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"Should Read" Books 11/13/2014 7:53:37 AM
[This post originally appeared on thunderalleybcp.com]
Are there books that you “should read?”
That question has been bouncing around my brain recently. It’s not a new quandary, it’s certainly something I’ve thought about many times. This round of wondering whether or not there are books that we should read to be considered “well rounded” or “in on the cultural conversation” springs from recent pieces debating whether you should always finish a book or if ditching something you’re not enjoying is just fine. I tend to fall in the latter camp, but thinking about the topic brought me back to the concept of whether there are books I’ve felt I stuck with because I “should read” them, even if I wasn’t enjoying them. And that begs the question of whether there are any books we “should read.”
For many of us, the first encounter with the notion that there are books we “should read” comes from our school days. Class curricula choose books for any number of reasons. A book could be the best available option that covers a particular topic or event. It might be considered the best representation of a particular style of writing. The book’s author may have particular local or geographic relevance to a certain school system. A book might have a particular theme or social lesson educators find important. And sometimes, I suspect, there’s an element of “I had to read the damn thing when I was their age, so these frickin’ kids are going to have to do the same.”
But beyond the academic world, there is a plethora of books of which it seems like someone says we “should read.” Some books, whether because they are often read in an academic setting, or because they’re frequently touted as “scholarly” or have amassed reputations over long periods of time, somehow seem to be cultural imperatives. “You should read this book because it’s a classic.”
Of course, the definition of “classic” is very malleable and can mean different things to different readers. And even if we, as a society of readers, could agree on common criteria for defining “classics” does that mean we should read them? I’ll admit I’ve been motivated by the “classic” label to pick up more than one book. A particularly well-read friend of mine doesn’t hesitate to roll his eyes at me if I invoke the “classic” justification for reading something which doesn’t appeal to him. Of course, avoiding something because it’s commonly considered a “classic” is equally odd.
Which brings us back to the central question: are there books you should read?
And I think the answer is “it depends.” Culture changes and evolves over time. Tastes shift and reputations of works mutate. Something that was considered important a century ago can often seem pointless from a modern perspective. Or something deemed trifling in the current day can accumulate gravitas over a longer span. Reading a book just because, at some point, it was generally agreed to be a “classic” seems like a simplistic approach. On the other hand, the fact that certain works have endured through generations and centuries and continue to find new audiences suggests that they have qualities that shouldn’t be automatically dismissed.
I think that the question of what you “should read” has a lot to do with your priorities. There are books that have seeped into general culture, that are referenced in film, television, music, other books and common parlance. If understanding that sort of cultural DNA is important to you, then you should read the books that supply it. If you have an interest in a particular era of history, a particular style of writing or a certain school of thought, then you should read books that relate to that interest. If you have an open mind and want to expose yourself to ideas that many others have found worthy of attention, you should read the books that reflect that.
But you may prefer adventure stories about vampires and witches. You might prefer reading about intense romantic relationships. Maybe you only enjoy stories about cowboys or space explorers or quirky detectives who solve bizarre crimes. There are literally millions of books in the world and they speak to a wide spectrum of tastes, interests, motives and cultural concepts. You should read the books that speak to you. If it’s important for you to read a classic and judge for yourself why others value it, then you should read it. If it’s important to you to find out what happens next at a school for teen wizards, you should read that.
As much as we sometimes think that there’s a monolithic cultural imperative for all of us to have the same grounding in the same literature, that’s not true. Sensibilities and imperatives differ. Readers have different needs, goals and priorities. Something that’s valuable to one reader could be worthless to another. The range of books available is wide for a reason.
Once you’re beyond the point where you have to read a book in order to earn a grade, what you “should read” next is entirely up to you.
