April 1, 2008
Love Me, Love My Pushkin
There is much chatter this week about Rachel Donadio’s New York Times Book Review essay on judging potential mates by the books on their shelves.
Cheryl Miller, a fellow at the America’s Future Foundation, uses the occasion to quote a classic line from Norman Rush’s novel Mating:
One thing you distinctly never want to hear a man you’re interested in say softly is that his favorite book in the whole world is The Golden Notebook. Here you are dealing with a liar from the black lagoon and it’s time to start feeling in your purse for carfare.
Here’s our question to you: What university-press-published book would make you reject a potential lover? Bonus points for real-life stories.
(Photo by the Flickr user Marxchivist. Used under a Creative Commons license.)
David Glenn | Posted on Tuesday April 1, 2008 | PermalinkComments
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I don’t know about reject a lover, but I would know I found a soul mate if they carried a copy of Danny Postel’s Reading Legitimation Crisis in Tehran (Prickly Paradigm) to our first date.
— Richard Apr 1, 06:02 PM #
As almost all of my significant romantic attachments have revolved around a shared interest in books I cannot help but agree, although I the misfortune to begin a relationship after a chance discuss of the Russion author Daniil Kharms. One can never tell.
— Mr. Darcy Apr 1, 06:41 PM #
Being a complete literary omnivore myself, and given the titles I can see from where I’m sitting, I’m casting neither stones nor aspersions.
— Catalin Dunnett Apr 1, 07:02 PM #
“…literary omnivore”. Catalin, you described me better than I ever could. As long as the other reads, it doesn’t matter much. I’ll even forgive a youthfull crush on The Fountainhead, despite the ruin it has caused to our cities.
— Peter VE Apr 2, 01:10 AM #