This article express sentiments I've had for a while. People that read a lot usually have a list of things to read, and the criteria for adding a book in a given position is often inscrutable even...
This article express sentiments I've had for a while.
People that read a lot usually have a list of things to read, and the criteria for adding a book in a given position is often inscrutable even to themselves. The odds of a gifted book entering the list are minimal, and it will most likely be at the end from where it will never leave.
You may be lucky to have a recipient that is so dedicated to an author or series that they're guaranteed to read it, but in that case you might give them something they already got.
In most cases, a book given will never be read. It's not a gift, it's a task. Books where a sure thing 30 years ago when content was scarce. We are now facing an excess of content. Our tastes and desires are incredibly unique, volatile, and hard to pinpoint. I'm confident that almost every book I gifted as an adult wasn't read, even when I knew the receiver loved genre and subject. There are certainly exceptions. Most of the time, it's just not a great gift
When I gift a book, it's usually one that has come up in conversation when discussing a particular topic. I might bring up the book and paraphrase passages. If they seem interested, I'll make a...
When I gift a book, it's usually one that has come up in conversation when discussing a particular topic. I might bring up the book and paraphrase passages. If they seem interested, I'll make a mental note and then buy it for them.
I don't really care if they read it or not after that. A physical book these days is nice coffee table decor, or a catalyst for conversation. Maybe something to pick up and flip through depending on the book. To me, I'm gifting a symbol that says "Hey, I remember a time where we had an interesting discussion on this topic." An acknowledgement of our relationship and similar tastes.
That said, I'm 99% referring to non-fiction books in this instance. I'll be honest, it's been awhile since I've read any narrative fiction. I think what you're saying makes perfect sense as well.
The only people I give books to are a couple of relatives who like to read but don't obsessively keep to read lists. In fact they frequently ask me what they should suggest to their book groups.
The only people I give books to are a couple of relatives who like to read but don't obsessively keep to read lists. In fact they frequently ask me what they should suggest to their book groups.
I'm like you. My list of books to read is long. But if a dear friend or beloved family member told me the book changed their life or worldview, I would read it.
I'm like you. My list of books to read is long. But if a dear friend or beloved family member told me the book changed their life or worldview, I would read it.
I get the feeling. I have too many books that I bought for myself that I don't have time to read. I think there is an exception though, which is giving books to kids. I have some Terry Pratchett...
I get the feeling. I have too many books that I bought for myself that I don't have time to read. I think there is an exception though, which is giving books to kids. I have some Terry Pratchett to give to my nephew for Christmas, and I'm hoping it will be something that interests him. I have only recently discovered it, and I wish someone had given it to me when I was a teenager.
The implied chore of giving someone a novel kind of makes it a non-starter, and nonfiction carries that on top of an implication of judgment, but there are two genres of book that are usually more...
The implied chore of giving someone a novel kind of makes it a non-starter, and nonfiction carries that on top of an implication of judgment, but there are two genres of book that are usually more amenable: collections of poetry and short stories.
Most people think they hate poetry, but most people (in the US at least) also have only ever been exposed to Shel Silverstein and "good poetry" assigned for school. Shel is cool and all, but not the most representative, and assigning a grade tends to undermine any pleasure in the latter. With poetry, unless you start quizzing them on the gift the next time you see the giftee, there's less of an expectation that they'll sit down and read it cover-to-cover, and the tiny bit of pressure is much lower-stakes than a novel, since a poem is usually only a page or so on the long side. At the very least, if it's a well-chosen gift, they might discover a new genre of art, or if it isn't, they'll have something to put behind them in Zoom meetings to look "cultured" by.
Short story collections that are all by one author, either retrospective or written together, also have that cultural cachet 'utility'. They're often the best introduction to an author's style and subject matter, and the modularity of the format is much less imposing than a novel of an even shorter page-length. Not to mention: you can find wild collections like the Vandermeers' epic-length compilation of dark fantasy and horror, The Weird, for anyone you know likes the given genre in other mediums. That one in particular would be quite the present, but there are literally thousands of slimmer volumes of genre surveys.
In general, it terrifies me to even think of giving somebody a copy of one of my favourite pieces of art, if I didn't already know they were a fan of the creator. Book, movie, print, unless they love it off the bat, it'll be awkward for effectively no reason on someone's behalf. On the other hand, a friend sent me the collected poetry of William McGonagall, who I'd only barely been aware of before, and it's among my favourite gifts I've ever received.
This is completely my experience. I am curious if you have any suggestions about how one might learn to experience poetry differently. I have picked up a few books of poetry, but usually I read...
most people (in the US at least) also have only ever been exposed to Shel Silverstein and "good poetry" assigned for school. Shel is cool and all, but not the most representative, and assigning a grade tends to undermine any pleasure in the latter
This is completely my experience. I am curious if you have any suggestions about how one might learn to experience poetry differently. I have picked up a few books of poetry, but usually I read one and think, "Of all the poems I have read, that was by far the most recent." Very occasionally one will strike me, but like song lyrics, it's usually because it's tied into something else that's happening in my life.
