Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Lying about Books

So I read on Cam's Commentary that Susan Hill had posted about the Museum and Library Authority’s study whose results seem to prove we all lie about the books we've read. Well, duh. I just love these organizations that spend lots of time and money doing research in order to tell us such things as all humans giving birth these days are female.

I mean, didn’t we all lie out of desperation at some point during high school or college? If we weren’t lying to our teachers and professors (I was bored to tears by some of the assignments, either being too young or too unsophisticated to understand them, or else just because they really were boring. I definitely wasn’t one to continue reading anything that didn't grab my attention, but not once did I ever say, “This bored me senseless, and I didn’t get past page 10” to any of my teachers), sometimes we were lying to impress a potential significant other (the study says this is still the case, with men being the main culprits. However, this female was guilty of that one once, only because I knew he wasn’t a big reader -- why on earth did I want to impress a non-reader? The mysteries of youth -- and would never catch me out in such a lie). We all grow up, though, and, I hope, eventually come to realize there are just way too many books in the world to read everything. Some of us even become bold enough to say, “Why would I waste my time on that?”

The list of the ten most-lied-about titles (apparently those books people most often say they've read when they haven't) really intrigued me, though. It’s all over the place, and as Cam noted, is missing The Bible. I agree with her that this (ironically, huh?) has got to be one of the most lied-about texts out there, especially since it’s been translated into just about every known language and forced on people throughout its history. Anyway, here’s how I stand up to the list.

Lord of the Rings – nope. My fourth-grade teacher read aloud The Hobbit to our whole class. Never read it myself, despite trying, and could never get into the others. My brother (who’s had the same problems not being able to get into Tolkein as I have) and I have a theory that Tolkein is just too earnest for the likes of us. Strangely enough, though, I adored all three of the movies (I think that had a lot to do with the cinematography).

War and Peace – it was a gift from Bob, and I read it on our honeymoon. I’m going to be annoying here and say it’s one of the best books ever written, without going into details as to why. I often wonder why it’s become the quintessential lengthy novel, though. There are plenty of longer classics out there (A Dream of Red Mansions, for instance. The version I have of this is three volumes long).

Wuthering Heights – not until I was in my thirties. And I have to admit I wasn’t all that impressed. It was a compelling read, but I found myself thinking: this was what all the fuss was about? I was expecting something much more of Heathcliffe, to fall madly in love with him. Instead, I found him to be a cruel, petty baby. My mother’s response to my reaction? “You were too old to be reading it for the first time.” She was right. I should have read it when I was a teenager, like most girls do, you know, the age at which we’re so easily enamored of cruel, petty, babies just because they’re wrapped up in “hot” bodies.

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus – whatever can be the reason to lie here? Do you think the surveyors got confused and didn't realize this was really a People-magazine lie (everyone reads it, but no one wants to admit it)? Or am I missing something? People actually want others to think they’ve read this book? Really. This one usurping The Bible, as well as such things as Roots (nope. Never read that one, either) or Plato’s Republic (only excerpts for school and can’t begin to tell you what they might have been) is truly mysterious. Anyway, I’ve picked it up and read bits and pieces of it, basically unimpressed.

1984 – this is embarrassing, but I honestly can’t remember (I'd be a truly impressive date, huh? Gee, the woman's already got Alzheimers). I know it was assigned for a course I took in college, but I often skimmed books when I was taking multiple lit courses and knew I could get away with it. I’m pretty sure I only skimmed this one, but I seem to know so much about it, that seems odd. Maybe it’s just such a part of mainstream culture at this point, I didn’t need to read it. It doesn’t matter, though, because I plan to read it soon. Bob has convinced me it would be a good idea to read three of the big modern dystopias in sequence: We (a book I’d never heard of till I met him), Brave New World, and 1984.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – yes, but I’m way, way behind in my Harry Potter reading (mainly because, as I’ve mentioned before, I think, reading Rowling sends me back to re-reading favorites from my childhood. And then, last year, I discovered Alan Garner, who is much, much better, although darker). I’m very grateful, though, to all those of you who are huge fans and who keep the plots secret for those of us like me.

Great Expectations – nope. Despite loving what I have read of Dickens, I haven’t really read much of his stuff. Bob’s been urging me for years to read both this and A Tale of Two Cities.

