Quote:
Originally Posted by sassanik
Do people who read Literary Fiction actually read books very often? It seemed to me, when I worked at a bookstore, they were buying the books for status and the fact that they were reading "literature" not a mass market pback.
Amy
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I would say they do. Personally, I read a wide variety of genres/types. Some are like candy, very easy to swallow but not particularly nourishing. On the other end you find stuff that may take a bit more time, but is overall more rewarding and 'filling'. I really enjoy good prose - and you can't get that on any street corner
I very seldom try to read what would for me be the really tough stuff (YMMV), like James Joyce or Thomas Pynchon, etc. That is art. But I enjoy e.g. Antonia Byatt or Umberto Eco or E.M Forster. For me it's like the difference between your generic TV show and a good quality (art) film.
When I think of other readers of 'literary fiction' that I know of (mainly my family, incl. uncles, aunts and cousins), they certainly do read the books they buy. But, I also find some of them a bit snobby about only reading 'good' books. Just like there are people who rarely read anything but, for example, romance and chick-lit, they don't really think of trying to expand their reading habits either. But they do read the books - if there is status in it, it's more to do with actually reading it.
I can follow what you say about people buying books for status, but I would guess it would centre around best-sellers. Sometimes there are books that everyone must have because it's supposed to be 'good', but few actually read it.