I hate having to explain what I’m reading. If I wanted to be conversing with you instead of reading this book in front of me, then I wouldn’t be reading, now would I? But of course you know that. It’s your little passive aggressive way of saying, "wow, whatever that is you’re reading, it must be more interesting then little old me. Oh, never mind, I’ll just hum to myself over here. You go ahead and read your book. Don’t worry about me sitting over here with nothing to do. Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm . . . "
Get over yourself.
I’m sure the person who ever so rudely tried to initiate a conversation with a fellow human being is better for not having one with you.
So…what *were *you reading?
Yeah, what were you reading?
It’s more important than both of you together.
There is a certain type of person who just doesn’t understand that when a person is reading, that person is engaged in activity. For this type of person, they can’t imagine wanting to read, but assume that you are so bored that you are forced to be reading. They think that they are doing you this great favor, by saving you from having to read.
“I was reading How to Win Friends and Influence People. Tell me about your insurance coverage!”
Regards,
Shodan
I would tend to agree with Koxinga. Someone who is engrossed in a book probably isn’t looking for someone to have a conversation with. If you feel a need to have a conversation with that particular person, wait until they put the book down.
I hear ya Koxinga.
I don’t mind a single question, (and I’ll usually just answer with something like “a mystery” or maybe just hold the book up so they can see the title. Then I go back to my book.
One of my small pleasures is to go out to lunch before doing my grocery run, and I always go alone and take a book. There’s one place I like to go where the manager insisted on trying to chat with me about how my lunch was and did I need anything and was I enjoying the book and did I need more coffee and boy that’s a thick book and i sure do a lot of reading and was I sure I didn’t need more water…
Auuuuugh! I’m fine, thank you, now Shut. UP!
He finally learned that if I needed something I wasn’t shy about asking for it, and now he confines himself to walking by, saying hi, and that’s it. Thank gawd.
Yes I’m antisocial, what of it?
Sometimes I get great book recommendations by asking people what they’re reading. However, I generally don’t mind being asked about my book selection, and I’ll gladly explain that I’m reading science fiction or mystery or whatever. I enjoy reading, and I enjoy talking about what I’m reading.
I have to say that I read all my porn in private, so nobody has ever asked me about it, other than my husband. And I share my porn with him.
I get that. But pitting someone for having the audacity to attempt to initiate human contact is just as rude and even more arrogant.
It’s a book. You don’t have to pause it or tevo it. Have a brief bit of actual human interaction and then get back to reading.
The tone I get from the OP is more “this is something that bugs me” rather than “how dare you approach me while I am engrossed in great literature, you ignorant oaf!” More MPSIMS-ey than pit-ey.
I agree it can be annoying. I don’t mind answering a question or two or talking books with friends who are readers, but at my last job my lunch/dinner breaks were about the one time I had to sit and not have to interact with people. Having someone who can’t take a hint stand there and bombard you with “what’s it about? Is it good? Who’s it by? Never heard of him. Do you read a lot? I was never much of a reader etc etc etc” gets annoying.
Nobody ever asks me what I’m reading, if I’m reading Jane Eyre, or a biography of John Adams. They wait until I’m reading a vampire detective novel, and *then *they ask me what I’m reading.
How is Pitting a theoretical person who is not even a member of this message board “rude”? It might be rude if you said it directly to that person’s face.
Anyway, I’m fully with the OP. If I’m actively engaged in reading, just leave me alone. Especially if I’m on a bus or an airplane where I’m forced into close proximity with you for some period of time. Besides which, these conversations always turn incredibly annoying when I find myself having to explain the concept of “science fiction” or put up with someone’s wide-eyed wonderment that anyone could actually read a nonfiction history or science book or whatever for fun. It gets old.
Exception: If someone recognizes the author and is also a fan, or has something actually relevant to say about what I’m reading. I don’t mind that. But just, “durrr, whatcha readin’?” people can fuck straight off.
My wife tygre gets around this by reading things like “Theories of Violent Homicide” or “Female Serial Killers” in public places. Nobody ever bothers her.
Apparently, the needs of people who like to talk to strangers or interupt them when they are engaged in an activity always trumps the needs of people who don’t enjoy talking to strangers, or who want to continue with whatever activity they were doing before being nterrupted by said strangers. Whatever you are doing, you must instantly stop and engage in pointless chit chat with anyone desiring to do so and if you do not, you are being unbelievably rude.
Ain’t it the truth? It’s even worse if it’s a *children’s *vampire detective novel…
The Godfather. Yup I saw the movie, can’t say how the book ends really I’m still reading it. You’ve read it a bajillion times? that’s nice, no don’t tell me about Freddie…Really the movie is better than the book? no i don’t want to know why…look I think I hear your boss calling you, you better go see what she wants. yup buh bye.
You do have to pause it. You think I read a book line by line? No, I get into it. It flows. There are exciting parts, parts I don’t want to miss, parts that, if I’m interrupted in the middle of, I need to go back 2 or 3 pages to get back into and even then, it’s never the same as if I wasn’t interrupted.
If I could have a Special Magical Power to make one minor change in the world, it would be this: “For now and forever, every human being will understand that interrupting another human being while they’re reading is equally as disruptive as if they interrupt while they are watching TV or on the phone.”