# If you could inhabit the world of a novel, which would it be?



## Darlene Jones (Nov 1, 2011)

A difficult choice given the wonderful worlds books have taken me to. The island of Guernsey (The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society), and Mauritius and Reunion ( Georges by Alexandre Dumas) are two that come instantly to mind.

_sorry, self-promotion is not allowed outside the Book Bazaar  )_


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## Klip (Mar 7, 2011)

Great question!

I'm a bit of a wimp, so I think I prefer to experience most worlds vicariously  

But I would love to know what my daemon would be in Phillip Pullman's "Dark Materials" world.  And to see a dragon on Pern!  And to experience the spirit world in many of Charles De Lint's novels, particularly the forest in "The Onion Girl."

And of course, Narnia.


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## monicaleonelle (Oct 7, 2010)

Definitely Harry Potter--I recently visited the new Harry Potter land at Universal Studios and it was amazing! About as close as you can get to actually being in HP.

I also love the Chronicles of Narnia from when I was a child, and just recently saw The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It's another amazing series and a classic.


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

I'm not sure but it definitely wouldn't be Stephen King's universe.  I'd last about two minutes in there before being eaten, possessed, driven insane or all three.


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## RJ Locksley (Oct 21, 2011)

What a fascinating question. I read a lot of really dark stuff, so I wouldn't want to live in those worlds, even though I enjoy the stories. I love Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, but wouldn't want to live there.

Like Monica, I think the Harry Potter world would win out for me. The later books hit a lot of dark notes, but especially in the earlier books, it seems like such a magical world to live in. It's full of cosy common-rooms with roaring fires, huge feasts in halls lit by candles, cheering crowds at Quidditch games. It's a place where you tear open your presents on Christmas morning in the Burrow at Ottery St Catchpole. Sounds wonderful.


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## amy_saunders (Aug 8, 2011)

Narnia is a good choice! Then I'd have to say Middle-earth and Jane Austen's England.


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## Seleya (Feb 25, 2011)

Middle Earth!


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

My left-brain choice would be the world of Iain M. Banks's "Culture" series of novels. My right-brain choice would be Pratchett's Discworld, preferably as a wizard at the Unseen University.


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## Vianka Van Bokkem (Aug 26, 2010)

Harry Potter!


-Vianka Van Bokkem


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## Vianka Van Bokkem (Aug 26, 2010)

Rick Gualtieri said:


> I'm not sure but it definitely wouldn't be Stephen King's universe. I'd last about two minutes in there before being eaten, possessed, driven insane or all three.


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## StephenLivingston (May 10, 2011)

Without a doubt - Middle Earth.
I'm sure this will be a very common answer.

Best wishes, Stephen Livingston.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

The worlds we enjoy reading about are interesting places. Interesting places are _dangerous._ I really enjoy reading Discworld books, but I'm not sure if I would want to live there. I might wind up living in the Shades.


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## Shayne Parkinson (Mar 19, 2010)

Depending on my mood and mental energy, Rivendell, Narnia in its Golden Age, or Milly-Molly-Mandy's village.


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## Carolyn62 (Sep 5, 2011)

I would like to live in Xanth.


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## jmoralee (Sep 6, 2011)

It would to be a world in the Culture - as another person has already mentioned.

JM


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## RhondaRN (Dec 27, 2009)

Ahhhh.....Prince Edward Island.  The land of Anne of Green Gables!!


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## Nebula7 (Apr 21, 2011)

Hands down it would be Zion in the Larry W. Poland novel 2084. It doesn't get any better then that.


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## Jan Strnad (May 27, 2010)

I agree with the person who said that novels are usually set in dangerous worlds, which makes them unlikely candidates for anywhere I'd want to live.

But, without getting specific, whatever world I chose, it would have flying cars and possibly talking dogs.


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## JD Rhoades (Feb 18, 2011)

Seleya said:


> Middle Earth!


Which part?

I'd probably pick the Shire. Good beer there. 

Rivendell would be pretty, but the Elves tend to be a bit full of themselves.


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## KateEllison (Jul 9, 2011)

Several people have already mentioned it, but I'd love to live in the world of Harry Potter (after Voldemort is dead, of course)!


