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izumen's review against another edition
Въпреки че е написана увлекателно и се позовава на интересни случаи в световната литература, книгата на Байяр не е нищо повече от популистки трик.
aglaia0001's review
2.0
Using Bayard's own abbreviations, I should have marked this book as SB (Book I have Skimmed), but now will have to mark it FB (Book I've Forgotten). Although premised upon an interesting idea, How to Talk about Books You Haven't Read gets tedious quickly. Ultimately, the entire book is nothing more than an extended exercise in deconstruction. However, since Bayard uses examples of characters out of literature as his support, his argument quickly breaks down when one considers that he also proposes the fluidity of these same texts.
Perhaps the most cogent of Bayard's arguments comes in his epilogue where he claims that the modern education system has failed to adequately "deconsecrate" a text and thereby prevents students from (re)inventing texts. Bayard also makes the good point that the demarcation between "Books You've Read" and "Books You Haven't Read" tends to break down quickly as people often speak about books they've only heard of. Some texts have so infiltrated culture and ideas that one literally does not need to read them in order to speak intelligently about them.
This book probably should have been an article rather than hundreds of pages. If you decide to read the entire book, read it with a good sense of humor to keep from getting bogged down.
Perhaps the most cogent of Bayard's arguments comes in his epilogue where he claims that the modern education system has failed to adequately "deconsecrate" a text and thereby prevents students from (re)inventing texts. Bayard also makes the good point that the demarcation between "Books You've Read" and "Books You Haven't Read" tends to break down quickly as people often speak about books they've only heard of. Some texts have so infiltrated culture and ideas that one literally does not need to read them in order to speak intelligently about them.
This book probably should have been an article rather than hundreds of pages. If you decide to read the entire book, read it with a good sense of humor to keep from getting bogged down.
tristanpej's review
2.0
The academic message of the book is interesting. Bayard argues that there is plenty to discuss about books as parts of an ongoing literary discussion, and as within the context of other books. He believes these aspects to be so central to understanding literature, that they are more important than the actual act of reading the book. I agree to an extent with his argument.
The reason for the low review is because of the method he used to argue this. The title implied a practical book of useful advice, when it really is more of an argumentative work on the value of not reading. It has really long and bloated examples, and really could have been a much shorter book and made the same point. It felt like an essay that just never ended and if it wasn't required reading, I would have just skimmed it for its main arguments and move on.
Long story short, a good book to skin, but I wouldn't read it cover to cover.
The reason for the low review is because of the method he used to argue this. The title implied a practical book of useful advice, when it really is more of an argumentative work on the value of not reading. It has really long and bloated examples, and really could have been a much shorter book and made the same point. It felt like an essay that just never ended and if it wasn't required reading, I would have just skimmed it for its main arguments and move on.
Long story short, a good book to skin, but I wouldn't read it cover to cover.
loganvw's review against another edition
3.0
Different than I expected. A decent read but not quite as helpful as you would imagine. Spends 2/3 of the book effectively setting up different ways of not reading books and situations you might encounter then gets to the section where you would expect sage advice and doesn't deliver. Still interesting and at times humorous.
sh00's review against another edition
4.0
Оказывается, не самая стыдная позиция забыть больше книг, чем читал твой собеседник. Не стыдно и высказаться о книге, не читав её, хотя это в большинстве случаев приведёт если не к игре в "уничижение", то к грандиозному обмену уловками вполне по Шопенгауэру (КП++). Университетский преподаватель литературы рассказывает общественности не только о пользе чтения, но и о пользе не-чтения, сопровождая свои рассуждения примерами из того, что уж точно стоит прочитать вместо вашей обычной Донцовой (КС--).
Кстати, не читал, но осуждаю.
Наиболее дельная часть книги - ознакомление читателя с понятиями "коллективная библиотека" и "книга-ширма". Исключительно из-за них я не состою в литературных кружках и избегаю говорить с людьми о книгах.
Кстати, не читал, но осуждаю.
Наиболее дельная часть книги - ознакомление читателя с понятиями "коллективная библиотека" и "книга-ширма". Исключительно из-за них я не состою в литературных кружках и избегаю говорить с людьми о книгах.
ultimatecryptid's review
funny
informative
medium-paced
3.75
More about the social aspects of reading, where it is very interesting. Very smooth, easy, witty writing style.
language_loving_amateur's review
reflective
3.75
Reading this book gave me similar feelings as watching a professional juggler - "I'm not sure what's happening but it's definitely fascinating." By the end I had sort of caught on to some stuff, but... wow?