Americans will listen, but they do not care to read. War and Peace must wait for the leisure of retirement, which never really comes: meanwhile it helps to furnish the living room. Blockbusting fiction is bought as furniture. Unread, it maintains its value. Read, it looks like money wasted. Cunningly, Americans know that books contain a person, and they want the person, not the book.

Summary

This quote suggests that while Americans may be willing to listen to others discuss books, they are generally uninterested in reading literature themselves. Instead, they prioritize more immediate forms of entertainment, like blockbuster fiction, which is seen as a status symbol or decorative item. Americans view books as a means to access their authors' personalities, rather than an opportunity for deep intellectual engagement. Consequently, they perceive unread books as valuable possessions, as they still provide the impression of cultural sophistication, whereas reading a book and not gaining that desired personal connection is deemed a waste of money.

Topics