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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
This book is great fun. A love letter not only to books, but to book lovers. Fadiman lets her book-geek flag fly proudly, confessing her strong opinions on grammar and writing instruments as well as books. If you've ever proofread a restaurant menu, argued with someone about the best way to arrange your books, or read a car manual simply because you needed something to read, this book is for you. If you have strong opinions about whether your love of books is shown through your intense preservation of them or through your obsessive notations in them, this book is for you. And oh, I want to sign up for classes at Fadiman U. [P.S. this writer's other book, _The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down_, is the only nonfiction book (other than personal essay collections or memoirs) that I regularly recommend.
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
relaxing
slow-paced
lighthearted
medium-paced
We get it, you’re sophisticated.
Charming and magical if a little dense at times.
Yes I did roll my eyes every time she dropped a friend’s name closely followed by their snobby career title in order to make a point, but otherwise appreciated the bits written to and about her fellow “carnal common reader”.
reflective
Without a doubt, this book of essays is well-written, witty, and insightful. I laughed out loud at numerous places, and my smile made frequent appearances. I loved the essay on plagiarism and the one on catalogs. However, there was something a bit off-putting about it.
Despite her prodigious vocabulary, I'm not quite sure the author knows what the word "common" means. Her experience with books, being the scion of well-off two parents from the New York literary elite and the wife of another member, is hardly that of the average person. The title sets an expectation of relatable material for all bibliophiles, but this simply is not the case.
There is an element of literary snobbishness in this book as well. At one point, she refers to science fiction as junk, and throughout, it's made clear in tone and content that only certain types of reading qualifies as truly reading. As a reading omnivore, I have no space for that in my life. As an egalitarian, who passionately believes in the inherent value of others, I find the smugness a bit unbearable.
Despite her prodigious vocabulary, I'm not quite sure the author knows what the word "common" means. Her experience with books, being the scion of well-off two parents from the New York literary elite and the wife of another member, is hardly that of the average person. The title sets an expectation of relatable material for all bibliophiles, but this simply is not the case.
There is an element of literary snobbishness in this book as well. At one point, she refers to science fiction as junk, and throughout, it's made clear in tone and content that only certain types of reading qualifies as truly reading. As a reading omnivore, I have no space for that in my life. As an egalitarian, who passionately believes in the inherent value of others, I find the smugness a bit unbearable.
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced