# I obviously didn't want you to see the title of my book... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 14, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312 "2003-07-14T04:26:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/21 "2003-07-14T15:09:15Z")
I wasn’t reading anything particularly embarassing, it was just my special book for me, and I didn’t want anyone to know about unless they discovered it on their own. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/22 "2003-07-14T15:15:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zebra \* > \*\*But boy did I get some strange looks from the teachers/parents of that girls school group when I got off the train when I had been reading Lolita. \*\* Meh. If you want to get some funny looks, try sitting down on the train and reading a symphonic score. If that doesn’t work, hum and wave your arms about. For an even better reaction, throw the score to the floor, stare at a random commuter, and shout “Dolce! Dolce!” When the nice men in white suits drag you away, keep mumbling “Where do they get these amateurs?!?” ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/23 "2003-07-14T15:16:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pizzabrat \* > \*\*I wasn’t reading anything particularly embarassing, it was just my special book for me, and I didn’t want anyone to know about unless they discovered it on their own. \*\* It was porn. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/24 "2003-07-14T15:16:42Z")
Judging by this quote: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pizzabrat \* > Now you know _all_ my secrets, _thank you_! I’d assumed it was some sort of self-help book for a rather embarrassing personal issue. So, you’re saying you’d rather **not** recommend a very good book to others? That’s interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/25 "2003-07-14T15:49:18Z")
I’ve seen an awful lot of people (including me) reading David McCullough’s biography _John Adams_ on the ferry, as well as Anita Diamante’s _The Red Tent_, which I have not read. And _Harry Potter_, of course. I’m also very curious about what other people are reading, mainly because I’m always looking for something new to read. Of course, if someone approaches me about a book I’m reading, I’m always happy to tell them what I think about it. That even happened a couple times with the book I linked to above… started some very interesting conversations, I can tell you. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/26 "2003-07-14T16:08:39Z")
My guess is that **pizzabrat** was reading the Necronomicon. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/27 "2003-07-14T16:40:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Martiju \* > \*\*I’m just impressed by the thought of talking on the subway - on the London Underground it’s bad enough making eye contact with strangers, let alone having any conversation! \*\* Man, you guys are way more civilized over there. Here in Atlanta, every goddamn train winds up with at least one homeless person on it, mumbling for money. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/28 "2003-07-14T16:56:51Z")
I love seeing what other people are reading. It doesn’t mean I’ll actually _talk_ to them, mind you. (I’m shy.) But I love to look at the books other people have. However, if someone goes out of their way to keep the cover hidden, I certainly wouldn’t ask what the book was. That Wouldn’t Be Polite. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/29 "2003-07-14T17:09:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zebra \* > \*\* > But boy did I get some strange looks from the teachers/parents of that girls school group when I got off the train when I had been reading[Lolita](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679723161/qid=1058190603/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_2/104-5713637-5413567). \*\* I never finished _Lolita_, and that was partially because I was 15 or 16 when I started to read it, and I had a very long bus ride to and from my high school. I felt like I was asking for trouble being seen with that book on the bus. Incidentally, this same bus line went by the local mental hospital, and many outpatients would just ride it around all day because they didn’t have anything else to do. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/30 "2003-07-14T17:42:23Z")
It didn’t bother me so much, but my wife was plenty embarassed when I picked up “Reefer Madness” at Borders a while back. Especially since the title is in a huge font and positioned vertically on the cover. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/31 "2003-07-14T20:38:09Z")
I don’t know how anyone manages to read on a subway or bus or in the car-when I attempt to do so, I get horribly, wretchedly carsick. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/32 "2003-07-14T23:21:06Z")
The only time I can recall not wanting someone to know what I was reading was when I was on an airplane coast to coast reading [Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets.](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0804109990/qid=1058224789/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-8920002-9690341#product-details) The homicide detectives use some very black humor to maintain their sanity, and I kept [laughing out loud](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0804109990/ref=lib_dp_TFCV/104-8920002-9690341?v=glance&s=books&vi=reader#reader-link) at what I was reading. People kept glancing over to see what I found so funny, and when they saw the [cover](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0804109990/ref=lib_rd_prev_1/104-8920002-9690341?v=glance&s=books&vi=reader&img=1#reader-link) they gave me a look that said “Oh god we are trapped on this airplane with a nutjob.” Funny thing is nobody wanted to ask me about that book. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/33 "2003-07-15T01:38:01Z")
