|
If I may wade in at this late date...
I agree with Henry Hazlitt. As one poster said umpteen pages ago: garbage in, garbage out.
I sense that many posters here defend poor quality writing by asserting that reading it is better for you than watching most television. Hazlitt's book was written in 1916, decades before television, so it is very possible that he would agree with that sentiment. But so what?
I see that others are defending their enjoyment of humorous literature. But Hazlitt didn't say that everything you read need be heavy. His argument was about the quality of the writing, not the weight of the subject matter.
Finally, I am surprised that so many are taking the view that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so no one can say whether a book is poor or good writing. I think that's silly. Of course there will always be differences of opinion regarding any particular book. Some will love titles that others will dislike.
But if you think that there is no such thing as poor writing, then I think that Hazlitt is talking to you.
|