I am decidedly not an expert, couldn't even name any favourites, so I can't offer much help there, sorry. When I read poetry, I do so exclusively for the aesthetics, the rhythms and shapes of...
I am decidedly not an expert, couldn't even name any favourites, so I can't offer much help there, sorry. When I read poetry, I do so exclusively for the aesthetics, the rhythms and shapes of sound, and don't care too much for interpretation beyond sensuality, if that makes sense. Reading them aloud, finding where the beat should fall, it's a fun experience just to feel, like an impassioned koan or something.
This article express sentiments I've had for a while.
People that read a lot usually have a list of things to read, and the criteria for adding a book in a given position is often inscrutable even to themselves. The odds of a gifted book entering the list are minimal, and it will most likely be at the end from where it will never leave.
You may be lucky to have a recipient that is so dedicated to an author or series that they're guaranteed to read it, but in that case you might give them something they already got.
In most cases, a book given will never be read. It's not a gift, it's a task. Books where a sure thing 30 years ago when content was scarce. We are now facing an excess of content. Our tastes and desires are incredibly unique, volatile, and hard to pinpoint. I'm confident that almost every book I gifted as an adult wasn't read, even when I knew the receiver loved genre and subject. There are certainly exceptions. Most of the time, it's just not a great gift
When I gift a book, it's usually one that has come up in conversation when discussing a particular topic. I might bring up the book and paraphrase passages. If they seem interested, I'll make a mental note and then buy it for them.
I don't really care if they read it or not after that. A physical book these days is nice coffee table decor, or a catalyst for conversation. Maybe something to pick up and flip through depending on the book. To me, I'm gifting a symbol that says "Hey, I remember a time where we had an interesting discussion on this topic." An acknowledgement of our relationship and similar tastes.
That said, I'm 99% referring to non-fiction books in this instance. I'll be honest, it's been awhile since I've read any narrative fiction. I think what you're saying makes perfect sense as well.
I just think books should be read. I don't have any deep philosophy behind this, but I like to gift things that fulfill their purpose.
The only people I give books to are a couple of relatives who like to read but don't obsessively keep to read lists. In fact they frequently ask me what they should suggest to their book groups.
Oh yeah that works for people that don't obsess about ratings and lists and semirandom obsessions like me :P
I'm like you. My list of books to read is long. But if a dear friend or beloved family member told me the book changed their life or worldview, I would read it.
I get the feeling. I have too many books that I bought for myself that I don't have time to read. I think there is an exception though, which is giving books to kids. I have some Terry Pratchett to give to my nephew for Christmas, and I'm hoping it will be something that interests him. I have only recently discovered it, and I wish someone had given it to me when I was a teenager.
The implied chore of giving someone a novel kind of makes it a non-starter, and nonfiction carries that on top of an implication of judgment, but there are two genres of book that are usually more amenable: collections of poetry and short stories.
Most people think they hate poetry, but most people (in the US at least) also have only ever been exposed to Shel Silverstein and "good poetry" assigned for school. Shel is cool and all, but not the most representative, and assigning a grade tends to undermine any pleasure in the latter. With poetry, unless you start quizzing them on the gift the next time you see the giftee, there's less of an expectation that they'll sit down and read it cover-to-cover, and the tiny bit of pressure is much lower-stakes than a novel, since a poem is usually only a page or so on the long side. At the very least, if it's a well-chosen gift, they might discover a new genre of art, or if it isn't, they'll have something to put behind them in Zoom meetings to look "cultured" by.
Short story collections that are all by one author, either retrospective or written together, also have that cultural cachet 'utility'. They're often the best introduction to an author's style and subject matter, and the modularity of the format is much less imposing than a novel of an even shorter page-length. Not to mention: you can find wild collections like the Vandermeers' epic-length compilation of dark fantasy and horror, The Weird, for anyone you know likes the given genre in other mediums. That one in particular would be quite the present, but there are literally thousands of slimmer volumes of genre surveys.
In general, it terrifies me to even think of giving somebody a copy of one of my favourite pieces of art, if I didn't already know they were a fan of the creator. Book, movie, print, unless they love it off the bat, it'll be awkward for effectively no reason on someone's behalf. On the other hand, a friend sent me the collected poetry of William McGonagall, who I'd only barely been aware of before, and it's among my favourite gifts I've ever received.
This is completely my experience. I am curious if you have any suggestions about how one might learn to experience poetry differently. I have picked up a few books of poetry, but usually I read one and think, "Of all the poems I have read, that was by far the most recent." Very occasionally one will strike me, but like song lyrics, it's usually because it's tied into something else that's happening in my life.
I am decidedly not an expert, couldn't even name any favourites, so I can't offer much help there, sorry. When I read poetry, I do so exclusively for the aesthetics, the rhythms and shapes of sound, and don't care too much for interpretation beyond sensuality, if that makes sense. Reading them aloud, finding where the beat should fall, it's a fun experience just to feel, like an impassioned koan or something.