Quote:
Originally Posted by dadioflex
You've badly missed the point, and come across as an awful snob while doing it, in my opinion.
Categorising novels as either worthy or a "waste of time" is a proper slap in the face to a simple soul like me who does read trashy SF&F to escape reality. I can sympathise with Michelle's non-reading friend and his opinion (which I don't even consider to be a bad one) far more than I ever could with you. Particularly if I needed help with a flaking brick. At least he would have his DIY knowledge. I'm standing with a hammer drill and a set of chisels and you're quoting Austen at me? How's THAT going to help?
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Yes, I know, I'm a terrible person.
Having established how much of an awful snob I am, may I ask what it is about Austen's quote, and Eliot's for that matter, that make quoting them "snobbish"? I think that what Austen and Eliot said are quite plain to undertand, straightforward, to-the-point, and very relevant to this discussion. I will never apologize for loving Jane Austen.
And whatever made you think that I was referring to SF&F as those which are a total waste of time? On my Sony 505 are a few Star Trek ebooks, the Foundation Trilogy, a few SF&F magazines, and sundry others. I've also read all Harry Potter books (they're fantasy, aren't they?), usually staying up all night to read them. Granted, SF&F is not my first choice as a genre---and much of that is due to the fact that I already deal with a lot of real science as my profession that reading more SF would be overloading my brain with the same topic---but I'm open-minded enough to read them.
And do you think all books are created equal---that they are all worth the time and effort to read? Yes, I do think that many books are a waste of time, but I am not imposing my definition of awful books on others. To each his/her own.