Margaret Atwood Says Its OK to Read Whatever You Want

Margaret Atwood Says Its OK to Read Whatever You Want I recently had the pleasure of  reading  Margaret Atwoods book In Other Worlds. An essay collection that examines science fiction and her  relationship with it, In Other Worlds  is essentially a memoir of Atwoods reading life. Its a look at the books that shaped one of the most respected and beloved contemporary writers, and its a case for reading widely and without pretension. Here are four favorite quotesreally, the whole book is terrific and you should read itto remind you that yes, Veronica, it really is OK to read whatever the hell you want. For this recovering book snob, it was a timely reminder and a kick in the pass. After all, itf its good enough for  Margaret Atwood, its good enough for me. On reading Ray Bradbury when she was supposed to be doing homework: I was, in fact, leading a double life, or even a triple one: the terms highbrow, middle brow, and lowbrow were much in use at that timethe metaphor was based on some idea of Neanderthals having receding foreheadsbut I seemed to have a taste for all three kinds of brow, which I cant say ever disturbed me. On taking a course from an academic she greatly admired: He had the added benefit of being a reader at all three brow levels, which pleased me a lot; its always encouraging to be told that it is intellectually acceptable to read the sorts of things that you like to read anyway. (emphasis mine) On the joy of stumbling upon never-before-heard-of books in the library when you should be doing Very Serious Research: In those stacks there were more obscure books than you could ever hope to find elsewhere, even on the Internet today, and I whiled away many a misspent hour  reading about things that were none of my business. On the perks of growing up in a snobbery-free environment: Nor did I make any distinctions between great  literature and any other kind. I just liked  reading. Sign up to Unusual Suspects to receive news and recommendations for mystery/thriller readers. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.