Books we don’t read - It’s never too late

ONE of the surreal characters created by Myles na gCopaleen offered a service for those who wished to appear well-read but would rather play golf, go the pub or watch the footie.

This enterprising person would make books look as if they had been handled regularly. Pages could be thumbed, dog-eared finishes cost more and marginalia attracted a premium, especially if they were in Latin. Myles’s idea, like so many more of his, was not as far-fetched as it first seemed.

New figures show that two out of three people have falsely claimed to have read a particular book to impress someone. Orwell’s 1984 tops the spoofers’ list and an amazing one-in-five claimed to have read Ulysses. Almost a third (31%) said they had lied about reading Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace.

The comfort found in the fact that so many people still think it impressive to say they have read these books is matched by the sadness that they have denied themselves the great pleasure of actually reading them.

It’s never too late.