Group Non-Fiction Read - The Year of Reading Dangerously - Mar & Apr 2018- SPOILERS ALLOWED

[Paul]

The discussion thread is now open. Spoilers are allowed on this thread. Don't read on if you haven't finished the book. Can you also unclick the 'Add to my update feed' people don't see your comments in their home screen.

Things to consider:

1. Did you like the book?
2. Do you think that the author covers the subject adequately?
3. Do you like the tone and language of the book?
4. Was there any part of the book that was important or significant to you?
5. Have you learnt anything from the book?
6. Has reading this encouraged you to look for other books on the subject?

[Gisela]

I read this book two years ago. At the beginning it was quite interesting and entertaining as it was interesting what books he read etc. but got fed-up with the "poor little middle class guy working part-time in publishing who can work from home" routine as an explanation for not reading but boasting that he had read the books on his list. He seems to think it is normal, well no, it's dishonest. Also, didn't help that we didn't agree on many of the books or had the same interest in books.

So I guess you could say that I didn't really like the tone of the book as a whole, although parts were entertaining. I love books about books and I have just read "My reading life" by Pat Conroy, which also has a few problems, but I really enjoyed it really showed the place of reading in this authors life and how reading and literature has helped him and his family survive a very difficult childhood as well as the education it gave him. It also covers some really important people who helped him appreciate good books starting with his mother, teacher, editors, etc. Would highly recommend it.

[Imogen]

I read and enjoyed this book, but my interests don't overlap with those of the writer, which seemed very "male". Not wanting to gender stereotype, but I would have preferred a more even spread of female authors, and he seemed generally a bit dismissive of the books by female authors that he read. It was an easy, quick read though, and it made me think I should give Russian literature another go (gave up on Anna Karenina 15 years ago and donated my unread War and Peace to charity around the same time).

[Gisela]

Imogen wrote: "I read and enjoyed this book, but my interests don't overlap with those of the writer, which seemed very "male". Not wanting to gender stereotype, but I would have preferred a more even spread of f..."

I agree with you on the male point of view of this book, BUT give Anna Karenina and especially War and Peace another go, they are fantastic.

[Anetq]

I read this a couple of yeats ago and had fun reading it - I quite enjoyed the image of him wandering in the rain and almost acciendentally acquiring Bulgakov. Also his near-mortal offence at discovering that his wife has a secret system and hasn’t told him!! (reading 50 pages a day, it turns out) - so whereas I mostly laughed at his male selfpity, it did actually put me onto reading seriously again, so I’m very grateful for reading it! I don’t like or read any of the books he seems to like on his podcast, so I don’t listen to it, and I agree with the comments above about his rather male perspective and choice of reading, however since reading this I have read Bulgakov, Dostojevsky, Gogol and a lot of other classic Russians - incl some female ones I found myself - also I decided 2018 was the year for Anna Karanina, so that was my january read!
I also listened to all of Moby Dick (which I had never planned on reading, ever! But I stumbled across a “Big Read”by a ton of great English actors etc. - So I recommend it if you enjoy a tallying of whale head types or chowders on occasion while waiting for buses etc.

[Pamela]

I was quite disappointed by this book. There is very little written about the books themselves, and many from his list don't get mentioned at all. His choices are rather safe and predictable, so the Reading Dangerously idea falls flat. I didn't find anything to inspire me, or anything very amusing either.

And on top of that, Miller takes quite a smug and patronising attitude which seems odd when he states he is someone who abandoned reading (and lied about books he hadn't read) for no real reason. I don't see that taking your child to the National Gallery or poking fun at people who enjoy reading popular books makes you superior to anyone.

[Gisela]

Pamela wrote: "I was quite disappointed by this book. There is very little written about the books themselves, and many from his list don't get mentioned at all. His choices are rather safe and predictable, so th..."

Totally agree. Smacks of middle class white boy showing off.

[Paul]

I liked the book when I read it three years ago, but didn't love it. Probably because that the books that he was reading in the book are not the sort that I would even choose to pick up. I know where you are coming from though Pamela, reading makes the person, not the types of books they read.

My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...