Jane Eyre – twice. Love it. Love it. Love it. (Again, she annoyingly says without telling you why, but this isn't the time for "why." Come over for a pot of tea, and we can spend the whole evening talking about "why.") Maybe because I read it for the first time at the right age (19)? But I don’t think that’s so, because I still loved it the second-go-around nearly ten years later.

The Da Vinci Code – “Why would I waste my time on that?”

The Diary of Anne Frank – they really meant Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, right? Which makes me wonder even more about this survey. Did they mean the script for the play or the book? I don’t know many people who read scripts, so why would anyone lie about that? If we’re talking about the book, I read about a fourth of it when I was a teenager, thinking it was going to be right up my alley, but it apparently wasn’t, as I didn’t stick with it. I don’t remember why. It’s yet another one I’ve been meaning to try again for years now. If we’re talking about the play, nope and probably never will.

There you have it: four out of the ten that I’ve knowingly read cover-to-cover, one I’ve earnestly tried and have just as earnestly given up on, two I couldn’t care less about, and the others are on my TBR list. So, would you ask me out on a second date, or do you think I'm a liar?

10 comments:

Amanda said...

I don't think you are a liar. I love Jane Eyre. Some passages in it are words to live by imo.

I haven't read the bible in any systematic way. I've tried but I always bog down in that part with all the begats.

I've read all the others except maybe Mars and Venus which I might not have read from cover to cover though. I have a vague feeling I might have read it but I probably only skimmed excerpts of it standing up in the bookshop or read some articles about it somewhere or saw it discussed on Oprah.

I will admit that I do lie or lie by omission about somethings but not reading. Probably people who do lack confidence as readers. I don't. I lack confidence in other areas.

litlove said...

Emily, if it weren't for a few obvious obstacles to the union, we'd be married by now. I thnk I've read about three on that list (including skimreading the Mars/Venus thing) and cannot imagine why anyone would want to lie about them. By the way, I completely agree about Lord of the Rings. Never done a single thing for me, I'm sad to say.

Anonymous said...

Okay. Admittedly, I was thirteen when I first read A Tale of Two Cities AND I already knew how it was going to end, but... just don't deprive yourself any longer. The end was actually physically painful-- in the good way that only books and damn good movies can be. Read it, read it, read it. It changed my attitude toward reading for the rest of my (admittedly short) life. I can't wait to read it again, but I get distracted.

Emily Barton said...

Ms. Make Tea - the Bible would be a much better book if some editor had just said things like, "The Book of Numbers doesn't add anything to the text. Consider deleting." And you're probably right about that confidence thing. I commit lies of omission all the time when it comes to computers.

Yes, Litlove, but we'd probably make a terrible couple: nothing practical would ever get done!

Okay, Jordan, you've convinced me. It's moving up on my TBR list. (I was reading things like "TEEN Magazine" and Agatha Christie when I was 13. Would never have thought to read it at that age.)

Anonymous said...

I've read every single book on the list! Well, okay, not really, but I have read seven of the ten. However I have no interest whatsoever in reading Da Vinci Code or Men are from Mars. I do want to read War and Peace someday though.

Rebecca H. said...

I don't get the list either. Maybe some people think that saying they've read Mars/Venus will make them seem sensitive, trying to figure out how to make a relationship work? I don't know. I really can't think of a time I've lied about reading a book -- I'm not that confident in my ability to pull it off, I suppose, if somebody were to ask about details.

Froshty said...

I read the first book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and made it halfway through the second before I just couldn't take it. It was just so dreary. I think I'm just not meant to enjoy trilogies--I never made it past the first book in the Dune series either--I was bored to tears and can't even tell you what happened.

Heather said...

There are a lot of wasted hours out there. Why would someone research this? Sigh. WHY would someone lie about reading or not reading a book? I don't get it. I just don't get it.

Heather
www.thelibraryladder.blogspot.com

Karen G. said...

I wonder what it means that I've read 9 out of 10 on this list, if we are generous with the fact that I'm currently 4/5 of the way through War and Peace? The only one I haven't read is the Venus/Mars book, nor do I plan to. I read Harry Potter to see what all the fuss was about, and I read the DaVinci book because it was everywhere when I returned to the states after a 3-year absence, but I didn't know anything about it. Definitely in the "don't waste your time" category.

Why lie about reading books? Just read them. No one can read everything!

Emily Barton said...

Krakovianka, finally I meet someone who's read almost all of them. I love someone who would read a book just to "see what all the fuss is about." I've been known to do that, too. Although I have to admit, I don't always get through them.