Tuesday, January 7, 2014
What makes a book a good book?
I'm asking. I think I am enjoying the present "North and South" read but then read reviews and am not sure I am supposed to like it? I suppose being written in 1855, it might be a "Pride and Prejudice" want to be. It is fairly good and deals with a relative topic of that time. Hmmm........how do I pick up any discriminatory taste? I suppose I will just read it, ponder the social times and move on. I am probably thinking too hard.
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Are the reviews negative for the very reason you were recently saying that YOU liked it? (That is, the Christian themes.)
ReplyDeleteI figure that books are like wine. There are "fine" ones and "inferior" ones, and we are all supposed to be critics who know what's what and can properly discriminate. And me? I like my Franzia-in-a-box. And I like some books that maybe others would consider too simple or too childish. And I dislike many that are considered great (like, for example, every single Great American Author we read in high school).
So like what you like, dear Karin. There are too many books to enjoy to scold yourself into trying to like what other people tell you you're supposed to like. (And that's especially important in January and February, which are hard enough to get through as is. Let the books be part of your temporal joy!)
I think I was just surprised to see a general low rating on books I was really enjoying. You are right about just reading them because I like them. Having one of those moments of self doubt - how silly must be??? sort of moments. I think I have even since this blog determined what makes a book REALLY great to ME so will proceed on that definition. :-)
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