Hey! I’ve spent the last years, and actually most of my life, reading rather short classics from known names that have a certain cultural impact. I knew what I was getting myself into. Some examples are The Plague, All Quiet on The Western Front, Lolita, Death in Venice. Mostly books I knew a lot about or books by authors I knew quite well.
Now I’m getting into 700 pages long (modern) novels and it’s like a new world. I really don’t know how to know what to expect because I’m so bad at interpreting all the signs! I’m lost.
There’s books with 200 pages that convey 700+ pages of thought and there’s books that are 700 pages long and that’s that. That’s fine, but that’s not I want! How do I tell apart something of great philosophical, cultural insight and meaning that will speak to me long after I’m done reading from something that has a nice flow and is a fun read while I’m at it? Both will have brilliant reviews that call them life changing and all that. Both will have 5 star reviews online. It’s just: from whose perspective?
I’m a film buff and in that scene I can a) interpret poster designs, b) know some names of actors, directors, producers. I know if it’s a c) big Hollywood production or a Hungarian independent film, I know d) certain studios that follow a certain dogma. I even know e) movements from eras and places. I can tell apart what’s artsy, what’s bland, what’s trash (but still good!), what’s status quo, what’s pseudo-sophisticated, what’s archaic and a drag, etc…
How do I do that with books? For example I’m about to read Life of Pi and it sounds so very profound, intelligently dissecting religions, but the cover design makes it look like Eat, Pray, Love (also maybe that’s a great novel. How would I know?).
by AlfonsoRibeiro666
6 Comments
You could read reviews if you don’t mind that some give away too much. If you find a reviewer whose opinions usually align with yours, that would be a good indication of if the book will be what you’re interested in.
You could also wait to see what books pop up on end-of-year best book lists. If their previous lists contain a lot of books you already like, that would be a good place to find recommendations.
This sub is a great resource for getting other people’s opinions.
Ultimately I think you just have to start reading and be willing to put it down if it doesn’t have the substance you’re hoping for.
I never judge a book by it’s cover. I stopped that when I was like 15.
I’m not going to lie to you but reading it is probably your best solution.
Be it an excerpt to decide if you even enjoy the writing style or the synopsis to decide if the premise sounds remotely interesting.
>(also maybe that’s a great novel. How would I know?).
You read it. That’s how you’d know.
>How do I tell apart something of great philosophical, cultural insight and meaning that will speak to me long after I’m done reading from something that has a nice flow and is a fun read while I’m at it?
Reading them. No other way.
Don’t base your opinions on other peoples opinions. If you only decide something is good or bad based on whether other people have deemed it good or bad, you’ll miss out on so many books and movies that you might actually enjoy but never give a chance to. Your only real way to know if you like a book or not is to read it yourself and make up your own mind. If you read a book or watch a film and enjoy it, it doesn’t matter if other people do or not. It doesn’t matter if it’s considered a masterpiece or not. If something interests you, just give it a go and see for yourself. Taste in books and films is far too subjective to be able to base your decisions on other peoples reviews and opinions.