Comments on: On literary monoculture

By: nicole

nicole — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:12:09 +0000

nateG: I love your Google Books tip. I’m going to have to try that out next time it seems appropriate.

On staying away from popular books: sometimes I find it easy, sometimes difficult. Often I’m drawn to a popular book just because I want to understand the experience so many others are having. That’s how I end up reading things like The Da Vinci Code. It can be an enlightening experience. Other times I end up shying away from books I will probably like because they have the taint of overhype. Sometimes popular books really are good. In fact, I think the biggest effect of the monoculture on me personally is that I miss out on the best biggest books because I’m overcompensating for my tall hilltop.

By: Biblibio

Biblibio — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:37:04 +0000

First of all, your point about everyone reviewing the same books is well-put. I would say it’s probably that most people have access to the same books and then are obviously more likely to write about them. Does that even make sense? Regardless, the online world has rarely mixed with my tangible world. I may find books on Amazon and review them and buy them, but I’ll still go to stores and just randomly pick up books with interesting looking covers (and back-covers, obviously). When I’m in the library or a bookstore, I’ll try to avoid picking up books I’ve heard a lot about. If I’ve seen the name somewhere I might look at it, but I prefer the random finds. It is part of the charm.

I also really like that analogy. It really describes the situation nicely.

By: Amateur Reader

Amateur Reader — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:15:56 +0000

This is a very interesting subject, which I’ve actually read more about in rock and film criticism than in literature. The big problem is always, how to say it, correctly defining the denominator. Was the monoculture really that mono in the past? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The idea that “everyone” used to be reading Updike and Vidal or whatever seems pretty arguable. And maybe we have as many Harry Potter and Twilight-type crazes as we used to.

Unlike claire, I find it very easy to stay away from the more popular books! Maybe a little too easy.

By: nateG

nateG — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:19:22 +0000

I like the small hilltop large hilltop analogies. You mentioned themed reading, bibliographies and eccentric bookstores as small hilltop activities. I have also found some interesting books and surprising connections by using the “reverse” bibliographies in GoogleBooks. If you are looking at a book on GoogleBooks generates references to said book from websites, references from books, and from scholarly works.

By: claire

claire — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:37:07 +0000

(edit: not a good critic)

By: claire

claire — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:36:23 +0000

Very thought-provoking. It is kind of difficult to steer away from the more popular books, as the pull to reading them is great. And as book blogging is mostly a community thing. I try to be conscious about my picks sometimes, but then a lot of times it’s easier to go along with what I really want to read. I’m trying to refrain from the usual strict book review, as I’m not even a good critique and just love most of what I read. Looking forward to your next theme..