Saturday, February 10
How to Not Read a Book
Pierre Baynard’s new book, Comment Parler des Livres que l’on n’a pas Lus, is about how to talk about books you haven’t read--so as to make yourself seem smarter, more literate, and more debonair than you actually are. It is currently a blockbuster bestseller in France. According to Sarah Vines in a fantastically funny London Times review of the book, this is a quintessential French concept, given the overweening hubris of what she calls the Gallic "intellectual patrimony." In a delectable twist, Vines did not actually read the book. Instead, she took Baynard's message to heart and just faked it.
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3 comments:
Oh, wow....
Well, at least they're still trying to appear intelligent. Most Americans of my age could care less.
This sounds awfully close to the cocktail party education that results from using anthologies in an effort to "expose" students to everything. Much better to actually read a book or two and gain an appetite for more.
Too funny, and too true to our age.
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