Vox Hunt: Things Left Unread

Apr 10, 2007 at 7:10 PM
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Book: What book are you most ashamed you haven't read?
Submitted by Byrne.

I'm going to estimate that, as an English major in college, I read approximately a quarter of the books that were assigned to me and I'm being generous. My writing skills extend beyond just proper grammar and usage and right into the fine art of bullshitting. I can't say that I'm especially proud of the fact that I bluffed my way through school,nor am I ashamed of it. Most of the other English students I knew did the exact same thing.

However, there is an extraordinarily long list of books I feel like I'm supposed to read at some point. I'm still rebelling a little and reading anything BUT "classics" but I hope to outgrow that and get back into "proper" literature at some point. I feel that as long as I'm always reading something and filing my brain with (relatively) good stuff, then I can be forgiven for not reading Ulysses. That book is super long! I'll read it some day though, I swear.

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As a fellow English major, I commiserate. That 100 Best Novels list completely stresses me out! I sometimes feel like I'll never know as much as I'd like to about books. I suppose I should just accept that, but as an English major and aspiring librarian, I feel that I should know all. Thanks for reminding me that the rest of my English major friends bluffed their way through college just as much as I did.

I don't think it's as important to read every single significant book as it is to understand the basic genres, theories, blah blah. It's like being a musician - you don't have to memorize every single piece of music to be able to identify a specific composer or era.

I don't see the point of slagging through material you don't really enjoy or engage with just to say "Oh yeah, I read that." If I'm not interested in a book, there's no way I can force myself to read it. My brain shuts off.

What's weird is that my dream in college was to be a literature professor *some day* I don't think I have the patience for that, though. I don't think I could bluff my way to a Ph.D.... or could I? *eyebrow*

[this is good]

. Ulysses, hunh? In the past two days, I've been told three times that I should read it. We read some in H.S. and picked it to pieces, which irritated me. But maybe I'll get a copy and give it a try. Perhaps it'll be better, on its own? Oh- anything going on with SHUT UP! (the group) ??

Vox Hunt: Things Left Unread

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