MovieChat Forums > The Book of Eli (2010) Discussion > What if it had been any other book?

What if it had been any other book?

posted 3 years ago by tph890 (490)
4 replies | jump to latest

I found myself pondering during a recent rewatch about the implications of a completely different “Good Book” being the source of Oldman’s desire/obsession and Washington’s guardianship.
What if it had been “The Prince” by Machiavelli?
Or “Beyond Good and Evil” by Nietzsche?
I know that the story as told only works with it being the King James Bible, but in an actual post-apocalyptic scenario, what do you think would be an equally important book to covet/protect?
Myself personally, in post-apocalypse, with no desire to be a leader/ruler of any kind but still wanting to preserve a piece of literature that holds philosophical value, it would probably be “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoevsky.

[–] Pete314 (3330) 3 years ago

The Hitchhiker's Guide...
Joking aside, no, I don't think it works with something different then the bible. Although we can discuss the value of translation 🤔 All authors you mentioned - even Nietzsche - were influenced more or less by this book. Pre-christian books? Maybe Homer's Ilias or some works by Platon...

[–] tph890 (490) 3 years ago

Oh yeah, Plato’s “Republic” could definitely be useful and equally valuable in this scenario.
And if I were just trying to preserve books that I thought were important for cultural and entertainment purposes, that list would be extensive to the point of gratuity, and “Hitchhiker’s Guide” would most certainly be among them.
One moment in this movie that makes me cringe is when Oldman tells one of his henchmen to burn the books he deems useless. Yeah sure, I know there is a lot of dreck out there, but in post apocalypse?! Even the dreck should be considered valuable.

[–] almonigal (1293) 3 years ago

I don't know which other book works in the movie but I think you just gave me a good idea what book to read next :)

[–] tph890 (490) 3 years ago

Cheers!