[Mary McLean]

An old man battles with a fish
and spears it dead. What larks!
He dreams that it will taste delish:
and so it does, to sharks.

[Mary McLean]

Gah! Can't stop.

Miles and Flora
converse with a ghost.
Flora gets angry
and Miles is toast.

[John Whitworth]

Finished 'em both. Didn't finish Finnegans Wake though. But I know a man who did.

Pride and Prejudice

Liz Bennett’s a honey
Who fancies rich Darcy.
He acts pretty arsy.
But Liz gets the money.


The Odyssey
.
God-bothered Greek meets strife.
Burns Troy. Sails home. Takes years.
Brash suitors go for wife.
Greek kills the lot. Loud cheers.

[Ann Drysdale]

Indeed, Brian; inspired by Monty Python:

Good evening, and welcome to the Arthur Ludlow Memorial Baths,
Newport, for this year's finals of the All-England Summarize Proust Competition...

Since I wrote my famous guide book to the City of Newport, which referred both to the above event and to Harry Houdini's stunt in the Usk,for which he got arrested (breach of the peace, doncherknow), the place has gone up in the world. It is hosting a Nato summit in September.

[Mary McLean]

Bravo John! I think the frequent full-stops work very well in the Odyssey, but I'd lose the one at the end of L3 in P&P.

One more from me -- Crime and Punishment, for my sins:

Raskolnikov, student of nonsense,
engages in brutal attacks,
but finds that his own bloody conscience
is sharper by far than his axe.

[Jerome Betts]

Young Ollie meets The Artful Dodger
And learns a very useful trade
From F.,a picturesque old codger,
But then the interest starts to fade.

[Rob Stuart]

‘The Divine Comedy’ by Dante

Virgil shows Dante Hell,
Purgatory as well,
Then some doxy appears
For his tour of the Spheres.


‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ by Arthur C. Clarke

Thanks to apes being shown
How to brandish a bone
By an alien race
We are destined for space.


'1984' by George Orwell

When the Thought Police bust
Winston Smith he is thrust
In Room 101: that’s
Where he’s broken with rats.

[Rob Stuart]

Originally Posted by John Whitworth

I am sure The Faerie Queen would qualify. You and I must be the only people alive who have read it. All of it. I've read worse poems.

I've often thought that I might like to read this, but haven't yet. Should I?

[Mary Meriam]

Well of course everyone should read the FQ. I read it all. It's my favorite book. Milton liked it too.

[Lance Levens]

Jimmy Joyce swallowed the sea
but found that it did not slake,
so he swallowed the tongues of humanity
and spit them back out in The Wake.