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## crosj (Nov 8, 2008)

I would have to live in the world of Xanth- This is what got me started reading fantasy many years ago.  .


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Larry Niven's Known Space series of short stories and novels (_Ringworld_, for example). Yep, I'd hang out with the aliens.


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## Seleya (Feb 25, 2011)

JD Rhoades said:


> Which part?
> 
> I'd probably pick the Shire. Good beer there.
> 
> Rivendell would be pretty, but the Elves tend to be a bit full of themselves.


Rohan, I've dreamt of living there since I read of it.


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## SidneyW (Aug 6, 2010)

I tend to agree with those above who've noted the environments of many novels are dangerous and thus not somewhere I'd really want to go. I love Chandler, but don't know that I'd want to walk the mean streets with Marlowe. If I had to choose, an interesting one might be the world of Frederik Pohl's "Gateway" series where participants have the opportunities to hop into left-behind alien ships and take off for unknown worlds.

Dangerous but also exciting.


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## Carolyn62 (Sep 5, 2011)

crosj said:


> I would have to live in the world of Xanth- This is what got me started reading fantasy many years ago. .


I'm glad I'm not the only wanting to live in Xanth. As long as we stay on the enchanted paths, we'll be safe!


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## Brian Edward Bahr (Nov 12, 2011)

We already inhabit the world of Franz Kafka's novels


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

My wife would take the World's Fair in 1930's Chicago, a la _The Devil in White City_. Without the serial killer, preferably. 

(She's chiming in as I type. _The Great Gatsby_, she says (New York in the Twenties). Or _Little Women_...)


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

Definitely Pern.

But only if I had my own queen dragon.

And a fire lizard.

And moved in the inner circles of people like F'lar and Lessa and the MasterHarper.

And....


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

Jane Austen, without the plague, of course.


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## jwest (Nov 14, 2011)

Middle Earth, the Territories from the Talisman, and maybe Hyboria from the Robert E. Howard Conan books. Actually, I'd like to be a fly on the wall in any number of imagined places . . . that is, of course, if flies were held in high esteem


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

QuantumIguana said:


> The worlds we enjoy reading about are interesting places. Interesting places are _dangerous._ I really enjoy reading Discworld books, but I'm not sure if I would want to live there. I might wind up living in the Shades.


Agreed...it's like the mythological Ancient Chinese Curse: "May you live in interesting times"

The medical corollary: "May you be an interesting patient" (You never want your doctor to run out and grab some other doctors to look at your interesting lab results)


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## drenfrow (Jan 27, 2010)

My first thought was definitely Middle Earth, I have wanted to live there for so long...  My second thought was Pern, in the time of the Harper Hall books.


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## Darlene Jones (Nov 1, 2011)

Interesting to read the responses. I didn't expect so many answers to be in fantasy worlds. Perhaps that's because my choice are and would always be solidly on Earth.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

QuantumIguana said:


> The worlds we enjoy reading about are interesting places. Interesting places are _dangerous._


^ This.

I would _like_ to think I would have the courage to want to live in 14th century Scotland and defend it.

But frankly... Being hanged, drawn and quartered has very little appeal. (Especially when you find out what that _really_ means)


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## RandomizeME (Oct 29, 2010)

I'd love to live in Anne McCaffrey's Pern - as a dragonrider of course  I thought her world-building was marvelous and I loved her intelligent dragons.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

I think I'd want to live in the SF future of Dan Simmons' Hyperion books. He's got robots, stargates, aliens, and genetic modifications. Sounds like fun to me!


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

Much depends on whether of not you get to pick your status in the fictional world, or if you have to become an average person in that world. If you're an average person in the world of Harry Potter, then you're a muggle, and have never heard of schools of wizardry - it would be just like living in our world.


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## cheriereich (Feb 12, 2011)

I'd so be a witch in the world of Harry Potter, but if I couldn't choose that, then I would live in the fantasy world I created called Amora.


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## Jenn Van Hoef (Nov 13, 2011)

I'd inhabit _Call of the Wild_ if I could be a husky.


