Good lines: on literary digestion

 

"... the man belonged to that extraordinary class of readers who have perfect literary digestions, who can devour anything printed, retaining what suits them, eliminating what does not, and liking all impartially because, since they take what they want from each, they are always actually reading the same book (she had a cousin who was like that about the theatre, and she remembered how her aunt used to complain, saying, 'It's no use asking Cousin Florence whether the show at the stock company is any good this week; Cousin Florence has never seen a bad play') ..."

From The Company She Keeps by Mary McCarthy.

    I've come down with some species of lurgy so my analytical faculties aren't up to scratch at all today, but I think the first part of that passage - on 'perfect literary digestion' - presents an interesting idea, and one I'd never thought of in quite those terms. As to the bit about 'always actually reading the same book', I don't quite get that. Any thoughts?

Comments

[Audrey]

It is interesting... I think it means that this kind of reader only wants or entertains certain ideas/emotions/moods/thoughts, and they're the same ones, no matter what book they find them in. It would be as if the aunt who goes to the theater likes getting out, and sitting in rows of chairs, and applauding, and enjoys that experience no matter what play is on stage. (? maybe?)

[Cornflower]

The wide experience in general rather than the substance of the particular - I've put that rather clumsily but I see what you mean, Audrey.

[Elaine]

Sorry to hear you have the lurgey Karen. I had it at the start of the year and has now gone but it does pull you down so hope you get well soon

[Barbara]

Lacking any critical faculty? If so, not really very well put. I do know people who read a book just for the story, without ever noticing how it's written. This would make one book much like another for them, I suppose.

[Sandy]

I am sorry to see you have the dreaded lurgy Cornflower and I hope you are better by the time you read this. I Googled the etymology of lurgy and found this article - http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-dre1.htm . I wont attest to its veracity but I enjoyed it.

I have difficulty understanding anyone taking the time to read a book simply to extract some identical common factor from each one but it seems probable the author had indeed encountered this. Not something that seems to afflict the contributers here!

[Cornflower]

Thankyou for that link, Sandy, it has certainly made me laugh - which is, of course, the best medicine!

[Kaitlyn]

I'm probably one who is guilty of always reading the 'same' book. I read a lot of different genres, by different authors from different countries, backgrounds and eras but the one thing that always hooks me in is a love story.

Given that love is universal, the books I read always inevitably seem to have a common thread.

Families, particularly large families are also something that interests me, so the books I read invariably discuss the connections between mothers and daughters, fathers and daughters, grandparents and grandchildren, siblings etc. At the moment am reading 'Oranges and Sunshine,' by Margaret Humprhries, previously printed as 'Empty Cradles'. The book is about child migrants sent to Australia from the UK. Quite heartfelt and yet again comes back to the topic of families or the lack of.