I bet it was [this book](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0595094724/qid=1058233343/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-2095264-8218410?v=glance&s=books) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/34 "2003-07-15T01:55:23Z")
I remember when we were trying to write updated silly lyrics (to Cole Porter’s “You’re the Top”) for a chorus performance, and I’d sit on the subway mumbling potential lines to myself, and then scribbling furiously. Boy, did people leave me alone then! 😃 Having an Invisible Friend isn’t always a bad thing! I think I’ve seen more lawyers reading briefs on the subway than everything else put together, even the Good Book. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/35 "2003-07-15T02:55:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by matt\_mcl \* > \*\*_partial hijack_ There are exactly four books I’ve seen, more than once, being read on the metro. They are the Bible, the Koran, the Torah, and _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_. I’m not sure what this means, but definitely something. \*\* Ah, the sacred works of the four great religions of North America! Or haven’t you seen some of the Potter fan websites? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/36 "2003-07-15T10:58:39Z")
When I lived in Arlington, VA and rode the bus and Metro to work everyday I got good at reading standing up with one arm snaked around a pole for support, sometimes hooked a foot also as an anchor. At least of third of people I saw on the Metro were reading usually, especially during the commute home. Never felt the need to hide what I was reading, but when you bounce between Philip K. Dick novels, Graham Greene, William S. Burroughs, _Snowcrash, Blood Meridian_ and _Salvation On Sand Mountain_, a nonfiction book about snake handler churches in the South, people don’t bother you too much anyway. Even the co-workers got leery while I was reading the last one. I still want a copy of _I Spit On Your Graves_ by Boris Vian to read in public when I’m in a “fuck off” kind of mood. Just the title seem to make people look at you funny. I suppose you could try carrying around a copy of trash like _The Turner Diaries_, either that or one of those _Poor Man’s James Bond_-style books or something similar full of dirty tricks and homemade weapons. Then again, living in Patriot Act land might get the feds called after you for reading stuff like that in public even as a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Armilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19b73/32.png) [@Armilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Armilla)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/37 "2003-07-15T11:34:17Z")
Courtesy of Channel 4’s _Black Books_ website: [Printable book covers](http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/B/blackbooks/bookjacket.html) for concealing your embarassing books when in public. I find _Bastard Squad_ to be particularly effective. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/38 "2003-07-16T01:24:54Z")
I was once on an Amtrak, reading [Helter Skelter](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/039308700X/qid=1058318587/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/103-9005649-6411809), and a woman decided to intervene. She insisted that if I read that, I would be doomed to be a victim, like the female Family members, and I should put it away right then and read some self-help book or other. Amtrak, for non-US Dopers, is the long-distance train, and I was going across several states, so I didn’t have the option of getting off at an earlier stop or anything. She **kept** lecturing me about how I shouldn’t read that (why? It’s mostly about the trial, and I’m actually glad I read it, because it gave me some perspective during the LA court circuses of the '90s), and pretty soon some guy got into the act, trying to knock it out of my hand. Finally, I left the lounge car and went back to my regular seat. Man. (Oh, and FTR, I was 18 and still conditioned to think that no one older than I was could really be rude, no matter how obnoxious their actions.) ---
**Author:** ![bagkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ab992/32.png) [@bagkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bagkitty)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/39 "2003-07-16T19:06:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Avalonian \* > \*\*Wasn’t [this book](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0375421726/cm_aya_asin.title/104-7572522-9617536?v=glance&s=books) by any chance, now was it? I felt the same way, sometimes, when I was reading it. > > I figure it was either that one, or a Danielle Steel novel. 😉 \*\* Hey, you should try reading [this book](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393057232/qid=1058382754/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_3/102-1723577-9120149) on the bus… those silly cover artists, what were they thinking? ---
**Author:** ![LauraLittlePony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LauraLittlePony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LauraLittlePony)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312/40 "2003-07-16T19:28:59Z")
Somewhat related–once in high school I had some spare time and was reading a borrowed copy of “Why I Am Not A Christian.” Some special ed aide, who was helping my sick art teacher, saw the book and told me, “Oh honey, you need help.” Or something to that effect. I was too stunned to even know how to respond. What do you even SAY to such a rude comment?? Yes, I went to public school. And this was four years ago, not 1837. To this day, I wish I’d said _something._ Jesus. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-obviously-didnt-want-you-to-see-the-title-of-my-book/188312.md?page=3)