# HuffPo Link: Nine Books that Make You Undateable **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 19, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733 "2012-07-19T16:14:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/21 "2012-07-19T17:38:02Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I don’t understand why _The Great Gatsby_ is on the list. I read it once, and while I wasn’t exactly swept away by it, I didn’t actively dislike it either. It’s on my “forced to read in high school” list. I sort of liked it too, especially the line about his smile: “It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood.” I wish I could smile like that! However, if you modeled your courting behavior after Jay Gatsby’s, I could see how that would make you undateable. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/22 "2012-07-19T17:41:46Z")
The reaction to 1984 seems idiotic. I think it is great work. I also love Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Great Expectations and the Merchant of Venice. Some of the greatest literature committed to print and all of them set as academic texts for my last two years at school (age 15/16). Just because they are accessible to teenagers doesn’t make them any less serious. I don’t really see what point the tit in the original story was trying to make (other than emphasising his general tittishness) ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/23 "2012-07-19T17:43:18Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Cassandra’s entire speech can basically be summed up as, “Goddammit Aggie, thanks for kidnapping me and dragging me all the way to this godforsaken rock just to be killed by your wife.” Clytie whacks the concubine, too. I thought so. Poor Cassandra. Moral: don’t get cursed by gods. It often ends badly. Awesome precis by the way! ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/24 "2012-07-19T17:45:05Z")
Well, as was explained further on, the original writer was dismayed that her favorite book was one she’d read about a decade ago when she was in high school and it was a book that is often assigned in high school leading one to believe that she is not all that interested in reading but wanted to appear intellectual. HuffPo took a chunk of the story and then stupidized it into an undateable list. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/25 "2012-07-19T17:51:19Z")
My top 9: \*\*Anything from the datee’s poetry vanity press.\*\*Look, you paid to have yourself in print. You’re smart… **Any autobiography from a reality TV star.** Something tells me that it’s either got a lot of pictures or you haven’t cracked the spine. **Anything by Ayn Rand** “The question isn’t really ‘who is John Galt?’, the question is ‘who gives a shit?’” **The Anarchist’s Cookbook** 9/11 wasn’t an inside job. Shut up. **The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test** I’m sure even a basic conversation with the person would include them denouncing “big pharma”. **Men Are From Mars, Women are from Venus.** I don’t think I’ve seen any gay men with this in their collection… **The Twilight Series** I’ve read crappy books, I love watching crappy movies. I could barely parse the insipid language that was pretending to be English here. **Heaven is for Real** I read it. I’ll freely admit it. But I got it for free and it was hilariously bad. Anyone who could swallow this tripe should be publicly shunned by wearing a cross on their lapel. **The Jefferson Lies** Just means that you read things outside of your Newsmax subscription. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/26 "2012-07-19T17:51:56Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > Awesome precis by the way! Thanks. I spent far more time than I would have liked sophomore year studying it although we focused more on the Eumenides than Agamemnon. And you’re welcome, Anaamika. Let’s see, I’ve read A Confederacy of Dunces and didn’t get it and I’ve read the Orestaia. I’ve read part of The Great Gatsby and Atlas Shrugged and I haven’t touched the others. I would recommend the Orestaia but I’m rather biased. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/27 "2012-07-19T17:55:09Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > My top 9: > > [ **The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test** I’m sure even a basic conversation with the person would include them denouncing “big pharma”. The others, sure - but EKAAT is just a fun, interesting read if you want to learn what the Hippie/Haight Ashberry scene was like. I don’t see the jump from this book to hating Big Pharma - at all. Sure, it is written by Tom Wolfe, so it has way too many exclamation points in it ;), but it is an interesting read about its topic just like his book The Right Stuff was an interesting read about the space program… I hear you about Men are from Mars… - meaning: if folks want to read self-help books; cool - some can be interesting. But if you name it as your \*favorite \*book, it would raise my antenna a bit… ---
**Author:** ![SticksAndString](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@SticksAndString](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SticksAndString)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/28 "2012-07-19T17:59:24Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > “A Confederacy of Dunces” > Quoted by do-nothings everywhere. > > “On the Road” > Spontaneous, maybe, and a helluva romantic, but if you’re looking for commitment, your “On the Road” lover will likely be too busy burn, burn, burning and “explod[ing] like spiders across the stars” to, you know, pay rent. Yanno, I decided this summer I was going to read some classics I’d either never read before or hadn’t read in some time. I’ve gotten through _Gone With the Wind_ and _1984_ but I just could not seem to finish _On the Road_. I dunno if it was just me or what, but the book bored me to tears. I consider myself somewhat well-read, but that book just bored me to tears. If I wasn’t participating in a reading challenge this summer (for every five books read by X date, you get a ticket to put into a drawing for one of six very nice prizes) I wouldn’t have done it. