[lit-ideas] Re: Just read a novel
- From: "Andy Amago" <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "lit-ideas" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 23:28:27 -0400
I can relate to this. It seems to me that there's so much in the world to
learn that I don't want to waste my time reading something that's made up.
I was an English major once. I remember being in a bookstore as an
undergraduate (hadn't yet declared my major) and was looking through the
novels, and I *wanted* to read those books. For whatever reason, that's
long gone. I read only nonfiction, and if I read fiction, it's only of the
tried and true variety, the way we did on phil lit, where there has to be
something in it, whether symbolism or a statement on human behavior or
images that pull together or something.
I finally finished that girl book that my neighbor gave me. After a while
I got pulled into the story and wanted to see what would happen to the
characters, but, unfortunately, it had a fairy tale ending. That turned me
off completely. It dripped with contemporary psychological awareness, but
it was pure brain candy. For better or for worse, I don't like candy,
never eat the stuff. Lately, though, I feel like what's the point? I've
read myself stupid on nutrition, on international affairs, on psychology,
on other things, and I think, yeah, so, now I know this stuff and so what?
Who cares? How is my life any better for knowing it? We're all going to
die, so why not some brain candy? But I can't do it, even if in the end
nothing matters.
I think the book you read is a mystery. That's just pure entertainment.
Doesn't sound like you were very entertained though. I think that if
you're not clear on whether you liked it or not, then you probably didn't
like it. I would imagine that if you get pleasure from pure philosophy
(it's not connected to reality that I can see), then a lowly mystery
wouldn't be very enticing, unless you like a piece of candy now and again.
> [Original Message]
> From: <wokshevs@xxxxxx>
> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 10/18/2006 1:20:25 PM
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Just read a novel
>
>
> A little while back, a friend presented me with a novel for a gift. At
first, I
> didn't know what to do with it. I decided to leave it on the night-table
next
> to the bed. Over the past 6 weeks, I would read a page or 2 in bed to
help me
> fall asleep quicker. Last night I finished it. The title is *The Sunday
> Philosophy Club* by Alexander McCall Smith. I'm just wondering: now that
I've
> finished the novel, what does one do? Is it a good novel? How does one
tell? I,
> myself, am not clear on whether I liked it or not. Nor am I clear on
whether
> I've benefited from that literary experience. Is there a point to novels
I'm
> missing? (And how is it that at some universities today, you can write a
novel
> instead of a dissertation for a doctoral degree?? Does literature actually
> count as a form of knoweledge in these pomo days?)
>
> Perplexed in St. John's, NL
>
> Walter O.
> Memorial U.
>
>
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