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Bluestocking

From last week's Booking Through Thursday —

Two-thirds of Brits have lied about reading books they haven’t. Have you? Why? What book?

Oh dear, oh dear. I'm afraid I don't see the purpose of lying about what I've read. To impress people? Far more likely to be thoroughly mortified by being caught out when someone asks "What about that glass paperweight, eh?"

Here's part of the original article from Reuters:

The study, carried out on the World Book Day website in January and February, surveyed 1,342 members of the public.

Those who lied have claimed to have read:

1. 1984 – George Orwell (42 percent)

2. War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy (31)

3. Ulysses – James Joyce (25)

4. The Bible (24)

5. Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert (16)

6. A Brief History of Time – Stephen Hawking (15)

7. Midnight's Children – Salman Rushdie (14)

8. In Remembrance of Things Past – Marcel Proust (9)

9. Dreams from My Father – Barack Obama (6)

10. The Selfish Gene – Richard Dawkins (6)

I admit that I have read none of these except, as it happens, 1984, which I was forced to do in high school. This, along with Animal Farm, may have been the beginning of my dislike for post-apocalyptic totalitarian-world science fiction. To be honest, though, what I have read of Orwell as an adult — Keep the Aspidistra Flying and his essay "Why I Write", for instance — intrigue me for his writing style. (No, really, I just read him for the prose.)

I have read parts of the Bible, but not the whole thing. Have never even heard of The Selfish Gene! that's embarrassing.

6 responses to “Would You Lie?”

Jean Miles

8th October 2009

In one of David Lodge’s books, a group of people play a game in which you name a famous book you haven’t read (my trump card is going to be David Copperfield) and then score a point for everyone at the table who has read it. I think someone says that Americans don’t get the idea, because the point of the game is sort of to put yourself down.
I’ve read five of the books on your list, plus a fair amount of the Bible.

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mary lou

9th October 2009

I have read only 3 of those books, and anyone could catch me out with questions, I can hardly remember my name some days! The Selfish Gene? Must go check it out so I can lie about it.

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Maureen

9th October 2009

I was feeling increasingly stupid as I read down the list and realized I hadn’t read any, other than parts of the Bible, (we did 1984 in school), so your comment was heartening. I think here in the US Moby Dick would fall high on the list.

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Wendy

9th October 2009

I guess I think that people would lie to impress…but it makes me think about the process of reading a book vs. the product…clearly someone who lies thinks product (having read) is the reward…and clearly an online synopsis isn’t hard to come by if one wants to lie. For me, with a lousy memory, it’s both process and product. I know I do read for how things make me feel and how contexts of novels make me feel.
To jog my memory, (I forget BOTH the process and the product!!) I keep a reading journal! Ironically, I guess the lessons of “In Search of Things Past,” (how to jog one’s memory, in basic essence) read in college in FRENCH were TOTALLY LOST on me!!! (my French wasnt’ that great). Guess I better go eat some cookies that I liked in college to see if that helps (that was pre-journal days)… Thanks for your lovely post.
Wendy
wavery on ravelry

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PICAdrienne

12th October 2009

I am with you on the reading of that particular list. Yep, I have read 1984, and Animal Farm, and along the same lines, Anthem and A Brave New World. Have read most of the New Testament, and some of the Old. Have not heard of the last book on the list. And, most of the other books on the list, not really interested in reading.

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Dulce Domum

17th October 2009

I have only lied about my reading to my lecturers in college. I bluffed a whole tutorial on “Emma”, simply by smiling and saying “hey, what a great point you made there!” I made friends because of it, simply because they saw me as a positive and generous person, rather than a big, fat lier.
To be honest with you, I think life is a bit too short to read books you don’t like the sound of, even if they are fashionable and meant to be brilliant.
That being said, I have read all of those books you listed…(wink, wink)

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