Would you break up with someone who read something to lowbrow?

Sometimes reading preferences reveal a deep philosphical difference and they've been a canary in a coal mine for me.

I read a lot and majored in English, but even so, there are loads of books that I haven't actually read. I think I'd be pretty angry if someone judged me unworthy.

Breaking up with someone because they've never heard of Pushkin? Ugh. I do not truck with that kind of elitism.

Unless you happen to be a Pushkin scholar and have told your significant other all about Pushkin, only to have your SO turn around and say, "Who is this Pushkin fellow?" Then I think perhaps that there are grounds.

I suppose if I found out my lover thought The Celestine Prophecy was the best book ever written I might consider breaking it off with them.

Would you break up with someone who read something too lowbrow?

Only if they never ever stopped talking about it.

I think I'd draw the line at thinking the Left Behind books are the pinnacle of literature, but outside of that I'd like to think I'm open minded.

Would you break up with someone who read something to lowbrow?

Considering the trashy romances and scifi I read, I don't think I'd have a leg to stand on. I'd just be thrilled if I was dating someone who liked to read!!

mr. flea probably reads two books a year. Plus a lot of Scientific Americans and some New Yorkers (and, of course, tons of kiddie books.)

I pretty much read nonfiction and mysteries and romance, and have done for maybe 10 years. I have to read Suite Francaise for book club for next month, and I'm kind of afraid.

Steph, I totally get where you are coming from. It's not the consumption of the lowbrow, but thinking that it's quality would be the issue.

(says the girl who loves to read Jodi Picoult).

The Celestine Prophecy

What am amazing phenomenon of popularity vs. horrible writing evah.

Not for that alone, but those choices can be telling enough of other issues that they should not be ignored.

So very much this.

I think the problem I have is that I think of books as short hand for other aspects of one's personality.

And this.

I also think that if you are a person who believes either of these things, you will probably not get along (in a long-term relationship) with someone who does not, because you're going to be approaching the media you consume in such vastly different ways as to make conversation difficult.

Reading is important, and I dated two people that didn't read. One was dyslexic - but he wanted to be an actor - so he still got the word and story thing. The second - well, we had some major differences anyway ( He didn't believe in abortion, but you should have seen him goggle at the idea of being a single father, which was one alternative I offered)

As I was typing I remembered a third. he was a party boy/bad boy - so that was different.