This is a cute post from Paper Cuts, about the literary dealbreakers when it comes to personal relationships. I recommend a lot of books — it comes with the territory when you work in book publishing. Everyone is always asking what they should be reading, and for the most part, I like to pride myself on my book matching acumen. But I had never thought of the consequences in terms of dating.
Back in the day, I gave my RRHB a lot of books before we lived together, well before I knew what he actually liked to read, and I think the worst present I ever thrusted upon him was Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow. Thankfully, he married me anyway.
However, I am a complete Judgey-McJudgerson when it comes to what other people are reading. For example, I will think wickedly awful thoughts if you carry around quotations from Eat, Pray, Love in your handbag. I just will. And if you tell me that The Da Vinci Code is your favourite book, like, ever, I can’t help but relay the fact that I threw that book across the room after trying to get through it for my now-defunct book club. Literary snob? Yes.
It’s just like Rebecca Miller says: “…Mr. Lee reserved his special disdain for those who thought they were better than other people just because they read books.” People who read books are better than people who don’t. I won’t cookie-cutter it, but I save my own particular disdain for people who choose to read bad books. Harsh, but true.
My best friend only reads John Grisham, James Patterson and Dan Brown. *blank stare*
It’s a good thing that we became friends when we were still learning how to write our names. 😉
“Judgey-McJudgerson”
CLASSIC Dude.
From one book snob to another, AMEN SISTAH!
I forced myself through a stack of utter flaming crap that a well-meaning friend brought me when I was bed-ridden with pneumonia. I honestly think it hindered my recovery!
I have to admit, I have my own personal hate-on for Tom Robbins. And I KNOW some people love him and consider his work higher art. But I remember back in university when boys I knew carried around SKINNY LEGS AND ALL like it was their bible and quoted from it and called it a piece of art. Barf.