.
Lois Peterson says
Kingfishers Catch Fire by Rumer Godden. To live in the Kashmir, inside the covers of an elegantly written book.
Jordan McCollum says
You were right the first time, Nathan! I'd be in the Great Gatsby.
Oh wait. . . .
Bill Blair says
Marijuana horticulture's bible. Smoke everyday!
rndrum says
I wouldn't mind being in the world of Christopher Priest's "The Prestige." Even knowing how the illusions work, it would be nice to see the spectacle of the New Transported Man.
dan powell says
How about Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' Trilogy…..that way you could find out what your daemon really is.
Matilda McCloud says
I think I'd like to walk through a wardrobe and spend the day in Narnia: maybe eat Turkish delight and meet Aslan (during one of the peaceful periods when the White Witch isn't around).
FictionGroupie says
I think if you're going to get the chance to be in a book, you might as well go for a world totally different from your own. A Wrinkle in Time or The Chronicles of Narnia.
brian_ohio says
Captain Underpants and the Perlious Plot of Professor Poopypants.
susiej says
Definitely NOT Lord of the Flies or anything written by Steinbeck.
As a teen I would have said LOTR hands down, but now I think I agree with Dawn Maria- I'd like to be the mistress of an estate like Pemberly. (as long as my privileges would extend to really easy childbirths and fabulously healthy children.)
Bane of Anubis says
Think I'd go w/ any of Eddings books from The Elenium — be one of Sparhawk's blithe sidekicks and get to maul some baddies, too 🙂
HP or Narnia works, too.
Tee says
I just finished Updike's "Couples." NOT THAT.
If we're sticking to well-known literary fiction, I'd pick Homer's "Odyssey" or Twain's "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."
Mike Harris-Stone says
Err, have you ever read "The Kugelmass Episode" by Woody Allen? In it a professor has an affair with Emma Bovary by being projected into the book. You can actually read the entire story here: http://www.woddyallen.art.pl/eng/kugelmass_episode.php.
It's hilarious. Especially the ending.
Dawn VanderMeer says
One of the Harry Potter novels, but nobody who gets killed. Or even bruised.
Dawn Maria, have you heard about SENSE AND SENSIBILITY AND SEA MONSTERS? I just read about it in PW Daily. I assume you want to be in the original version. 🙂
Mike Harris-Stone says
Link correction for the Woody Allen story:
http://www.woodyallen.art.pl/eng/kugelmass_episode.php
Sorry everyone!
L. T. Host says
My mom named me after the main character in a fantasy series. That's the book I want to be in, anyway 🙂 She kicks a**!
Thanks for your helpful response yesterday, Nathan, that was an old post so I really appreciate you taking the time to write back.
Lisa Dez says
Anything by Jane Austen.
stacy says
Harry Potter. Definitely.
Tricia J. O'Brien says
I thought I would be original and say the Eyre Affair (Tuesday Next) only to see two other people beat me to it. But if you want to inhabit a novel why not one that let's you hop into any novel ever written?
L. T. Host says
Whoops, I forgot to name the books: The Dragonriders of Pern series. Lessa is one of the main characters in the initial trilogy, though others of the 23+ book series follow other characters, of course. Actually, that's why I am thinking of L.T. Host as my pen name… I don't want to publish *crossing my fingers I'll have to worry about this for real some day* under my real first name because I don't know how it would be perceived. Which reminds me of another question I had: when do you mention a potential pen name? Should you query as what you want it to be, or would your agent help you pick one after they represent you?
Erika Robuck says
I'd want to be Clair in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series with Jamie.
Genre Reviews says
I love air conditioning, comfortable beds, and real life. I can deal with this.
I don't think I'd want to be in any book, even if set in modern day. Unless you're suggesting we could inhabit the world of the book without the scary conflict. For example, in Narnia during the Golden Age (which wasn't directly written about) rather than during the wars, etc.
AM says
I'd like to be in the 'reality' of STAR TREK, but I'd be a homebound Earthling enjoying world peace and 23rd century technology.
Christopher Ryan says
Atomik Aztex by Sesshu Foster. To live in an alternate universe where the Aztecs are called in to fight the Nazis… that'd be swell.
Scott says
The Lord of the Rings
Teh Awe-Some Sauce says
Lord of the Flies. But then again, I have agression issues.
Book I wouldn't want to be in: Flowers in the Attic. EWWWW.
Ink says
I'd say Blood Meridian, but, you know, I don't want to be scalped.
Rick Daley says
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
Mira,
Do you take Monopoly money?
Rhonda says
I guess I wouldn't mind being in a Stephanie Meyer book. Vampires and souls who inhabit humans are kind of scary, but unlike my real life, everything always works out the way you want it to in the end in her books. So I would feel safe as long as I started out as a good guy/gal 😉
Anonymous says
Harry Potter, definitely. I've read it millions of time, enough to imagine living in it. And I'd like to be either Hermione Granger or George Weasley… if not Harry Potter himself 🙂
Elaine 'still writing' Smith says
I'd like to be in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre (if I got the title role)
I'd hate to be anyone in 1984
Jeff says
Lord of the Rings
Yamile says
I also want to be in Harry Potter. have Hermione as my best friend, and be able to also be friends with Harry and Ron, and grow old together and talk about good ol' Hogwarts days, and the war etc.
Nevermind me. I saw the movie last night, hauling my very tired husband and four kids, and I'm still seeing the images in my head. So frigging awesome!
Anonymous says
Goodkind's Sword of Truth series…
Morgan
Etiquette Bitch says
High Fidelity, by Nick Hornby.
Anonymous says
Twilght
Jeanie W says
I've having a bit of a craving right now, so I'd kinda like to be riding on that chocolate river in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with a mug in my hand.