Monday, February 2, 2009

Book Trivia from M*A*S*H*

A good friend of mine with an encyclopedic knowledge of M*A*S*H* taught me some book trivia from the show and the novel. The nickname, "Hawkeye", is given to Pierce by his father, from the book "The Last of the Mohicans" (read facsimile first editions online: vols. 1, 2, and 3, or in print: vol. 1, 2, and 3). Hawkeye claims the "The Last of the Mohicans" was "the only book my old man ever read". Which seems highly unlikely, as he claims his old man was a doctor, and as far as I understand it, doctorhood requires having read more than one book. 

Interviewer: "Is there anything from home that you brought over with you to set up for yourself? Creature comforts?"
Hawkeye: "I brought a book over."
Interviewer: "What book?"
Hawkeye: "The
dictionary. I figure it's got all the other books in it. I like to read the dictionary."

They mention Fred Allen on M*A*S*H*, who said: "I can't understand why a person will take a year to write a novel when he can easily buy one for a few dollars."

2 comments:

Neil said...

I haven't read that book. I still remember whem mom and dad went to the movie. Most medical books I 'access' more than I read. I'm currently enjoying Elder Busche's book. Thanks mom.

Chuck said...

Thanks for backing me up Neil!!! I knew it was unrealistic. Add to the fact that you are well read, you also "climb the mountains and get their good tidings". I read a book about books by a lawyer. He said in that in lawyering class they told him he'd never read a book for pleasure again; just case studies and case files. After graduating, to spite them, he got a part-time job lawyering and read for pleasure and then wrote a book about it.