Book Snobs

When it comes to reading books, people can be a bit elitist, especially English teachers. A few years ago I wrote an editorial about summer reading, and I mentioned that some teachers select titles because they are difficult to read, or they are obscure. Somehow this makes them feel more intelligent and scholarly. The irony of course is that some of the very people who engage in this book snobbery don't read much for pleasure themselves. I suppose it's easy to rail against popular fiction (Twilight, Harry Potter) and hide behind "literature" because it's what's expected in our profession, but I think it sends a terrible message to students. The bottom line is that reading is reading. When we read for pleasure, the only criteria should be wanting to read. It takes some time to discover what kinds of books we like, but once we do, it allows us to lose ourselves in the world that authors create.

My hope is that once students are interested in reading for pleasure, maybe they will move from popular to literary fiction. Yes, there are clear academic advantages to reading more intellectually demading works, but that's what a school curriculum is for. I choose to read mostly non-fiction works--usually on history, sociolgy, or education policy, and memoirs. When John Irving, Ian McEwen, or Toni Morrison come out with a new book, I'll pick it up. Luckily, there are enough books out there to satisfy everyone's taste.

Twilight

So I finally read Twilight. Whenever a really popular book comes out, I try to give it a shot, even if it's the type of book I normally wouldn't read. The good news is that it doesn't take long to get through, and the storyline moves along. The bad news is that Stephenie Meyer needed an editor to change some strange adverb usage, and to come up with a variety of ways to describe Edward's good looks. A reader can only take so many repetitions of "Edward was so perfect."

After reading a few articles that explain why the book series and movies are so popular, I have to agree that at its core, the story appeals to what most teenage girls want--a sensitive boy who is handsome and will take care of them. Too bad that all too often art doesn't imitate life.