I like everything I read

[KilgoreT]

I have noticed over the past year or so that I like just about everything I read. I should explain that I read a fairly limited selection of literature, mostly novels, very little poetry, non-fiction, philosophy, etc. I am nowhere near as well-read as many people on these forums. I enjoy the experience- I choose a book to read, I read it, and I like it. Next. In fact, at any given time the book I am reading or read last would probably be listed as one of my favorite books.

Just saying that makes me feel childish. For a while now, I have been wondering if I am perhaps not critical enough of what I am reading. I also wonder if I find quality in certain books because they come highly recommended, so I search for that quality until I inevitably find it (or even think I find it?). I looked briefly at an old thread about somebody not trusting their own judgment, and I think that to some degree that may apply to me as well.

Or maybe I am just good at picking books I will like? Maybe I am not adventurous enough? Does this happen to anyone else? I know at least some of you out there are picky about what you read, and even more so about what you like.

[MorpheusSandman]

I think the more experienced you become with any artistic medium the more selective and critical you become; it's a backlash against experiencing so much art that seems to bleed and fade into everything else. When you lack experience, everything stands out as being original and exciting on some level. After a while, you realize that most of it is pretty much the same, and that makes those truly special stand out all the more. Of course, there is a certain science and art to reading (or doing anything) critically, and it might not hurt if you checked out some books on how to critically read novels.

[ChicagoReader]

I too share this problem to some extent. A lot of times I pick a book because it's a "classic" and after finishing, I like it but I'm never quite sure if I liked it because I know it's supposed to be good or if I really liked it personally. I also am not as well read as the majority on this forum though there are still some books I detest after reading though, this is most likely because they are over my head (Canterbury Tales, hated them but I feel like they are actually quite good if I could grasp them properly).

[Emil Miller]

The question here is, are you reading for personal enlightenment/enjoyment, to obtain a degree in literature, or both?
It is very easy to imagine that your reading is lacking something if you are not studying it as a subject. However, remember that those who are, are being told what to read as part of their studies and will be reading books that may be more literary than those of their own choice.
Ask yourself this question: how many of the people on this website would have read the books they have, had they not been pointed in that direction as a part of their studies?
I've never read Tolstoy and have no intention of doing so. So what? I've read as widely as I want to in various languages and couldn't care less about the view from the groves of academe, because I am a reader and not an academic. So read what you want to and be content with what you find informative and enjoy.

[IceM]

You're a terrible author's best friend.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

I'm sort of the same way, really. I rarely read a whole book I don't like, as I quit reading something not at all appealing to me, and this, unfortunately, happens usually with "the classics." Even modern works where I can see problems in the writing I can still enjoy. Hell, I read two Dan Brown novels and enjoyed them quite a bit. I don't know if it'd be the same now, that was years ago.

But, I also think I enjoy most of what I read because I pick out what I read discriminately. I don't just get any fantasy/sci-fi novel. I seek out the authors who are said to have some worth.

But, really, if you're reading purely for enjoyment, I wouldn't worry about it. I'd cherish your position, actually. Nothing wrong with loving everything you read--I wish I could say the same. Reading critically and academically is enjoyable, and it may expand your horizons, but, for me, it has tarnished my ability to enjoy what some may call shlock.

[kiki1982]

I think that what Morpheus said was very true. You need experience to know what you like and why, what you may possibly like and what you will ebsolutely not like. The first time you will come across a book you do not like, you'll certainly know it, no question about that, and you will start, over time, to remember (a) certain book(s) for a certain quality it/they had more than others, a certain character, what-not.

I have not read my favorite books more than once (yet), but I remember them fondly, for their characters, prose, or way of saying things. (plots are not important to me really)

It may be that you have been lucky up till now ;), but maybe you can help yourself by thinking why you like those books or the one you have just read (that is the easiest as you have it fresh in your memory). Would you read something by the same author again or not, and why is that?

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

I think the more experienced you become with any artistic medium the more selective and critical you become
I'm not quite sure this is true. I know plenty of people who watch tons of movies and still seem to like every movie they see. People listen to tons of music and still listen to crap. And plenty of people read a ton of horrible books without a second thought. I think there are a lot of people who don't like to stray from their comfort zone.

[Veho]

Why analyse it? What's wrong with enjoying everything you read? I say, just enjoy the enjoyment - it might not last.

[Buh4Bee]

I think I fall into your camp to a certain exstent. I am not an English professor or English teacher, so I haven’t studied literature in a formal academic setting. What little of literary criticism that I know is “picked-up” from the forum, research on the web, converations with literary friends, or through conversations with writing partners. I recommend taking a literary class for fun if you really want to broad your horizons.

As far as developing good judgement to determine the quality of a book, that takes time. You need to read quality, and not just novels, but other genres such as poetry and philosophy. Once you develop a taste or a sense, you will start to notice a change in your perceptions. It’s like being able to look at a dress and know if it is quality or not. Can you look at a painting and recognize real art? Develop an eye and ear for what is good and not so good.

