books and love

[fictional]

Skimming through the New York Times at this ungodly hour of the morning, and I find myself inquiring, does "love conquer literary taste" for you? I think ladypeculiar mentioned this article somewhat earlier in the day as well.

It certainly doesn't for me. In fact, I think conversely, I am unable to truly like people who don't share, in some measure at least, my literary tastes. What would we ever talk about? Writing it down baldly like that makes me feel sort of...shallow. But in many ways, it has to be said, I fall in love with people's bookshelves. first, and the people themselves, second.

I think I fell for D. in part because he wanted to be all the fictional characters I had crushes on when I was a little girl. It was a match made in mass market paperbacks.

Comments

[semyaza.livejournal.com]

I've never understood the concept of 'opposites attract'. I prefer people who share at least some of my tastes, literary and otherwise, and who care about books and music even if their tastes don't quite mesh with mine. And there are deal breakers. I'd also have trouble with someone who took Ayn Rand seriously.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

haha. I'm totally with you on the Ayn Rand. *g*

But I think what I was getting at - why it makes me feel a little shallow - is for me, sometimes, being attracted to people can be much more about "what you like" than "who you are." On the other hand, I suppose a decent enough argument could be made for the first being predetermined by the second. And then there's the even more complicating factor of how people like what they like. I always find it disconcerting when folk have many of the same interests, but for none of the same reasons. That always makes me feel like a space alien.

Also, hello! I used to visit your journal (from corinthians sometimes like a creepy silent stalker type, cursed with terminal shyness, and finally I decided to bite the bullet and come out of the woodwork.

[semyaza.livejournal.com]

I'd argue that 'what you like' and, as a corollary, 'how/why you like it' are crucial parts of who you are. And often they speak for those aspects of an individual which are otherwise mostly inarticulate.

I stalked you from corinthians to descensus_hp, so fair dues. :D

[magnetgirl.livejournal.com]

Hahaha. Boy am I lucky I read what I did!

But fall in love with bookshelves? I hope that's a turn of phrase, because my 'bookshelves' were under my bed, stuffed in closets, etc.

I was fucking EVIL to books when I was young!

;)