Thursday Dances: Vade Mecum

And now for another question I have never pondered before.  The hypothetical husband is agreeably alliterative, but so nebulously nonexistent that it’s distracting me from the book question.  The hypothetical honeymoon just makes me laugh, because while it’s true I never travel without at least one volume in hand, I don’t think books would top my list of packing priorities.

“So discuss the books that are integral to understanding you!”  Hmm.  I’ve already talked about a lot of integral books.  Check the archives, my dear future spouse, and be sure you’ve read them.  That is all.

Oh, that’s not all?  Well, fine.  Get me your respective list and I’ll try to read it.

Still not satisfied?  Greedy, I calls it.  I suppose I’d take Perelandra along.  Gaudy Night would make for interesting reading and perhaps a fair amount of important discussion; nothing like going from academia to the writing of books to methods of defense against possible stranglers to that dance between the sexes to haggling to punting to fiscal responsibility.  If it gets too heavy, one can skip to the sections where St. George turns phrases and smashes meringues.

Since I never really travel with just two books in hand – my friend will recount how I once set myself a limit of 5 books but packed 8 “because these three are skinny” – may as well toss in a smaller collection of Calvin & Hobbes (Yukon Ho! or suchlike).  And of course it’d be fun to read aloud from O Ye Jigs & Juleps!, which is my newest hysterical collection of essays (and the only such collection by an 11-year-old writing in 1904).  Should my lace handkerchief see no other opportunity for use, we could read (or recite?) The Ballad of the White Horse.  Five volumes would be a respectable number without weighing us down too much in Algarve or the Grand Canyon or wherever (am I a liar?  I could be vastly mistaken or a liar).

Other considerations:  Narnia would precede the engagement if not the third date, as would Brideshead Revisited and a particular collection of Ray Bradbury called The Toynbee Convector and Other Stories.  If he hasn’t read Harry Potter, he might survive but he’d get confused fairly often.  The Four Loves could be reread on anniversaries or other appropriate occasions.  Not to mention that hopefully, said fellow has his own contributions to the luggage and the library!