One thing I try to keep in mind is that I am the only critic here regarding my own literary development. It is the drive to improve your “hobby” and make the most of your time. Reading critically is a great way to keep the mind sharp and engaged in the world. Why not refine your taste and skills?

[MorpheusSandman]

I'm not quite sure this is true. I know plenty of people who watch tons of movies and still seem to like every movie they see. People listen to tons of music and still listen to crap. And plenty of people read a ton of horrible books without a second thought. I think there are a lot of people who don't like to stray from their comfort zone.Well, the "comfort zone" thing is the qualifier here. I watch tons of films myself and even write reviews for them, so I tend to try and stick with those that I'll like or, at least, find some quality in worth writing about. I'd say I like at least 85% of the films I watch, but I also think that seeing so many allows me to distinguish the "good" from the "really good," "excellent", and those rare masterpieces. I'm much more selective about what I read and listen to, if only because reading takes up a lot of time and music takes up a lot of time and money.

[Big Dante]

Probably a good thing if you enjoy everything you read as long as you know why you enjoyed it. Not just for the sake of other people saying it was a good book. How did it influence you into making the decision? That's the question to see if your enjoying every book is good or bad.

[Buh4Bee]

Big Dante- If I had anything to add to what I already posted, I would add what you wrote. Awareness of why you like something will certainly help refine your taste further. I'd like to emphasize "your taste," not everyone else's.

[KilgoreT]

Thanks for your responses everyone. Ultimately, I feel comfortable with what I read and the reasons why because I know that I'm being true to myself. I do respect the opinions of other literary-minded people like you all and wanted to hear what you thought, and I found your responses interesting and informative. I see myself as something of a "beginner" literature enthusiast.


When you lack experience, everything stands out as being original and exciting on some level. After a while, you realize that most of it is pretty much the same

Hmm. This sounds logical, but is a pretty depressing thought from where I stand right now.


The question here is, are you reading for personal enlightenment/enjoyment, to obtain a degree in literature, or both?

I read for personal enjoyment. I had a high school English teacher who turned me off of studying literature so much that I avoided it like the plague during the whole of my undergrad career. It is true that while I'm enjoying a book I sometimes think "if there was a teacher making me read this I wouldn't like it", or I look back at books I hated in high school and think I would like them if I gave them a second chance on my own.

I am taking the advice of people who said I should just enjoy it- I can't get my hands on enough books and every one I read makes me want even more. I have always enjoyed reading, but for the last year or so literature has been an important part of my life, and a very rewarding one. I hope I can keep it that way.

[kiki1982]

Hmm. This sounds logical, but is a pretty depressing thought from where I stand right now.

Haha, that's logical, but you also have to think that every year you get older, you'll get more out of a potential book. Where a book about unrequited love, say, may look melodramatic when you're a teenager, it will get really sad when you're older, because you'll know people who have gone through it or you'll be able to imagine that situation better.

So, it's not only what ou have experienced on a lit level that mattersn but also what you have experienced in life.

[Pierre Menard]

Probably a good thing if you enjoy everything you read as long as you know why you enjoyed it. Not just for the sake of other people saying it was a good book. How did it influence you into making the decision? That's the question to see if your enjoying every book is good or bad.


Yeah, absolutely agree with this.

I was a bit the same as the OP for a while, where I was starting to wonder if I was almost forcing myself to enjoy something.
But if you're really honest with yourself and if you can look back on what you read and clearly say why you enjoyed it and what made you like it, then I'm pretty sure you've genuinely enjoyed it. For example, I'm just about to finish Heart of Darkness, and I can clearly say the reason I've enjoyed it so much is because of the beautiful prose and the beauty and style of the writing overall.

[MorpheusSandman]

Hmm. This sounds logical, but is a pretty depressing thought from where I stand right now.I don't think you should think of it as depressing. You have to realize that the you of now is not going to be the you of 5 or 10 or 20 years from now, and each of those yous is going to have different tastes, different levels of knowledge, different levels of awareness, different concerns and interests. Me as a young teen would've balked at reading Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Milton, but the me of now finds immense pleasure in it. Somethings I used to enjoy I look back on and realize how bad and cliche they were, yet others I look back and think that they really WERE good. You find those masterpieces by finding works that you can return to throughout your life and have them mean something slightly different every time you encounter them. In the meantime, just enjoy the ride, and remember that the best part about becoming jaded is realizing how truly special and amazing the greats are.

[Brock]

You find those masterpieces by finding works that you can return to throughout your life and have them mean something slightly different every time you encounter them.

Also, one thing I find happening, is that if I read a book that I first read ages ago, the actual reading process is affected by when and where I originally read the book. For example, Tess of the d'Urbervilles. When I re-read this for a dissertation over a year ago, certain scenes, or dialogues reminded me of when I first read it, in the washing-up room of a pub where I worked while at school at the age of 15. I experienced moments of nostalgia and found myself, amidst reading, staring up remembering when I was 15. This dramatically alters the experience of reading the same text. The experience of reading Tess has now become somehow infused with my own experiences. So, for me anyway, I think novels grow and become affected by the reader's own progression and memories. Does this make sense, or am I just weird?