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/29 "2012-07-19T18:06:23Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > My top 9: > **The Anarchist’s Cookbook** 9/11 wasn’t an inside job. Shut up. I wouldn’t worry about someone I dated being a CT nut if this was their favorite book. I WOULD worry that if I dumped her, she’d try and rig my car to explode! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/30 "2012-07-19T18:11:15Z")
If you look at them right, I think almost any book would make the person undateable. The Gatsby blurb is a good one - almost no one would knowingly date Jay Gatsby. Some of the others aren’t very imaginative, but if you give the book that kind of treatment, I think every one would be disqualified for some reason. I’ve also read A Confederacy of Dunces (didn’t love it) and On The Road (hated it). ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/31 "2012-07-19T18:12:11Z")
I think the point of a list like this isn’t about books people _like_. It’s about books people call their _favorite_. I LIKE Gatsby and 1984 very much, but since I’ve read books since high school they’re not my absolute favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/32 "2012-07-19T18:34:16Z")
I always used my favorite book as a barometer of whether the person in question was dateable (preferring that they’d at least heard of it). But since the last time I ever dated someone was in my early 20s I feel like I can be forgiven for being so snooty. My favorite book when I met my husband was Lolita (still is a favorite) and he had read it too. True love! ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/33 "2012-07-19T18:34:36Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > I want to say it anyway: > > “There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.” > > ― John Rogers I wish I knew somebody who likes literature so I could tell them this quote. I can understand why people wouldn’t like the Silmarillion but I can’t understand why people think it’s only for Tolkien Fanatics. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/34 "2012-07-19T18:40:27Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I think the point of a list like this isn’t about books people _like_. It’s about books people call their _favorite_. I have called Gatsby my favorite book at times. The other book with a really strong claim to that title is Lolita, which HuffPo didn’t even need to list because _run for the fucking hills._ In fact I’m cautious about even telling people it might be a favorite. I’ll talk to people about it, but it’s so misunderstood I’m even a little cagey about that. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/35 "2012-07-19T18:41:14Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > I wish I knew somebody who likes literature so I could tell them this quote. You can tell it to us. We’ll pretend you said it first. Go on. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/36 "2012-07-19T18:41:42Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I have called Gatsby my favorite book at times. The other book with a really strong claim to that title is Lolita, which HuffPo didn’t even need to list because _run for the fucking hills._ In fact I’m cautious about even telling people it might be a favorite. I’ll talk to people about it, but it’s so misunderstood I’m even a little cagey about that. I realized when reading it that you can’t read it in doctor’s offices, at soccer games, or, pretty much, anywhere in public if you’re a man. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/37 "2012-07-19T18:44:24Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I have called Gatsby my favorite book at times. The other book with a really strong claim to that title is Lolita, which HuffPo didn’t even need to list because _run for the fucking hills._ In fact I’m cautious about even telling people it might be a favorite. I’ll talk to people about it, but it’s so misunderstood I’m even a little cagey about that. Lolita is one of my favorite books, too, but you’re right; I’ll never admit that in public. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/38 "2012-07-19T18:44:28Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I realized when reading it that you can’t read it in doctor’s offices, at soccer games, or, pretty much, anywhere in public if you’re a man. Maybe one day I’ll try that as an experiment. I bet I would get plenty of seats to myself on the subway. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/39 "2012-07-19T19:03:40Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > > [@Zsofia](#): > > > > I think the point of a list like this isn’t about books people like. It’s about books people call their favorite. > > I have called Gatsby my favorite book at times. The other book with a really strong claim to that title is Lolita, which HuffPo didn’t even need to list because _run for the fucking hills._ In fact I’m cautious about even telling people it might be a favorite. I’ll talk to people about it, but it’s so misunderstood I’m even a little cagey about that. It’s not about whether it’s your favourite book or not; it’s about assuming that if it’s your favourite book, you must be like the character in the book. So if your favourite book is Lolita, it means you want to fuck a 14 year old. Would The Great Gatsby be Jay Gatsby’s favourite book? Everyone knows his favourite book didn’t have anything printed on the pages! The Simarillion and Atlas Shrugged don’t fall into that trap though. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733/40 "2012-07-19T19:47:19Z")
I’d be fine with a woman whose favorite book was 1984, so long as she invited me into her room 101. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huffpo-link-nine-books-that-make-you-undateable/628733.md?page=3)