Nellie Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I'm not at all surprised by this. By nature of being on this forum I love reading, and read alot. And I love the fact that others have read things I haven't, it means new ideas for books to read! However, when I talk about books with some of my book loving colleagues, others do look worried that they haven't read much, and I am sure many of them lie about what they have read, espcially if they realise up fornt that you havent' read it either. It's the book equivalent of keeping up with the Jones. By the way, not only have I read Emma and A Brief History Of Time, but last night I read War and Peace twice, once in English, once in Russian. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spooncat Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I plead not guilty;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I don't lie about what I read. I read Twilight. There, I said it. And guess what. I loved it. =P No but really. I never lie about what I'm reading, I don't see the need. I read kids books and science fiction and epic fantasy adventures and dummies guides to physics. I love everything, and have never even thought about not saying what I read. I don't really understand why anyone would =/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimera Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 No but really. I never lie about what I'm reading, I don't see the need. I read kids books and science fiction and epic fantasy adventures and dummies guides to physics. I love everything, and have never even thought about not saying what I read. I don't really understand why anyone would =/ Ok, I have to retract my previous statement then... I would never lie about books I havent read but in some cases, I might not be keen to admit to reading some stuff *laughs* Like at one point, not so long ago actually, I was obsessed by Harry Potter fanfiction. Now, I dont know whether I'd lie outright about it as it never came up, but I'd certainly try to minimise it ... Should I have stayed quiet here too? *goes off to hide under the carpet* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 (edited) I just went to hunt down your other post Chimera - I think you have a point about boasting about what one is reading - I know people who've claimed to read and love Shakespeare when its highly unlikely that they do. I think it would be more likely people would exaggerate the quality of what they read, rather than talk it down or hide it. So I think you have a point Edited December 12, 2008 by Nollaig grammar error DX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icecream Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I have to disagree with this, too. Despite the fact that everyone in the English-speaking world is forced to read Shakespeare in school, I have enjoyed reading many of his plays on my own. There never a "right" way to enjoy anything, whether it's drama or music. And my brother would disagree with you on the Tchaikovsky...he would devour those scores. I totally agree. I love reading scores. You can get loads out of them, although it works best when you heard it played at some point during, before or after reading too. I think the same applies with Shakespeare. The texts and the plays have plenty to say either by themselves or in tandem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I study Shakespeare in my university course, and the plays as text have an immense amount to offer.. I'm surprised anybody in this day and age thinks otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kay_loves_purple Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 I never lie about what I've read (a) because I try to never lie and because I have read many of the classics/famous books anyway ). Nevertheless something quite unpleasant happens to me every now and then: I say I've read a book (and I did),and then I discover I don't remember anything at all about it. Let's take Shakespeare as an example: I have read more than half of his works, famous and non-famous alike, so should anyone ask, I can say in all honesty that I did. Were anyone to ask me about them it would be a whole other issue -- I don't even remember the names of some of the works not to mention anything about characters and/or what happens there Luckily about a year and a half ago I have started a book blog and I started taking notes about books. Meaning I'll never forget characters/events ever again :D (hopefully, of course) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 Haha awh. I studied Julius Caesar when I was 15 and Hamlet when I was 18, so I remember those well. In the last three years I've studied King Lear, The Tempest, The Winter's Tale, Twelfth Night, Measure For Measure, Othello, Hamlet AGAIN and The Merchant of Venice. So I can't tell them apart, despite having done essays and exams on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landevale Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 I think that unfortunately people do lie about the books they have read. I had one English professor who actually encouraged this explicitly. She said that there are certain books which no English major should admit not having read before, if only to save face. In my humble opinion, that practice creates pompous liars though. On a separate note, there's a scene in David Lodge's Changing Places where one of the main characters starts a game called Humiliation. In this game, players take turns naming a book they have NOT read, but which they think almost everyone else in the group HAS read. Points are scored for each person who has read the book. The winner, therefore, is the person who admits never having read the most popular/canonical book. What a nice change of pace from the attitude of my English professor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 I don't lie about what I read. I read Twilight. There, I said it. And guess what. I loved it. =P No but really. I never lie about what I'm reading, I don't see the need. I read kids books and science fiction and epic fantasy adventures and dummies guides to physics. I love everything, and have never even thought about not saying what I read. I don't really understand why anyone would =/ Ditto, I love to read a wide variety of books and I don't have many friends irl that read anyway, so they wouldn't have a clue about what a book is like from its title, but I can't really imagine why you'd be too embarrased to admit to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 I think it would be more embarrassing not to be a reader at all! Tis better to have read some c**p, then never to have read at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Yeah I definately agree, I think it's sad to have lived a life and never been interesting in reading, I for sure couldn't live without my books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 And yet there are many who would think us sad for having our heads in books rather than the real world =P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Yeah I suppose that's true bah what do they know eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 (edited) And yet there are many who would think us sad for having our heads in books rather than the real world =P Trust me ... if you visited the inside of my head, you'd much rather have your mind in another realm! Its scary stuff!! Edited December 14, 2008 by Charm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 (edited) HAHA I'd say exactly the same about my head. I quote a great singing comedian when I say: This is my brain, and I live in it. Its made of love and bad song lyrics. Its tucked away behind my eyes, Where all my ****ed up thoughts can hide, Coz God forbid I hurt somebody. And the weirdest thing about a mind, Is that every answer that you find, Is the basis of a brand new cliche... This is my brain, and its fine. Its where I spend the vast majority of my time, its, Not perfect, but its mine. ^______^ Cookies to anyone who know who the singer is. Edited December 15, 2008 by Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 I don't know who does it, but that is an awesome song Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Its Tim Minchin. Look him up. Hes amazing. Utterly, amazing. Look up 'Rock N Roll Nerd' and 'Dark Side.' I won't spam too much here about him lest I attract a telling off from the PTB, but hes amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Ohhh, I recognise his face, my BF is massively into comedy, so I've probably seen Tim on something he was watching. Those songs are pretty darn ace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Hehe you have great taste! Tim is not to everyones liking, but I worship the man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewell Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 At the end of the day, i think it makes sense that not everyone enjoys exactly the same books. That's the beauty of being different. If everyone is different, then everyone has something different to offer. In conversations like this for example, and, if people all liked the same type of books, or only read the type of books considered good by everyone else, then all the writters of the future would all write the same type of stuff! After all no one can write about something, unless they know about it, and the best way to learn something is to read about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonders disciple Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Never lied about what i have read. As has been said in earlier posts there may be a slightly less than flattering view of readers and maybe reading in general. So it seems rather strange that, presumably, these very same people should try to impress by lying about books they have read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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