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How do you respond when people ask you what a book is about?
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I panic, definitely a short response. I don't want people to discover what a literary pigmy I am. While I love to read, I read for pure escapism. (Not a good confession on GR, but there you have it.)
:::laughs herself silly at Bun's inventive storytelling:::And they believed you that P&P was about sheep diseases, Bun? Hahahahahahahaha!!!!
I can't do that, because when I get asked what a book is about, it's a patron thinking about reading it, or a colleague, and they really want to know. It's a hazard of my profession.
But I'd LOVE to hear Bun tell someone about a book someday. :)
Bun's post is my favorite in recent memory. Now I can't wait for someone to ask me what a book is about.
I'm going to try that Bunny and if I get busted you're going to hear about it. :)
Excellent Bun, I definitely will have to try that.
I've done that as well, Bun. In fact, sometimes I'll say, "I still have no idea what this book is about, but it's a great read so far." Because, god damn it all, how the hell do you explain the entire collected works of, say, Thomas Pynchon, to someone who's never read his works?
I just smile and tell folks that if they really want to know they should read it themselves.But obviously Bun's response is much more clever.
I panic too when people ask me that. I stutter and sound apologetic when I try and answer. I read a lot of genres that are not mainstream. Now I don't feel so dumb for doing that.Bun, you hit it right on the head. That's a filler, just to be polite question. And when you're an avid reader like us, it puts us in an uncomfortable position because we want to talk about books. Thus, why we congregate here.
I'm going to start doing the same thing. I can't believe you actually got away with the Pride and Prejudice explanation! LOL! That is hilarious!
i usually just give a very short response, because people don't really want to know. serial killer is one of the few answers that evokes further questions.
i try to sorta tell someone but i have found that my enthusiasm for reading and/or a particular book is usually not shared by others. i agree with bun in that for the most part they are not really wanting to know. i give the short version with high points
Bun, you're a shining example to all of us! Nothing new there.
I always wear sunglasses around Bun because she's so bright :-)
Nice, Bun!
when people ask me what i am reading, i literally reply "a book". yes, i know its rude but so is interupting someone while they are reading! lol
BunWat wrote: "Its a Bunny love fest!! I love it because I'm having a not so great week in the meat world. Yay."Bunny what are you doing in the meat world?? What does this mean? Is that a reference to the "real" world and not the GR world?
yah, meat world? please do not leave that to our imagination. i am thinking you may be trapped in Upton Sinclare's The Jungle
ah..that makes weird sense. i get it. sounds like a term used on a sci-fi movie
BunWat wrote: "Yes. The meat world is what some people call the offline world. The world where we are walking around being physically present as opposed to electronically present. Where we are meat in the jungle not spirits in the machine..."That's quite poignant, Bun!
As for the Bunny love fest...it was Easter just the other day. :-)
This is one of my pet peeves in a way..I find it really annoying (Can't I just read a book in PEACE!!) I always get tongue tied. Sometimes I just want to read the back of the book out loud and save time. Buns right, I really don't think anyone cares. This Is why I always have my ear buds in when I read in public, cuts down on useless conversations with strangers :).
Depends on the book. If someone were to ask me what Harry Potter is about, I would stand there with my mouth agape, then ask if they seriously didn't know.
If I were trying to get into your pants, I think your ink would be a more interesting subject than a bundle of pages in your hand.
Alternately, I could walk up and slap you, then yell at you for killing my ferret last week and walk away.How am I doing now? :)
That would be an interesting approach Lethal, and I would have to think quite a bit less likely to succeed on most.
Mod
I just fell harder in love with Bun.
BunWat wrote: "Sally wrote: "Sexoring?"I KNOW!!"
I choose not to know.
Sarah Pi wrote: "BunWat wrote: "Sally wrote: "Sexoring?"I KNOW!!"
I choose not to know."
I choose not to know too.
Mod
Sally wrote: "Dude, y'all, she already explained it. Somehow it was easier to type that than phrases like "having sex" or "getting it on."""Shagging" is easier to type. No pesky x to reach for. Even "boffing" would work in a pinch.
One of the quizzes on sporcl is George Carlin's seven dirty words. You have to type in the real thing (one minute time limit - took me 10 seconds), but what shows up is . . .Poop
Pee Pee
F-bomb
The C-word
Fellatio Aficionado
Overly Amorous Lover of Moms
Bosom
In the spirit of sporcle, "fucking" becomes "f-bombing."
I would agree with some of the people here. It depends on who is asking. If I know they are asking just to make conversation then I gave a succinct response and move on-- all the while thinking, you don't really want to know so I don't want to spend the energy to explain it. However, after reading Bun's response, I may have to give that a go... :)
At work, I sometimes think twice about sitting down in a public place with a book that I'm going to have to explain. There are some I kind of enjoy explaining, though.
Mod
Generally, I suck at explaining books so I end up just confusing people. So chances are, they're turned off by that point and don't bother reading them x3; Maybe I should try to explain Twilight to someone.
Following Bun's famous response and incorporating Ashley's idea of explaining Twilight.... I think I will now just stick with this answer:"Oh! This book is about Bella and Edward! You have to read it!"
And then all the sheep-like readers of pop-fiction will end up reading 'Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies'.
Mod
I should reread this thread. I think I've already said this once before.
KD, that's a very Chevy Chase-ish explanation. I like it.
Instructions for avoiding being asked this question all together.Things you will need:
1. purchase a book like, The Kama Sutra Illustrated or 365 Sex Positions
2. an extra sweater, hoodie, or jacket
3. whatever book you are currently reading
Now that you have what you need, find a comfy place to sit. Drape sweater, hoodie, or jacket across your lap. Open chosen erotic book, to somewhere in the middle. Make sure everything on the cover that is not PG is covered by selected extra garment but the title is still visable. Place the current book you are reading between the pages of the erotic book and enjoy.
Hints for success:
1. Be sure to hold the erotic book at a conspicuous angle so there is no question as to what book you are reading.
2. Ignore gasps of outrage, immature teens giggling wildly, elderly ladies fond of the statement "well I never" (because undoubtedly, now they have), and children inappropriately asking parents for an explination in public!
Do these things and you too can read in public without having to anwser that oh so pesky question, "what's that book about?"
I try my best to hide my cringe reaction, put a goofy look on my face to get their attention off my book's cover, and then comment on something happening around us or ask them about something in their life that I know they can't resist discussing.
I was reading Sandman in public once and I overheard some illiterates making snide comments about it being about Transformers. Because graphic novels and comic books are all the same and all written for children.If somebody asks me what my book is about and they are just making small talk, I just stick to a genre description (Oh, it's a family epic.) If I know they really want to know, I'm still not really detail oriented because, obviously, it's still unfolding for me as well.
I have a whole other list of reactions for when somebody is hitting on me and using my poor book as an "in" (as some people may use children, I'm sure).
I read Bun's awesome comeback.I explained it to someone.
Later that night I read an excerpt from a book to him (about marketing)
He asked "what are you reading about"
I said "diseased sheep."
"Oh"
......
"what?...OH"
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Do people asking what a book is about throw you off? Are you good at responding? Does it depend on the book? Do you go "long response" or "short response"? Plot summary?