Active Users:1080 Time:22/11/2024 10:23:59 AM
I said as much in my comment Larry Send a noteboard - 11/12/2011 10:20:03 PM
Contempt might be stronger than what I would have said, but yes, it's sad to see willful stunting of one's cognitive abilities by limiting one's self to narrow bounds of exploration, regardless if it's reading only a certain type of fiction/non-fiction or only doing this or that activity. Such people tend to make for excellent dullards when it comes to people wanting a wide-ranging conversation or other social interaction.

I don't really think it's fair to call people "dullards" or say that they "limit theirselves to narrow bounds of exploration" when you're judging by the sole criterium of whether or not they read serious literature. For all you know they do lots of interesting things and broaden their minds in all sorts of ways, just not through literature - while perhaps still enjoying popcorn literature as a way of relaxation.


Some of the more interesting people I know are travelers or farmers, but I also believe if one wants to discuss literature, one should not limit one's self to reading "popcorn" books. It'd be much the same as discussing cinematic technique with someone who watches only Michael Bay movies.
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie

Je suis méchant.
Reply to message
Aren't the Tolkien comparisons getting a little...old? - 09/12/2011 09:51:39 PM 2848 Views
The comparison bothers me, but not because Tolkien isn't relevant. - 09/12/2011 10:05:22 PM 1716 Views
I agree with this. - 09/12/2011 10:21:34 PM 1745 Views
Re: I agree with this. - 10/12/2011 07:09:33 PM 1682 Views
Exactly *NM* - 12/12/2011 12:09:19 PM 855 Views
Only when shit works are being compared to him - 09/12/2011 10:22:26 PM 1607 Views
Larry, - 10/12/2011 01:13:18 AM 1624 Views
Snide dismissal that will be passed off as for his own entertainment. - 10/12/2011 04:55:43 AM 1537 Views
We get a lot of that around here. *NM* - 10/12/2011 05:18:01 AM 639 Views
makes me wonder... - 10/12/2011 04:37:33 PM 1524 Views
Re: makes me wonder... - 11/12/2011 03:03:15 AM 1488 Views
Well-deserved condescension. - 11/12/2011 03:54:27 AM 1655 Views
You're sure about that? - 11/12/2011 04:20:26 AM 1882 Views
Re: You're sure about that? - 11/12/2011 05:25:08 AM 1609 Views
Re: You're sure about that? - 11/12/2011 06:03:02 AM 1473 Views
i think you shouldn't judge a whole world's school programs on your school - 11/12/2011 06:42:30 AM 1527 Views
Yeah, I'm limited in my knowledge, lol - 11/12/2011 08:03:26 AM 1538 Views
My school was...not great. - 11/12/2011 04:02:36 PM 1562 Views
I'm 24. - 11/12/2011 03:49:06 PM 1480 Views
If you're arguing that children should be able to read genre fiction, fine. - 11/12/2011 08:52:27 PM 1406 Views
Well, I suppose it depends on the type of genre being read - 11/12/2011 09:36:16 PM 1642 Views
How often do you hear the challenging writers mentioned at this site? - 12/12/2011 02:03:05 PM 1378 Views
Only when you, me, and a couple others write reviews - 12/12/2011 04:21:14 PM 1782 Views
Oh, it was the same as it always is - 12/12/2011 05:23:56 PM 1492 Views
True - 12/12/2011 06:29:10 PM 1576 Views
One note - 13/12/2011 12:17:48 AM 1582 Views
Perhaps - 13/12/2011 12:49:34 AM 1518 Views
*Sighs* Such is the plight of those shining few intelects... - 23/12/2011 01:15:47 AM 1564 Views
Much of the actual "Classics", that is, Greek and Latin originals, kids would eat up. - 12/12/2011 03:13:03 AM 1390 Views
Try teaching Apuleius in schools... *NM* - 12/12/2011 04:12:49 AM 759 Views
Plato is exciting, brutal and scandalous? - 12/12/2011 09:59:13 PM 1455 Views
You're upfront and honest about it; he isn't. The difference matters to me. *NM* - 11/12/2011 05:18:42 AM 808 Views
Uhh...uh... - 11/12/2011 05:34:23 AM 1491 Views
this is a bit off topic, but out of curiousity... - 11/12/2011 06:28:35 AM 1600 Views
There are no special snowflakes, are there? - 11/12/2011 09:39:21 PM 1403 Views
There are many way of widening one's horizons and broadening one's mind. - 11/12/2011 10:08:24 PM 1166 Views
I said as much in my comment - 11/12/2011 10:20:03 PM 1436 Views
What I don't like- - 12/12/2011 04:28:55 AM 1521 Views
Why don't you name something, then? - 12/12/2011 04:40:29 AM 1469 Views
Sure. - 13/12/2011 07:30:56 AM 1299 Views
Mentioning Ender's Game pretty much shot your argument in the foot. - 13/12/2011 02:02:59 PM 1411 Views
You dismiss the entire video game medium because many games lack value. - 13/12/2011 03:59:11 PM 1559 Views
You're like the McDonald's paid advocate trying to say Big Macs are actually healthy. - 13/12/2011 05:46:37 PM 1363 Views
McDonalds food is inherently unhealthy. - 13/12/2011 06:02:18 PM 1503 Views
For the sake of argument ... - 13/12/2011 04:09:51 PM 1405 Views
Stephenson is not literature, that's for damn sure. - 13/12/2011 05:49:24 PM 1357 Views
Thank you, The Voice of Lews Therin. *NM* - 16/12/2011 05:14:42 AM 824 Views
I'll leave it up to others to define as they wish against their self-conceptions of me - 10/12/2011 10:52:54 AM 1519 Views
that's alright. I really have no desire to stroke your twit-ego. *NM* - 10/12/2011 04:36:56 PM 616 Views
Considering the firestorm I appear to have touched off, that may be best. - 12/12/2011 12:57:49 PM 1500 Views
I know, John - 12/12/2011 04:27:04 PM 1395 Views
Re: I know, John - 12/12/2011 05:06:26 PM 1454 Views
As I've said in the past, I'd be scared if anyone agreed with me anywhere approaching 100% - 12/12/2011 06:33:52 PM 1392 Views
Re: As I've said in the past, I'd be scared if anyone agreed with me anywhere approaching 100% - 12/12/2011 07:13:37 PM 1466 Views
Same guy - 12/12/2011 07:26:13 PM 1509 Views
Ha! Excellent point. *NM* - 11/12/2011 03:44:52 AM 743 Views
I have to agree. - 09/12/2011 10:54:06 PM 1509 Views
They're there for marketing - 10/12/2011 12:20:17 AM 1489 Views
Most of those comparisons are like that anyway - 10/12/2011 05:32:45 PM 1624 Views
Maybe if so much of the genre weren't crap derivative works it wouldn't be so common. *NM* - 11/12/2011 03:44:24 AM 739 Views
To be fair, a lot of it isn't. - 11/12/2011 04:06:07 AM 1439 Views
I suspect that if it really isn't derivative it's not being compared to Tolkien in the first place. - 11/12/2011 04:18:57 AM 1374 Views
That's true. - 11/12/2011 11:08:01 AM 1365 Views
Maybe they mean something else by using his name. - 11/12/2011 03:50:15 AM 1446 Views
When they don't work, yes. - 11/12/2011 03:18:44 PM 1449 Views
The Tolkien fanaticism gets old. And yes, for me it is unreadable. - 11/12/2011 11:37:53 PM 1436 Views
Yes *NM* - 22/12/2011 07:08:38 PM 860 Views

Reply to Message