Would You Lie? Booking Through Thursday

Published on by Margaret

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Suggested by Monibo:

Saw this article (from March) and thought it would make a good BTT confessional question:

Two-thirds of Brits have lied about reading books they haven’t. Have you? Why? What book?

I don’t remember ever claiming to have read a book when I haven’t.  There are books I think I’ve read but when I look at them I realise I haven’t – I just know the story either from a film or TV programme, just as there are books I don’t think I’ve read and then when I start reading I realise that I have! It’s bad enough not being able to remember all the books I have read without having to remember which books I’ve lied about reading as well!!

According to this article 1984, War and Peace, and Ulysses come high up on the list of books people lie about having read and the main reason given was to impress the person they were speaking to. (1984 is a book I think I’ve read but maybe I haven’t, I’m not sure.)

It wouldn’t impress me at all if someone claimed to have read a book and then it was obvious they knew next to nothing about it. But then it doesn’t impress me what anyone reads – I’m just happy they read at all, as so many people don’t!

14 thoughts on “Would You Lie? Booking Through Thursday”

  1. Ulysses is one book I read that I’d actually like to forget about! Well, maybe not the book itself, but the reading process. Had to read it for a college English class, and it was a terrible struggle. But it has a great ending.

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  2. I really like your answer.

    I’m glad I have a blog now and therefore it will avoid forgetting which books I have or haven’t read

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  4. And it doesn’t get any better, Nise. I think the older we get, the further into the book we go before we finally realise we’ve read it.

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  6. If I start reading a book I think I haven’t and then realize I have, I just consider it “new mind” and a consequence of age bringing one closer to enlightenment…no?

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  7. I have found out with lies early on that one was always found out and it was easier to tell the truth from the start. It is such a freedom of the mind. Anyway as you, my memory plays tricks on me now and I sometimes doubt if I have read one book or not. It does become clear after few pages. I own a lot more books that I have not read, that patiently await their turn on the shelves among the ones already read. I am working on it though. It is a comfort to know that I shall not run out of material if force to never go out again in my life…ahahhaha.
    Thanks Margaret.

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  8. I’m the same as you. Sometimes I think I’ve read the book because I’ve seen the film or just know the story from somewhere. Then I look through my shelves and realize that it’s not there which means that I probably haven’t read it. I would never purposefully lie about having read a book. I don’t understand the point.

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  9. I have to be very careful these days when I’m going down a list of books to make sure that I don’t accidentally check off a book I haven’t read but have seen on tons of previous lists.

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  10. I’m with you on the first paragraph – I can’t even remember the ones I have read half the time so why lie and say I have when I haven’t? I’m actually more likely to say I haven’t when I have, because I’ve forgotten!

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  12. I’m not sure what the point would be of pretending to have a read a book you haven’t. I have far more problems with remembering which ones I have read and starting a book only to find three or four pages in that I’ve been there before.

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  14. Generally I wouldn’t. I am enough of a contrarian that I take pride in not reading books people expect me to read. I have, however, on one or two occasions kind of glossed over the fact that I hadn’t finished a book. Like Catch-22. I finished about 2/3 of it but couldn’t be bothered to finish it. And now, in my mind I feel like I have.

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