The Blog

This blog is devoted to the idea that asking questions leads us to better answers. Know what others think and contribute your own thoughts. The discourse begins here.
fpo
Are Good Books Bad for You?

Are Good Books Bad for You?

Faulkner is gone. Hemingway is gone. Toni Morrison, John Updike, and Philip Roth, our three greatest living American authors, are strictly off-limits to you. Their books contain so much sex and filthy language it’s amazing I have mentioned their names on this stage.

Read the Full Article »

Comments

  1. Tuesday October 7, 2008,  Gonzo pRm

    What do you mean by good books. Are we talking great pieces of literature or Da Vinci code? One just has to realize the differences between these two and watch the movie version of good books so they have more time for the great books.

  2. Monday October 6, 2008,  JM

    well that depends on what you mean by bad for you. if they make you think so deeply about something that you become unhappy then maybe

  3. Monday October 6, 2008,  Anonymous

    all books are good. they give us a window into different worlds. they open our minds to different ideas and they show us new ways of expressing ourselves. they encourage dialogue, they spark emotions, and they remind us of our humanity. a world without books would be a far poorer place.

  4. Monday October 6, 2008,  Anonymous

    only if you want to be a writer, because then you’ll think that you’ll never be as good as the great writers you’re reading

Leave a Comment


(will not be published)

Allowed tags
<a href="" title=""><abbr title=""><acronym title=""><b><blockquote cite=""><cite><code><del datetime=""><em><i><q cite=""><strike><strong>
By using this service you agree not to post material that is obscene, harassing, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable. Although The Atlantic does not monitor comments posted to this site (and has no obligation to), it reserves the right to delete, edit, or move any material that it deems to be in violation of this rule.