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one person's trash
This quote is from W.H. Auden, who was one of the principal poets of the last century. It comes from his autobiography (it's not a standard autobiography, but there's not much else to call it), A Certain World:
For an adult reader, the possible verdicts are five: I can see this is good and I like it; I can see this is good but I don't like it; I can see this is good and, though at present I don't like it, I believe that with perseverance I shall come to like it; I can see that this is trash but I like it; I can see that this is trash and I don't like it.
This both interests and disturbs me, because while it looks very even handed and reasonable, there's one flaw I can't get past. Every book must fall into one of two primary categories: this is good or this is trash.
So I tried to figure out how this does or doesn't work for me. I've named novels that fall into each category, for me personally.
1. I can see this is good, and I like it. The Magician's Assistant; Pride & Prejudice; A Thread of Grace
2. I can see this is good, but I don't like it. almost all of James Joyce
3. I can see this is good and, though at present I don't like it, I believe that [with perseverance] I shall come to like it. Atonement
4. I can see that this is trash but I like it. I prefer the wording: guilty pleasures: Princess Daisy
5. I can see that this is trash and I don't like it. DaVinci Code
April 10, 2005 04:05 PM
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