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eBook editionsHow to Talk about Books You Haven't Readby Pierre Bayard
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:The runaway French bestseller hailed by the New York Times as “a survivors guide to life in the chattering classes.” If civilized people are expected to have read all important works of literature, and thousands more books are published every year, what are we supposed to do in those awkward social situations in which were forced to talk about books we havent read? In this delightfully witty, provocative book, a huge hit in France that has drawn attention from critics around the world, literature professor and psychoanalyst Pierre Bayard argues that its actually more important to know a books role in our collective library than its details. Using examples from such writers as Graham Greene, Oscar Wilde, Montaigne, and Umberto Eco, and even the movie Groundhog Day, he describes the many varieties of “non-reading” and the horribly sticky social situations that might confront us, and then offers his advice on what to do. Practical, funny, and thought-provoking, How to Talk About Books You Havent Read is in the end a love letter to books, offering a whole new perspective on how we read and absorb them. Its the book that readers everywhere will be talking about—and despite themselves, reading—this holiday season. Pierre Bayard is a professor of French literature at the University of Paris VIII and a psychoanalyst. He is the author of Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?and of many other books. Jeffrey Mehlman is a professor of French at Boston University and the author of a number of books, including Emigré New York. He has translated works by Derrida, Lacan, Blanchot, and other authors. A New York Times Notable Book of the Year Many feel the pressure to be able to say that they have read all important works of literature and feel awkward when they land in a social situation where they are asked to talk about a book they have not read. In this witty, provocative book, literature professor and psychoanalyst Pierre Bayard suggests that it's possible to have an interesting conversation about a book without reading it. He argues that its actually more important to know about a books role in our collective library than its details. Using examples from such writers as Graham Greene, Oscar Wilde, Montaigne, and Umberto Eco, and even the movie Groundhog Day, Bayard describes the many varieties of “non-reading” and the sticky social situations that might confront "non-readers." Practical, funny, and thought-provoking, How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read is an homage to books that offers a new perspective on how we read and absorb them. Its the book for readers and book lovers to enjoy, ponder, and argue about. "I probably shouldn't bring any of this up, but Mr. Bayard holds that one of the best reasons for reading a book is that it allows you to talk about yourself. How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read is an amusing disquisition on what is required to establish cultural literacy in a comfortable way. Lightly laced with irony, the book nonetheless raises such serious questions as: What are our true motives for reading? Is there an objective way to read a book? What do we retain from the books we've read?"—Joseph Epstein, Wall Street Journal "I read and adored Pierre Bayards book. It's funny, smart, and so true—a wonderful combination of slick French philosophizing and tongue-in-cheek wit, and an honest appraisal of what it means, or doesn't mean, to read."—Clare Messud, author of The Emperors Children “It may well be that too many books are published, but by good fortune, not all must be read . . . A survivors guide to life in the chattering classes . . . evidently much in need.”—The New York Times "In this work of inspired nonsense—which nevertheless evokes our very real sense of insecurity about the gaps in our cultural knowledge—reading is not only superfluous, it is meaningless. Our need to appear well-read is all."—Sarah Gold, Chicago Tribune “In this hilarious and elaborate spoof, Bayard proves once again that being almost ridiculously erudite and screamingly funny are by no means mutually exclusive."—Booklist "Bayard begins this primer by explaining that even the most voracious readers can only read so many books, and for every book one chooses, 'all the other books in the universe' are put aside. Even if one has not read a book, it is still possible to be aware of its 'cultural location' or how it is situated in relation to other titles in our collective awareness. For example, the author confesses that he has not read Joyce's Ulysses, but he knows that it is a stream-of-consciousness retelling of the Odyssey, and that it takes place in Dublin in a single day. Searching his 'intellectual library,' he feels confident discussing what he knows. Books that we do read become a part of us, and those we discuss are mostly what Bayard calls 'screen books,' or substitute objects we create out of our own notion of the book. The second part espouses the idea that 'readers and nonreaders alike are caught up in an endless process of inventing books' through discussion. And finally, the last part reveals how the author believes the exercise of discussing unread books offers the opportunity for self-discovery and the freedom to invent one's own text. By using our own experiences and memories, we create our own book in the telling. Witty, thought-provoking, and definitely worth actually reading, this title promises to be popular with English teachers looking for ideas to jump-start writing exercises, as well as with teens who realize that they simply can't read everything."—Dana Coburn, School Library Journal “A witty and useful piece of literary sociology, designed to bring lasting peace of mind to the scrupulous souls who grow anxious whenever the book-talk around them becomes too specific.”—London Review of Books “With rare humor, Bayard liberally rethinks the social use [of literature] and the position of the reader . . . Read or skim How to Talk About Books You Havent Read. Or simply listen to what people say about it so that you can talk about it with ease. In either case, you may not be able to forget it.”—Les Inrockuptibles Review:"Bayard (Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?), a professor of French literature at the University of Paris openly (if not entirely convincingly), confesses to having neither the time nor the inclination to do much reading. Yet he is all too aware that in his profession, one is often expected to have read the literature one is teaching or talking about with colleagues. In this extended essay, a bestseller in France, Bayard argues that the act of reading is less important than knowing the social and intellectual context of a book. He is so convinced of this that he claims there is great enjoyment — and even enlightenment — in discussing a book one has not read with someone equally unfamiliar with it. Despite appearances, Bayard's volume is not a self-help book or a bluffer's guide to great literature, but instead serves to warn people not to try to impress others with how much they have read. The truth is, most of the time they're fibbing and there are many gradations between total reading and complete nonreading, he declares, including hearing about a book, skimming it and forgetting its contents. A little too much impenetrable psychoanalytic jargon sometimes threatens to overwhelm Bayard's argument, but Bayard's at least partly tongue-in-cheek argument about not reading is well worth reading." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Synopsis:The runaway French bestseller hailed by the New York Times as “a survivors guide to life in the chattering classes.” If civilized people are expected to have read all important works of literature, and thousands more books are published every year, what are we supposed to do in those awkward social situations in which were forced to talk about books we havent read? In this delightfully witty, provocative book, a huge hit in France that has drawn attention from critics around the world, literature professor and psychoanalyst Pierre Bayard argues that its actually more important to know a books role in our collective library than its details. Using examples from such writers as Graham Greene, Oscar Wilde, Montaigne, and Umberto Eco, and even the movie Groundhog Day, he describes the many varieties of “non-reading” and the horribly sticky social situations that might confront us, and then offers his advice on what to do. Practical, funny, and thought-provoking, How to Talk About Books You Havent Read is in the end a love letter to books, offering a whole new perspective on how we read and absorb them. Its the book that readers everywhere will be talking aboutand despite themselves, readingthis holiday season. Synopsis:In this provocative, witty book, literature professor and psychoanalyst Bayard argues that non-reading can be just as useful an act as reading. He states that the truly cultivated person is not the one who has read a book, but the one who understands the books place in culture. About the AuthorPierre Bayard is a professor of French literature at the University of Paris VIII and a psychoanalyst. He is the author of Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?and of many other books. Jeffrey Mehlman is a professor of French at Boston University and the author of a number of books, including Emigré New York. He has translated works by Derrida, Lacan, Blanchot, and other authors. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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