The Common Reader James Marriott. The value of being pretentious and the importance of the emotions to the intellect.
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Aug 8, 2024 
James Marriott, a Times columnist covering literature, culture, and the millennial experience, shares intriguing insights on reading habits. He discusses why men should embrace novels, emphasizing their emotional depth rather than moral lessons. The conversation shifts to the cultural snobbery surrounding fiction versus nonfiction, and how literary works, from Iris Murdoch to Harry Potter, shape personal identities. Marriott provocatively reflects on pretentiousness in literature and the evolving nature of high culture in today's countercultural landscape.
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Reading Novels
- Read novels for enjoyment and excitement, not just for moral improvement.
- Recognize that novels can offer unique emotional and intellectual understanding.
Novels and Understanding
- Emotional insight and empathy are distinct; novels can improve understanding without necessarily increasing niceness.
- Novels offer a different kind of knowledge, an emotional understanding of life often overlooked.
The Appeal of Fiction
- Men may be drawn to non-fiction for status and knowledge superiority.
- Advocate for novels' unique benefits to showcase their value compared to other media.