“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
In one of the more bizarre editorials this Cub Reporter has ever read, Hugh Mackay of the Sydney Morning Herald opines that the whole “universal literacy” thing is so 1999.
Yet in our enthusiasm for the idea that everyone should be able to read and write fluently, we may be missing a crucial point: in today’s culture, finely honed literacy skills are simply not as important as they once were. Important for those who appreciate the joys of reading, yes; important for those whose work demands literacy, yes; but no longer essential for making your way in the world.
In support of this (ahem) unique opinion, he conscripts our own Miss Austen:
Far more people have enjoyed Jane Austen’s work on television than will ever read her books. Who’s to say it is “better” to read Austen than to see her work dramatised on the screen? Better for some; infinitely more tedious and unappealing for others.
Words, unimportant though they may be, fail me.
December 11th, 2004 at 6:03 pm
This is so disturbing. I like television and movies, but to say that reading is not important is terribly misguided.
December 11th, 2004 at 8:11 pm
Dude this guy is like so right. I mean, reading is like *hard*, ‘n stuff, and it’s so slow, and who needs it anyway when you’ve got tv, cause everything’s true on tv, and like with books you can’t even fast forward or anything.
Dear god.
December 11th, 2004 at 9:38 pm
Reading and watching film are two COMPLETELY DIFFERENT disciplines. One does not replace the other. They are both enjoyed in a different way, and make their points in a different manner.
I couldn’t live without books. I can’t imagine my life without reading. I don’t have time to do as much as I’d like, and it bothers me.
Really sad. One suspects (one HOPES) Mr. Mackay had his tongue firmly tucked in cheek.
December 12th, 2004 at 10:29 am
In order for there to be a filmed version of a book, someone has to have read the book (OK, maybe not in the case of MP2, but you know what I mean). Reading is vital. Even if all you do is watch TV, you need to be able to read at least something.
I cannot live without books. I am rarely without one.
It is said that “everyone’s entitled to an opinion,” but it does not necessarily follow that every opinion is worth listening to. If this man is serious, his is one opinion NOT worth hearing.
December 12th, 2004 at 11:03 am
Well, he does have a point. Literacy isn’t really as important as it used to be, now that our economy has changed from an industialized, highly specialized one to one of subsistence agriculture.
I know my husband rarely called upon literacy skills when he cleared our claim and built our log cabin. And he rarely uses them when he’s out plowing our 40 acres. And since our three sons will homestead their own claims and farm those, they won’t need many literacy skills either.
Of course, as a woman, I am never called upon for reading and writing.