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## Derz7sk (May 14, 2011)

I'd choose Allan Quatermain's Africa, supposing I could wear chain mail and also be protected by fate (or a lucky amulet) from assegais, poison darts, insects, buffaloes and lions.  Wouldn't mind visiting the immortal She either (in her best state), in the Caves of Kor--with the same safeguards, naturally.  Otherwise, I prefer the armchair and the Kindle.


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## Krista D. Ball (Mar 8, 2011)

Any world that would allow me to be an assassin and blow lots and lots of things up.


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## Cappy (Sep 6, 2011)

I think I would like to be a John Le Carre character in the height of the cold war. 

Or I'd like to be Sherlock Holmes. But who wouldn't?


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

Easy one for me - Jasper Fforde's Bookworld from the Thursday Next series.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Julian May's Galactic Milieu setting would be my pick. Peaceful advanced galactic civilization, cool mental powers...low danger risk for the average citizen....


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## Borislava Borissova (Sep 9, 2011)

I would love to inhabit the land of elves from "Lord of The Rings".


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## Guest (Nov 29, 2011)

Oooh.  Harper Hall on Pern or Harry's Hogwarts.  I'm obviously either a child at heart or very immature for my age.  LOL


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## Susan Brassfield Cogan (Mar 25, 2011)

Definitely Ankh-Morpork. I have the hots for Captain Vimes.


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## Susan Brassfield Cogan (Mar 25, 2011)

QuantumIguana said:


> The worlds we enjoy reading about are interesting places. Interesting places are _dangerous._ I really enjoy reading Discworld books, but I'm not sure if I would want to live there. I might wind up living in the Shades.


I'll meet you for a drink at the Mended Drum!


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## Chris Strange (Apr 4, 2011)

QuantumIguana said:


> The worlds we enjoy reading about are interesting places. Interesting places are _dangerous._


As others have noted, this.

That said, it'd be great if Harry Dresden let me ride along with him. As soon as he starts getting beaten up, though, I'm outta there.


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## jwest (Nov 14, 2011)

I thought of another one:

Neverland (Peter Pan) - because you don't have to grow up and you can FLY!!! Second star to the right, and straight on till morning...

Best wishes,
James


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

Is Avatar a book?

I look fantastic in blue.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Lursa (was 9MMare) said:


> Is Avatar a book?
> 
> I look fantastic in blue.


Hmmm that world did have significant eye candy


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## DwayneRussell (Mar 26, 2011)

Flatland.  Definitely Flatland.

But only if I could be a pentacentagon.


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## Nick Steckel (Sep 2, 2010)

I don't know about what world I'd want to live in, but I sure as heck wouldn't want to live in the Song of Ice and Fire universe.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

RhondaRN said:


> Ahhhh.....Prince Edward Island. The land of Anne of Green Gables!!


Couldn't agree more. Like a number of other commenters, I also would love to live in Middle Earth, but only in Lothlorian or Rivendell, with forays to the Shire when I wanted mushrooms, ale, and pipe weed. Those hobbits have the good stuff . . .


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## JR_gin (Nov 30, 2011)

Hmmm difficult one.

I can see _why_ Middle Earth would be tempting. Lots of fresh air, nice countryside, Elven maidens not wearing many clothes etc. But then again we only really see the good and pretty side of the place (the invasion by the dark hoards of evil aside). I mean, I'd want to know what their health care is like, their employment and tax laws, what the price of an average hovel was these days before committing myself.

Terry Pratchett's Discworld on the other hand, now there's a place where a pessimistic skeptic could really flourish...


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## Dee Ernst (Jan 10, 2011)

Long Piddleton, Northants, so I could hang out with Melrose Plant and the gang all day long.  That's almost as good as the Shire - clean air, good ale, quiant cottages, interesting characters - but every once and a while I could play with Richard Jury.
Harry Dresden's Chicago is also appealing.  Or maybe it's just Harry.


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## Michelle Muto (Feb 1, 2011)

Sad to say, but Harry Potter. Yeah, even at my age.

