How to talk about books you haven’t read
22 Apr 2008
I love reading, and have far more books than I could ever read. By that I mean reading them from cover to cover, word for word.
Most people on seeing my small library of books, often ask ‘have you read them all?’, meaning, have I read every word of them. The answer I give is yes and no.
There are many ways to read books, and I get to teach some study skills courses that help students find different ways to read books for different purposes.
When I’m on holiday I have to slow down to read a good sci fi book from cover to cover, I’m so used to reading a book quickly.
So my interest was piqued when I heard this book reviewed on BBC radio 4. A best seller in France, and translated into English, it has been provocative and controversial.
This small, slim, witty book is far more than a study skills book in reading approaches. It is about our relationship with books, the ones we read, the ones we don’t but are aware of and talk about, our status as ‘non readers’, and as readers of books we have forgotten.
It playfully lifts the veil on people who review books they have never read, people who reference books they have not been near, as well as exploring and valuing the many other ways and reasons for relating to a book.
I have read the book, and it reminded me that books are not just things to buy and read from cover to cover, word for word. But that books live in our lives in so many other amazing ways.
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Comment by fernando
11.17 am on 22 Apr 2008
“…people who reference books they have not been near…” – Isn’t this a core skill for theologians?
;-)
In my theological travails I’ve met some fabulously intelligent and hardworking folks who are wonderfully well-read. People I’ve found both inspirational and a little daunting to talk to. But, all too often, I’ve met some serious charlatans, even amongst the well known and frequently published. It took a fwe years to really see how dis-spiriting *that* experience was.
What I got from Bayard’s book was this question of our shifting and often provisonal relationship to books and to the discourse of books and reading. It brought back some troubling memories, but also made me wonder if as theologs we should not, more often, be in the business of promoting a more open and honest discourse about books.
And, being a little more humble and honest about how much we haven’t read.
Comment by Paul
1.57 pm on 23 Apr 2008
i remember this book called the bible, never did read it from cover to cover :)
Comment by brodie
10.37 am on 25 Apr 2008
I think there’s an issue not just about books we not been near, but also books that we’re ‘read’ without reading. Reading implies some level of understanding the words on the page, some level of digesting what has been written. Too often we read without digesting and as it were the words pass straight through leaving no impression on us.
The best bit of advice I’ve been given recently on reading is, write a summary of what you’re reading – if you struggle to do this then you’ve not really read it.
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