Comments on: Sophistry for sure

By: Blog Segullah : Truth or dare (I’ll give you hint: I dare you to tell the truth)

Thu, 29 May 2008 12:59:49 +0000

[...] (I’ll give you hint: I dare you to tell the truth) Today’s post was inspired by one of Justine’s thought-provoking posts and the interesting comments that ensued. (Not to mention just a little egging on by Deborah and [...]

By: Blog Segullah : Book Review from a book snob, Jessica Draper’s “Hunting Gideon”

Thu, 08 May 2008 10:19:43 +0000

[...] a book snob, Jessica Draper’s “Hunting Gideon” While Deborah was defending her non-book-snob status last week, I was also coming to terms with my own. And I guess here is where I must admit [...]

By: Rachel

Rachel — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:53:48 +0000

Jane Austen is the soap opera/romance novel writer of her day. Her writing is one of the big reasons I learned to question authority about what the canon of classic “literature” really is. You can make up your own mind! Sometimes the classics are just pop culture trash that lasted longer than most. Fight the power! Resist others who try to force their opinion on the rest of the world.

By: Dalene

Dalene — Wed, 07 May 2008 03:18:17 +0000

Sue, still friends? And yes, this is definitely my next post. Save your truest confessions for me–I can’t wait (but I have to, it’s not my turn)!

By: Sue

Sue — Wed, 07 May 2008 03:17:27 +0000

P.S. You MUST write that post.

By: Sue

Sue — Wed, 07 May 2008 03:16:07 +0000

DALENE! You don’t love Jane Austen?!!! What in the – how is that even possible? Her stuff is – it DEMANDS that you love it.

HERESY.

By: Justine

Justine — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:52:16 +0000

I forced my way through Moby Dick two years ago. It’s such a man book. Really. All that blubber and knives and whaling and revenge and such. Man man man man man man man book!

By: Deborah

Deborah — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:30:51 +0000

Dalene: I think that’s your next post. That’s where I’ll admit I’ve never read Moby Dick — but have successfully pretended more than once. Oh, Ishmael!

By: Dalene

Dalene — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:00:00 +0000

I completely respect anyone who loathes Crossing to Safety. But I have to say I loved it. Maybe because I know and love at least a few people who are pretentious and unlikable. Maybe because I’m insanely jealous of a successful writer who gets to live in Italy for a year and vacation on a lake-front cabin where someone else does the cooking. Maybe because I like to ponder the thought of staying in a relationship that is difficult and painful at times. (Maybe they’re not admirable–maybe they’re just codependent?) Maybe because I am so flawed it didn’t bother me that the characters were flawed. I don’t know. But I loved it the first time I read it and I loved it again when I just finished it last week.

Here’s my confession: I don’t love Jane Austen. (Except when someone really hot is cast as Mr. Darcy in a film version.)

I loved Dandelion Wine, too. It’s probably time for a reread of that one.

Oh this is fun. Now I want to write a “True Confessions” post about literary classics we hated and non classics we secretly loved. It’s kind of fun to come out of the closet about that!

By: Wendy

Wendy — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:16:46 +0000

I’m really late in this, and am only thinking of little snippets of various comments. I like to read some of the meatier stuff, like “Left to Tell,” and don’t think I have to read trash to get good substance. I saw Schindler’s List as a single woman and was far more “traumatized” by the sex scene than I was moved by the Holocaust information, which seemed to be less information than I had gotten from PBS and school when I was younger. I have always regretted seeing it. I am picky with what I read that way, and don’t see myself changing there.

I can picture myself having the exact conversation Justine started her essay with. There are some things I can’t stomach (heard it all in my office at work, thankyouverymuch), and I choose to limit what I read.

I think of myself as not very literary when I am discussing a book with English majors or other well-read people. I can’t say what draws me into a book, and I can’t analyze them or find the words to describe them like the English majors in my book club.

Thank you Azucar for saying our likes and dislikes don’t mean much about us or the books we like or don’t like. I confess I have felt “less than” when I am around my more literary friends and relatives. My recent bookclub recommendation was met with “the author should’ve edited out the cheesiness.” I thought, “What cheese?” I LOVED the book. Am I less literary because I missed it? I guessed so.

Re: my book tastes, I couldn’t finish Crossing to Safety–ho hum. I devoured Portrait of a Lady (need to try more of James), I couldn’t get through Sense and Sensibility–such an annoying beginning, I loved Voltaire’s Candide, Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine, and Card’s Enders series.

I find myself at a loss for knowing how to find a book I’d enjoy, so I lean towards the classics and take a chance on the modern stuff when it comes with a really good recommendation.