I agree with others - I would NEVER want to be in a Stephen King created universe. Eeek!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Dee Ernst said:


> Long Piddleton, Northants, so I could hang out with Melrose Plant and the gang all day long. That's almost as good as the Shire - clean air, good ale, quiant cottages, interesting characters - but every once and a while I could play with Richard Jury.
> Harry Dresden's Chicago is also appealing. Or maybe it's just Harry.


I second this! Those guys seem like a fun bunch!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

***Friendly reminder:  we're in the book Corner so authors are not allowed to suggest their own "worlds"  ***


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## teashopgirl (Dec 8, 2011)

I'd say the world of Pride & Prejudice. Just for a little while, though. Definitely NOT the world of The Hunger Games!


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## MeiLinMiranda (Feb 17, 2011)

Jeeves and Wooster! Hands down!


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Lursa (was 9MMare) said:


> Is Avatar a book?
> 
> I look fantastic in blue.


if you want to be blue, go to Mike Hick's In Her Name series


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

scarlet said:


> if you want to be blue, go to Mike Hick's In Her Name series


Are you kidding? Have you seen the body count in that book!? I'm staying well away from those crazy blue babes!!


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## James Conway (Jul 7, 2011)

I have to agree with Seleya, Middle Earth wins for me hands down. Although, oddly enough, I think it would be cool to hang out in a noir novel for a while.


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## Nicholas Andrews (Sep 8, 2011)

It would be interesting to live in Westeros. A lot of breathtaking locales and historic lore to learn about. And options too. You could train as a squire and earn your knighthood, becoming a hedge knight or joining the service of a lord, join the Faith and become a septon, go to Oldtown to become a maester, be a merchant, sellsword or a pirate across the Narrow Sea... but with the wars, uneven seasons and ice zombies it could probably suck just as equally. Maybe during a peaceful era.

The Wizarding World would be great too, as well as Xanth. I've always wondered what my magical talent would be.


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## flipside (Dec 7, 2011)

None!

Because most books revolve around conflict, and I don't want to put myself in danger. 

(It's also neglecting to ask your social status... living in Westeros as a Lord is different from living as a peasant for example.)


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## jumbojohnny (Dec 25, 2011)

Not so much Middle Earth in general, too great a chance of getting involved in a deadly battle, but the Shire, definitely. Nights in that Inn spent drinking LembusLager or whatever it is, singing rousing songs a la Nordic hero ballads.


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## Guest (Dec 29, 2011)

I would depend...if I move to this world, do I also get any of the associated powers of the world?

I love Dragonlance and the Forgotten Realms books, but I wouldn't want to live in either world as a normal human with no abilities.    Nobody wants to be the 1st level commoner with no skills.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I think  better question for me would be which WOULDN'T I want to live in.. Answer NONE. I like them all if the author has done his/her job well.


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## mikep96 (Dec 29, 2011)

The Land from the first series of Thomas Covenant books. And like a lot of others, the world of Harry Potter. I've been dying to get down to Universal to check that out.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

mikep96 said:


> The Land from the first series of Thomas Covenant books. And like a lot of others, the world of Harry Potter. I've been dying to get down to Universal to check that out.


O.K. But only after that whole Sunbane thing is worked out.

and the Harry Potter world at Universal is pretty cool. . . .


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## Nancy Beck (Jul 1, 2011)

Middle Earth, definitely.   Doesn't matter if it's The Hobbit, with Bilbo and the not-so-merry dwarves, Goldberry, etc.

For SF (science fiction), I think it'd be cool to inhabit the world of Miles Flint, in Kris Rusch's Retrieval Artist series. Living on the Moon would be awesome; dealing with some of the creatures from other worlds, not so much.


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## DH_Sayer (Dec 20, 2011)

A Star Trek novel, probably. One based on Next Generation. I'll be in the holodeck.


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## Lisa_Follett (Oct 22, 2011)

Jane Austen's world, of course. I would dearly love to be a duchess for a few days. Just long enough to dance at a ball, attend the opera, and take a ride in Hyde Park. Oh, and I would like to have tea and crumpets. I could only last a few days without the Internet and air conditioner. I confess that I am a creature of comfort.


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