Lying about reading
2008 September 26
This is funny. Via Belle of the Books, a list of the books that people most lie about reading. (I’ve actually once fibbed about reading one of these. Ahem.)
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A blog about a book: Thoughts deep and shallow about triumph and disaster in life, through the eye of Hannibal the Carthaginian
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I love the Hannibal Blog. With this reply, I’m making my first, um, reply.
(Comment: It’s intimidating to reply to a professional writer’s blog. I’m afraid I’ll sound like an idiot if I write poorly).
Is there a list of books people most people lie about NOT reading? That is, books they’ve read and are ashamed to admit to?
Welcome, Mr Crotchety, and don’t be intimidated. As a new blogger, I’ve already had to overcome my own fear of sounding like an idiot.
I think that The Davinci Code should make both lists. I found it unreadable. David Copperfield, on the other hand, is an inspiration. When my daughter misbehaves I threaten to make her walk to London and make a go of it on her own.
I sheepishly confess that the DaVinci Code had me staying up all night to finish it….
Andreas, I also enjoyed the DaVinci Code. We need to escape to trashland every once in a while to be able to admire great writing next time around.
What a relief to find an ally, Joy-Mari. And I’ll find time to take your hint for further research ….
We have to be careful what we call trash.
Those of us who appreciate great writing are often some of the biggest literary snobs. Inherent in snobbery can be deep insecurity.
I remember being in the St. John’s College (Santa Fe campus) bookstore. Although I was on campus to study Rousseau’s Emile, I was purchasing Tony Hillerman books ( to read before bed ). My tutor happened to walk by, and before I could hide Hillerman, he caught me, Chee handed, and shook his head, condescendingly.
The next Emile session, I was on fire.
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I seem to recall that Ovid and Shakespeare were, in their own time, considered smut. Oh well.
My highest ambition with this book is probably–to use your example–to make it read like a Hillerman, with a Rousseau revealing himself en passant.
Nice!