God* comes to you and tells you that, from this day forward, you may only read ONE type of book–one genre–period, but you get to choose what it is. Classics, Science-Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Cookbooks, History, Business … you can choose, but you only get ONE.
What genre do you pick, and why?
Talk about moving in mysterious ways......
My initial gut reaction is to select classics. Most classics are classic for a reason, so a certain level of literary quality is guaranteed. But at this point in my life, I've already read most of the classics I want to read. There are many I'd like to re-read someday, but if God decides otherwise, I can take comfort in knowing I got to read them all once.
I've two main concerns with this choice: one that I'd read all the good stuff in the genre and then be forced to choose from a lot of mediocre leftovers and two that I'd never get to read anything new again. The thing I'd miss most, if I chose classics, is never getting to read about my own life and times. Classics, in general, do not address the experience of gay and lesbian people. You can find us in classic literature here and there, if you're willing to look, but you'll have to look pretty hard after a while. (There are many other groups of people excluded from "classics" whom I'd miss reading about as well.)
So I'm going to choose "contemporary classics" as my genre. I'd include books by David Leavitt, Armistead Maupin, Wallace Stegner, Salmon Rushdie, Carol Shields, Iris Murdoch, etc. These books have not stood the "test of time" but they have stood the "test of a decade or two" so I can be reasonably assured of their quality. While they don't speak to "today" they do speak to the "day before yesterday" which is a compromise I think I could live with.
But let's pray we never have to really make this choice.
Full Disclosure: The top picture comes from Graphic Designs TJS Labs. The lower pictures comes from the Rainbow Resource Center.
10 comments:
I completely agree with you, that tends to be the genre I read anyway. Or post 1920s classics, if that is such a genre.
Good answer! Ours kind of overlap. In general, I prefer to read books that have been around for a couple of decades -- it takes a while for a book to percolate to the front of my consciousness.
Glad I found your blog!
Here is my BTT answer on Rose City Reader.
Oh David Leavitt! I read The Lost Language of Cranes my second year of college and it just blew my mind.
Good one. I couldn't answer it. I like genre fiction, but you're right: the good ones would be covered quickly. I SHOULD say kids books as I'm about to be a librarian but that would bore me without some grownup books in the mix. At first I felt like being snarky and answering "atheist books" because of the whole god thing, but there's just not enough of them! I need lots to read!
I don't think I could ever choose just one genre. I guess classics would mean there'd be a plethora of great books to choose from- having stood the test of time- but what about all my non-fiction reading?
I love the comparison to the old lays potato chip commercials!
You are absolutely right - it is impossible for a lifetime reader to select just one genre -- but I took the "safe" route and chose classics. Primarily because there are so many of them that I have yet to read.
That is kind of a scary proposition, isn't it? I suppose I'd pick the same as you, because in contemporary classics you do get a little of everything going on. I might also pick mystery/thrillers. I don't read them all the time, but I don't think I could live without them.
Good answer to a very tough question. This is a decision I really hope I never have to make in the real world!
I went with classics for this one because i feel i can stretch it to cover all the various genres too. There are classic sci-fi works, classics of history, even at this point classic graphic novels!
I had two gut responses -- biography and fiction 1900-1960. But I'm sure I'd be trying to wheel and deal with this god who could be so peevish and petty about our reading!
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