This is my first time joining in the literary blog hop hosted by The Blue Bookcase.
Here's this week's question:
What other outside influences affect your reading experience? Do you think these influences enhance or detract from the experience?
In my teens I definitely developed a brief but powerful snobbery that I think related to my alienation at school. I wasn't in the 'cool' group and was considered a bit of a nerd - though not enough to be included in the 'nerd' group. I had a stage when I read only classics and would look down my nose at anyone reading anything more modern than the early 1900's. Thankfully I got over that in a short time. I still love my classics but mix things up now with modern literary fiction, paranormal etc.
I am happier now that I read a wide range of books, but I think my preference was a positive in some ways as I read so many books from the Penguin's Classics range and that knowledge led me to explore mythology and other subjects which have informed my reading since then.
I think anyone's reading choices are influenced by their own lives, beliefs and opinions. A homophobe is hardly going to pick up a gay novel, to use an extreme example. We may not realise it on a conscious level, but those inner criteria are still there. Perhaps they detract if it means we are not giving certain types of books a fair go, but maybe these criteria also lead us to the books we will enjoy and which enhance our reading experience.
Great post! I was a total nerd in high school and I also read a lot of classics. I might not have gone to all the cool parties but I introduced myself to Austen, Steinbeck, Dickens, and Alcott. They are still my favorite authors to this day. I like to read lots of different things now too, it makes reading more enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteI am not admitting to being a nerd BUT I certainly marched to the beat of my own drummer. I think I was more of an independent and I read my own kind of books. I know I went through a major Agatha Christie spell in high school among many other spells. (Not that there's anything wrong with being a nerd).
ReplyDeleteFortunately, I've always been such a massive intellectual snob that if I was reading a non-classic, I considered it a sign of security in my own intelligence and, thus, if anyone disparaged the book, it must have been a sign that they were insecure and hence not actually all that bright!
ReplyDeleteI was the same way! If it wasn't a classic I didn't want it. I was even picky about what publisher I read. I liked the Penguin Classics for the essays about the book.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I read so many classics since it gave me a good base but I think I like reading some YA now because I skipped it when I was a YA.
Now I appreciate any genre
Awesome post. I love a wide range of books too :0)
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good point...that who we are around at different points in life can affect what we read. I did a similar thing in high school, and then I didn't get back to reading classics for a good 10 years after graduation. Funny stuff. :)
ReplyDeleteI read pretty much whatever I want and always have. Due to many siblings with different tastes and a mom and dad who read the complete opposite types of books, I have grown up with everything and now I am spreading out even more. For a while I refused to read classics (sort of a reverse snob effect) until my mom and older sister introduced me to Jane Austen and then I was a goner. However, now I love fan fiction based on the classics and my mom thinks I am crazy. I think the more influences the better because then you are willing to try anything and are prepared to like it. It doesn't necessarily mean you are going to like it, but you are more likely to have an open mind. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the interesting post!
Hey, new follower via Follow Friday. Have a Great weekend!
ReplyDeleteHi! I found you through Parajunkee's Follow Friday Hop, and have just become a follower.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very insightful post. I can relate much of what you're saying here with my own reading experience. There was a time when I, too, was a bit of a book snob. One genre I particularly used to look down my nose at was the romance genre. No more! Although I mix up my genres, too, I now love to read romance novels! I prefer paranormals and historical romances.
I also love science fiction and fantasy, although I started reading those pretty early on.
I was pretty much a social outcast in high school, and I went to an all-girl school, too, so it was a pretty miserable time...had it not been for books, I would have been even MORE miserable, if that was possible! Lol.
Here's my Follow Friday post:
http://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/follow-my-book-blog-friday-hop-3.html
A very good post-I was a nerd in high school and beyond!-I did not know there was anything but classic books until I was at least in college-
ReplyDeleteI see how your point makes sense. I never thought about that. I know that ideas of morality kept from reading or appreciation many literary works. But I say 'kept' as I've reached a stage where I've learnt not to judge, just to 'listen':)
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with a lot of your points. I think I went through a "literary snob" phase for sure, and now I'm happier with a more diverse reading life. I also think that I just know what I like now, so although I happily take recommendations, I won't read them if I know I won't like them.
ReplyDeleteCome read my post atThe Scarlet Letter
I've posted before on my path through literature and its own wayward route, like yourself the classics were an early food source before realising there were other nutrients.
ReplyDeleteI'm also a first time literary blog hopper. Great answer! I've rediscovered the classics over the past 2 year. So glad I did... Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteI also went through a phase when I exclusively read the classics (although somewhat later in life than you). I found that this enriched my experience as I began to read a wider range of literature and made me a better reader. Thanks for reminding me of the importance of this.
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