Saturday, February 5, 2011

Literary Coincidences


I'm just doing a quick little post today because the Migraine Fairy decided to visit me today and I'm a little busy tending to that fun experience.

Right now, as you can see by taking a quick glance at my shelf on the right, I’m reading The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and just experienced the weirdest thing. Okay, it wasn’t the weirdest thing, but it was an odd coincidence of sorts.

Adah, one of the daughters in The Poisonwood Bible, is trying to outsmart her other sister, Leah, by giving her a quote and asking her what book in the Bible it’s from. The quote is “It was neither diabolical no divine; it but shook the doors of the prison house of my disposition; and like the captives of Philippi, that which stood within ran forth.” I’m sitting here thinking “well this sounds familiar to me too," but figured I had to be wrong because I've never read the Bible (the horror! the horror!). Then it’s revealed about a paragraph later…she’s tricking her sister entirely and it’s from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! A book as many of you know I’ve read just recently! How…coincidental.

I could go on and on about literary coincidences like this. It’s just so funny to me but I guess the more you read the more this kind of thing happens. What about you? Any weird coincidences that make you pause in books?

3 comments:

Christie said...

Hope you feel better! Migraines are awful :(

llevinso said...

I saw the reply IWS :)

And thanks for the "get wells!" Unfortunately the migraine is still here. I get really bad one that usually last for 3 days at a time. Fun fun fun!

Anonymous said...

I had something like that happen to me last week.
Remember how we were discussing words in our Shelfari "Who Doesn't Love a Classic?" site? Well, I was trying to remember that phrase that is termed to be the most beautiful in the English language.

Out of nowhere, I'm reading this book I didn't particularly care for (and was ready to throw against the wall) and the heroine talks about the phrase. "Cellar Door!" I got chills.

Made me think of synchronicity and everything!